Vivian Kueter: Candidate Profile

Back to Big Hollow District 38 School Board 4-year term

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: Round LakeWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Big Hollow District 38 School Board 4-year term Age: 47Family: Husband, Dave and daughters, Samantha and SidneyOccupation: Assistant PrincipalEducation: BS in Elementary Education MA in Educational LeadershipCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Big Hollow School Board MemberQuestions 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?As a parent of two Big Hollow graduates, I am very satisfied with the education they have received. I would like to see the district continue to use the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) to inform and influence curricular decisions. Also, I would like to see the district use the CCSS as educational goals to help guide teachers and administrators to provide high quality classroom learning experiences to all students.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.I would like to outline four areas that will make a large impact in meeting our need to balance the budget, with minimal impact to the classroom. First, I would like to see the district investigate bringing transportation and building maintenance in- house. Second, I would like to see the district not renew our contracted services for PMA Financial Network and Sentinel Technologies, Inc. Third, I would like to see the district bring special education programs and staff back in- house from the Special Education District of Lake County. Fourth, reviewing and reducing staff in all areas. In regards to increasing our revenue, I do not support any tax increases. I do support generating revenue through grant writing, increasing student fees, and making reductions in the budget.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?I am currently employed by Rockford Public School District 205. I do not have any direct family members employed at Big Hollow 38.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?Big Hollow 38 has recently settled our teacher contract. In the new four year contract, the Big Hollow Federation of Teachers has made many concessions to assist the district in these tough financial times.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 not support any large increase to any administrator's salary. Currently, Big Hollow 38 is deficit spending and working toward a balanced budget. Endangering that by inflating administrator's salaries would be counterproductive.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?There are several issues that are important to me as a candidate. The first issue is balancing the school district budget and living within our means. After being on the school board for 8 years, I have realized that balancing the budget is not an easy task. Over the last three years, we have refinanced our long term debt to save approximately $3 million, brought our food service program in-house, and reduced deficit spending. Second, I would like the district to continue to be diligent in selling the Route 12 property. Third, I would like to continue to increase transparency and communication to all stakeholders through quarterly Community Engagement meetings and creating a 5-year Strategic Plan.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Oprah Winfrey inspires me becasue she inspires and motivates people to live the life they were meant to live.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?The biggest lesson I learned growing up was to never quit and always do your best.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would spend time on going back to college and getting my degree in psychology or social work.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?My favorite subject in school was sociology. It has helped me in later life understand how the world, business, and society work.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Live the life you were meant to live and live fully.