Joseph Leane: Candidate Profile

Back to Mount Prospect District 57 School Board 2-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: Mount ProspectWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Mount Prospect District 57 School Board 2-year term Age: 50Family: Wife and three daughters.Occupation: EngineerEducation: MSME - University of Illinois at Chicago BSME - University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignCivic involvement: Mount Prospect School District Board of Education Member 2003 - Present Board President 2008 - 20011 Board Vice President 2005 - 2008Elected offices held: Mount Prospect School District Board of Education Member 2003 - Present Board President 2008 - 20011 Board Vice President 2005 - 2008Questions 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?District 57 is focused on preparing students for their future. Our student achievement is among the highest in the State. Our students go on to Prospect High School in District 214, and our students consistently score at the top of all districts feeding into 214. We collaborate with 214 to understand their expectations, and to create a smooth transition for our 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.The vast majority of District 57's revenues come from local property taxes. When compared to our neighboring elementary districts, our EAV/student is the lowest in the area, which means we have a smaller revenue base. Accordingly, we must carefully manage our budget and always evaluate programs for their effectiveness. A major challenge is the unknown revenue stream from the State, due to their budget problems, which causes great difficulty and uncertainty in our budgeting.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?noAs 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?I have been on three District 57 board teams that have negotiated three contracts with our teachers' union. The goal of any negotiation is to collaboratively develop a contract that is fair to the teachers and is consistent with the long-term financial viability of the District. It is important to understand the priorities of the teachers and to shape a contract that values those priorities while keeping the financial framework within the overall financial plan of the District.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. All of our administrators work under contracts agreed upon by both parties. When an administrator retires at the end of their contract they are entitled to the financial provisions in that contract.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The important issue is to provide the leadership to the District to keep us focused on delivering the best possible education for our students. This includes providing quality staff, facilities and programs at an affordable cost, which produces the best value to our community.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Candidate did not respond.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Candidate did not respond.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Candidate did not respond.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Candidate did not respond.