William Passalaqua: 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: North AuroraWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Aurora West Unit District 129 School Board (4-year Terms)Age: 45Family: My wife Suzanne and I have been married for 10 years. Kane County has been our home for that period of time. We have a beautiful and intelligent 9 year old daughter.Occupation: Served Honorably for 7 years in the Air Force as a Staff Sergeant. Worked the past 14 years as a Senior Field Engineer in the Newspaper and Commercial Printing Markets.Education: Bachelor of Science Degree in Education, Training, Development Southern Illinois University AS Degree in Electronics Community College of the Air forceCivic involvement: Volunteer and Member at the Aurora Sportsmen's club.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Budget: With the State of Illinois in financial dire straits, the district will need to get more creative with budgetary concerns. I support a review of all expenses to include input from teachers and staff.Key Issue 2 School Safety: With recent tragedies, the district needs to address the safety of our children, teachers and support staff. Partnering with local law enforcement and volunteers to provide training and security is paramount and continued improvement of the Safety Action Plan.Key Issue 3 Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What do you think about the shift to the common core standards? How big a role do you think the board of education should play in setting the curriculum for students and what ideas do you have for changes to the current curriculum?Focusing on Common Core Standards is the best policy. Preparing our children takes concentration on the basic building blocks. The Board should set the standard and not rely on the state or federal government.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?The district is good at preparing our children for the next level of life. The after school programs and partnerships with 3rd party groups make us stand out. I?m proud to have my daughter in SD129.What budget issues will your district have to confront and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, what programs and expenses should be reduced or eliminated? On the income side, do you support any tax increases?We need to know where our money is spent. I support a review of all expenses to include input from teachers and staff. I don't support tax increases until all budget shortfalls are dealt with in a timely manner. Any specific budget items won't be put on the block until a review is completed.As contract talks come up with various school employee groups, 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?The school board member should ask for concessions as long as the district is spending more money than it takes in. Consessions should start at the executive level.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. This shouldn't be an option for anyone.