Justin Hegy: 2023 candidate for Palatine School District 15 School Board
Bio
Town: Palatine
Age on Election Day: 37
Occupation: Regional manager
Employer: Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Previous offices held: None
Q&A
Q: Why are you running for this office, whether for reelection or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?
A: My wife Lauren and I moved to Palatine six years ago to start our life together and raise a family. We're currently trying for our first! We love the community, people, and opportunities of Palatine, but see things starting to go in the wrong direction. Lauren and I keep seeing friends and family move away to states like Tennessee, North Carolina, Texas and Florida. This isn't just anecdotal. Palatine D15 has lost about nine percent of their student population since 2018. Young families are choosing to move out of the district. Many generations of my family have raised families in Illinois, and I want to do the same. I have a unique background that I believe provides me the skillset to help improve our district. If I am elected I would fight for: 1.) high quality, nonpolitical, age-appropriate curriculum; 2.) fiscal responsibility and lower taxes; and 3.) parental rights and medical privacy.
Q: What is the role of the school board in setting and monitoring curriculum?
A: As a board we should provide transparency, transparency, transparency! Transparency should be the first priority of any school board regarding any curriculum or curriculum changes. There is no reason in this day and age we don't have most curriculum materials housed on an easily accessible website. If elected board member, I would create an initiative to do just that. Parents have a right to know what their children are being taught at all times. We also are not doing great in proficiency of the basics. Students are only 35 percent proficient in math, 32 percent in language arts, and 55 percent in science. Determining and reviewing the curriculum is one of the most important priorities for a school board, and going forward we need leaders that will dig deep into the curriculum choices to ensure the best possible outcomes for our children. I would fight to ensure our students were receiving the highest quality curriculum available and make sure it is focused on the basics.
Q: Are there curriculum issues within the district that you feel need particular attention from the board?
A: First and foremost, we need to hone in on our lagging numbers when it comes to the basics. Our district has massive resources, great teachers and all the potential in the world, yet proficiency in language arts, math and science, are well below where they should be. The board should really be looking into what options exist to ensure a high quality curriculum is being developed and we have the proper tools to teach it. Second, in the areas of sex, gender and race, there's been an increasing pressure for school districts to adopt a variety of curriculums that parents may be uncomfortable with. School boards should always fight to make their curriculum transparent, nonpolitical and age-appropriate. Some of the recent curriculum initiatives being pushed by the state are not age-appropriate and venture into areas not appropriate for elementary and middle school students. If elected, I would be a voice of reason and transparency for the parents of the district.
Q: How do you view your role in confronting policy or curriculum controversies: provide leadership even if unpopular, give a voice to constituents - even ones with whom you disagree, or defer to state authorities?
A: School board members should never simply defer to state authorities. If we've learned anything over the past handful of years, it's that simply following directions from authority figures can be misguided. Plus, that's not why voters give us these jobs! Palatine D15 needs leaders that that will do the work to investigate problems, engage with the public, and provide leadership. The board shouldn't be an echo chamber of the same ideas and 7-0 votes. At board meetings, the board is overly focused on taxing, borrowing and spending, even after they just passed a massive $93 million property tax increase. The district has lost about nine percent of their student population since 2018, and proficiency in the basics is stagnant or declining. With 12 years of experience researching public policy, negotiating with public unions and being a public administrator, I can get positive things done. I know how to listen, argue and compromise, while also being true to my principles and goals
Q: Concerns are growing regarding a new resurgence of the pandemic. If another massive outbreak of infectious disease occurs, what have we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic that will guide your decision making?
A: I think we've learned that simply following a top down, one size fits all approach is sometimes misguided and has led to some poor outcomes. During uncertain times many didn't know what to do and simply listened to voices of authority. We can do better. A board should be asking the tough questions. What are the actual risk factors to children? Statistically, how well did mask mandates stop the spread? How far behind and what mental health issues have been caused by keeping children out of school and pushing mandates? What I hear from many teachers is the long school closures have created huge problems for students. Mental health, behavioral, academic and social problems, like never before. If I were elected, I would not be nearsighted in our approach to COVID policy and weigh these extremely important factors into any decision that is made. We should refrain from extreme measures wherever possible and empower parents to make the medical and safety decisions for their own children.
Q: Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach agreement and manage school district policy? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions of your school board.
A: Whether during my time working in management for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, or Children and Family Services, I've worked with senior leadership to craft and pursue better policy for the citizens of our state. I have an extensive background in labor relations, working on behalf of the taxpayer, negotiating across the table from one the state's largest public unions, AFSCME Counsel 31. I've have become good at working with a large variety of actors, including public unions, management, elected officials, the public and taxpayers. It's a balancing act, but one that can be done with a steady, organized and motivated approach. During my time working for the state, I've used my skills working in a group setting to improve the agencies I've worked for. I've eliminated waste, fraud and abuse, while
improving the conditions for hard working public servants.
Q: What makes you the best candidate for the job?
A: I've spent my entire career working to make government as efficient, effective, and transparent as possible. I fill my life working on things that I'm passionate about and that truly matter. Our children matter more than anything. I've been a manager in both the Department of Children and Family Services and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, working closely with leadership to reduce waste, negotiate policy, and provide our public servants with the tools they need to carry out their valuable work. I try to find areas, even outside of my career, that I can serve the community. In 2022, I and my wife served on the board of the Palatine Jaycees, a nonprofit group that does so much good for the community, providing grants, scholarships, and much more to the less fortunate. My passion and skillset uniquely equip me to serve on the Palatine D15 board and create positive change, negotiating the best possible policy and deals for the parents and children of our district.
Q: What's one good idea you have to better your district that no one is talking about yet?
A: I'm always for pushing transparency. I believe the parents and residents of D15 should know exactly what's going on, what curriculum is being taught and what deals are being negotiated with their money. I think there should be an initiative to house all the curriculum materials in an easy to access online warehouse. This would allow parents to provide needed oversight and restore trust in the school district. I also believe that there should be leadership on the board pushing for TIFF districting reform. TIFF districting has long been a contentious and not widely understood topic, but it needs attention. TIFF districting is a roundabout way of giving large tax breaks to new developments. It often leaves surrounding school districts and homeowners subsidizing wealthy developers. With several potential high-profile local developments in the works, it's important the school district not be shortchanged - especially after they just raised property taxes.