Michael A. Lovatt: 2025 candidate for Carol Stream Elementary District 93 board

Bio

Office sought: Carol Stream Elementary District 93 board (Vote for 4)

City: Carol Stream

Age: 37

Occupation: No answer given

Previous offices held: None

Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?

I am running because I believe in the power of education, and what fostering an equitable and quality environment means to both our community and our children.

I want to contribute to a future where every student has the resources, support, and opportunities to reach their fullest potential; and based on my interaction with the community thus far, I feel one of the best ways to go about that is by bringing the topic of the district's budget to the forefront of the discussion.

What is the role of the school board in setting and monitoring the curriculum?

The board has a responsibility to establish broad policy guidelines that outlines a path to success for our students, and that includes approving a curriculum framework, monitoring its implementation, and evaluating its effectiveness.

This means working with both district and educator leadership such as our superintendent and CSEA (our educators’ union) respectively.

Ultimately it is the school board's role to provide oversight, ensure accountability, and to advocate for a curriculum that supports the academic, social, and emotional growth of every student in our schools, including those with diverse learning needs, and irrespective of their backgrounds.

Are there curriculum issues within the district that you feel need particular attention from the board?

According to the Illinois Report Card, we are outperforming the state average in math proficiency, but by a small margin, basically on par with the state average. Our district has a policy of staff reviewing curriculum for changes on a rotating basis, and I would look forward to supporting any changes they suggest in math. I believe we should strive to meet and beat the proficiency averages of our neighboring districts.

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?

I believe it is the obligation of an elected official to always listen to the concerns of those they represent. As important, however, it is the duty of the board of education to always do what you believe will benefit the students. If there is an outcry over your decisions, it is the responsibility of the board to communicate with their constituents why they made the decisions they made.

Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach an agreement and manage school district policy? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions for your school board.

In my role at a previous company, we were under pressure from a client as we had to keep delaying completion of our work. Internally, there was disagreement between the engineers and technicians on what the issue was, and how best to move forward; when in a meeting I stopped the discussion and reminded everyone that our goal was to complete the contracted work, while taking into consideration our technicians safety.

The solution we arrived at wasn't necessarily in line with the client’s original projected timeline for completion, but it was one that allowed our company to complete the work with integrity, while ensuring the client had all the documentation needed to protect themselves should any issue arise in the future.

If elected, I would bring the same commitment to integrity, teamwork, and compromise.

What is your assessment of the school district's diversity and equity efforts? Do you support the continuation or enhancement of such programs, of would you rather see them diminished. Please explain your reasoning.

I support all diversity and equity efforts and the continuation of, and any proposed enhancements of, those programs in our district.

Diversity and equity is about ensuring that all students — especially those from historically marginalized communities — receive the support they need to thrive.

Research supports that diverse and inclusive school environments benefit all students by fostering empathy, critical thinking, and social awareness. It is important for students to feel like they have a trusted adult they can confide in. For some students, that means an educator with a similar upbringing as themselves.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I have a younger sister who has Down syndrome and I see the sacrifices my parents have had to make in an effort to provide her a better life, particularly in regard to securing her a quality education.

My wife’s father immigrated to this country looking for a better life for himself and his future children, getting to know him allowed me a perspective I otherwise would not have had.

My wife is an educator in her hometown of Carol Stream; a place where we wanted to start and grow our family.

Our youngest son was born prematurely, spending 2 months in the NICU. During that time, we were comforted by the support of our family and friends, many of whom are educators with District 93; highlighting the importance of our community and the desire to one day contribute more to making it a great place to raise our children.

I understand more than most the difficulties some of our families have experienced and the sacrifices they have made for their children. If elected, I will let these experiences guide me in my decision-making that I pledge will always be student focused.

What’s one good idea you have to better your district that no one is talking about yet?

Our district budget has a $3 million deficit this year, on top of a seven figure deficit last year and for many of the previous years. This worries me as there aren't any big construction projects happening beyond our normal maintenance. Our buildings are between 25-69 years old, with half of them built in the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s.

Our buildings are going to need a lot of maintenance and upgrades to stay competitive, and our population has peaked. In fact, during boundary discussions, we all heard about how our student population has drastically decreased.

The budget needs to be a topic of concern for our district before we have to make drastic changes like Evanston and other districts.

I believe we need to have an open conversation about if we still need six elementary schools. Cloverdale and Heritage Lakes are built to hold over 500 students. I would be in support of closing one of our smaller elementary schools and giving Cloverdale and Heritage an extra assistant principal, like the middle schools have. This would provide support for our students, while being fiscally responsible to our taxpayers.