Jim DeVito, 2 years: Candidate Profile

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:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Round LakeWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Big Hollow Elementary D38, 2-year termAge: 44Family: In March I will be married 20 years to my best friend Melissa. We have 2 boys Jonathan-16 a junior at Grant High school and Ryan-13 a 7th grader at Big HollowOccupation: For the past 17 years, I have been employed with the Round Lake Fire Department as a Lieutenant/Paramedic.Education: A.A.S in Fire Science and currently earning my BA in Management at SIU.Civic involvement: Assistant coach for the Grant Junior Bulldogs organization.Elected offices held: Big Hollow school board from 2004-2008Interim Big Hollow school board from 11-2010 to presentHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: noCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Selling the Route 12 Property and using the money sensiblyKey Issue 2 Maintain quality education for all studentsKey Issue 3 Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers How satisfied are you that your district is 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?Very,The education the students receive at Big Hollow, as a parent of a student that has graduated and one that is in the district now, is one of the best in the state. I feel that it comes from the dedication of the teachers and the parents of the students being involved in their education. What budget issues will the district have to confront? What measures do you support to address them? If cuts are needed, be specific about programs and expenses that should be reduced or eliminated. Do you support any tax increases for local schools?The district will have an approximate deficit of $2.6 million by the end of the 2011-2012 school year. The Federal and State Governments continue to mandate programs without funding them, which adds further strain on the district budget.Right now, the Big Hollow School Board is looking for ways to decrease spending without effecting the students or programs. We have brought back SEDOL Special Ed programs at a possible savings of $472,000. An additional area the school board is looking for savings is the possibility of reducing the number of busses, which can have a potential savings of $1,000,000 for the school district.The school board is also reviewing all contracted services for further potential savings.Without an increase in State or Federal funding, no school can continue to carry on without asking the public for help. While I realize that it will affect my taxes and my neighbors, I would have to support a tax increase to keep class sizes small and not make cuts that directly impact the students at Big Hollow. Is experience as a teacher or support from a union valuable because it suggests educational insights or detrimental because it creates pro-teacher bias? Please clarify whether you have such experience or would accept union support.Candidate did not respond.As contract talks come up with various employee groups, what posture should the board take? Do you believe the district should ask for concessions, expect employee costs to stay about the same as they are now or provide increases in pay or benefits?When we go into negotiations, all items in the contract are open for deliberation. Because contract negotiations are held in closed session, I do not feel it is right to ask any Board Member what their plan is. I do not believe that contracts should be negotiated openly with the public.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?No. With the new laws in place, the district cannot give any employee a raise larger than 6% without stiff penalties that both the employee and the school district would face .