William Gabriel: Candidate Profile

Back to Batavia Unit District 101 School Board

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: BataviaWebsite: grobatavia.orgOffice sought: Batavia Unit District 101 School Board Age: 34Family: Megan, wife (married 11 years) Whitney, 9 years old, 3rd grader at H.C. Storm Simeon, 8 years old, 2nd grader at H.C. Storm Elie, 4 years old Ruby, 3 years oldOccupation: Analytics Team Lead and Quantitative DeveloperEducation: Master of Science, Financial Mathematics, University of Chicago Bachelor of Science, Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignCivic involvement: Heavily involved with Christ the King Church: Board of Directors, Music Leader, Bible Teacher Sparks (K-2nd) Director of Awana ClubElected offices held: noneQuestions Answers How satisfied are you that your school district is adequately preparing students for the next stage in their lives, whether it be from elementary into high school or high school into college or full-time employment? What changes, if any, do you think need to be made?Based on the observation of my children and others in the district, I believe Batavia offers every opportunity for a student to reach his or her potential. A hard working student will be highly qualified for their desired college education or career path. The next step we should take is finding innovative ways for schools to partner with parents in equipping our students to thrive in those transitions.What budgetary issues will your district have to confront during the next four years and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, be specific about programs and expenses that should be considered for reduction or elimination. On the income side, do you support any tax increases for local schools? Again, be specific.Currently, our district has the benefit of a surplus budget, but it has come at a high cost to the community. I anticipate financial struggle over the next four years because of the rapidly growing costs of education. The state and federal government also threaten to reduce funding, and so school districts need to ensure that their financial house is secure before spending on extravagant luxuries. Capital Improvements are a key area to evaluate since many initiatives don't add dollars to the classroom or offer the most educational benefit for their cost. Batavia's budget contains several areas of concern that need to be thoroughly investigated. District revenue seems sufficient that we should not need to raise taxes for a while. Our focus should be concentrated on reducing costs.Are you currently employed by or retired from a school district, if so, which one? Is any member of your direct family - spouse, child or child-in-law - employed by the school district where you are seeking a school board seat?No, my family and I have no affiliation with any school district and my service would not pose a conflict of interest.As contract talks come up with various school employee groups -- teachers, support staff, etc. -- what posture should the school board take? Do you believe the district should ask for concessions from its employees, expect employee costs to stay about the same as they are now or provide increases in pay or benefits?All contract negotiations are as much of a collaboration between the school board and employees as the rest of the educational process. All groups in the district work as a team with the shared goal of providing the best education possible to our children. It's impossible to know so far in advance which direction negotiations should lean, but any contract will need to balance the honor teachers deserve with the fiscal health of the community.If your district had a superintendent or other administrator nearing retirement, would you support a substantial increase in his or her pay to help boost pension benefits? Why or why not?I would absolutely not support gaming the pension system this way. The Illinois Teacher Retirement System is already in a precarious position, heading toward insolvency far more quickly than Social Security. Since so many state employees rely on their pension, I cannot endorse anything that would exacerbate the problem.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Common Core is a significant struggle for our schools today. Parents, teachers and administrators are all under pressure to meet the new standards, so I want to help facilitate the transition and find academic success. Our district is also in desperate need of greater transparency and open dialogue with the community.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Tim Keller. He is a man of tremendous faith, brilliance and understands culture better than anyone.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Discipline. My childhood required early maturity, and regular responsibility was a necessity that has served me well in life.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Absolutely nothingâ#128;#148;without trying to sound evasive, I regret nothing and understand that all things work together in life.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I have always been a math geek and found a math oriented career to disprove the sentiment that "we'll never use this stuff again."If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Live life with True Love.