Christopher Lowe: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Christopher Lowe

City: Batavia

Office sought: School Board

Age: 46

Family: Wife & 2 kids in 7th & 8th Grade

Occupation: Stay-at-home parent

Education: BS in Architectural Studies from University of Illinois

Civic involvement: former PTO president at Hoover-Wood, Co-founder of WatchDOGS program in Batavia

Previous elected offices held: none

Incumbent? Yes If yes, when were you first elected? Elected in 2015

Website: none

Facebook: @clowe4schoolboard

Twitter: @Lowe4Batavia

Issue questions

What are the most important issues facing your district and how do you intend to address them?

I believe the biggest issue we face is communication. We need to do a better job communicating both internally and with the public. Most often when we have issues that arise, it appears they could have been avoided with better communication.

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?

I believe our district is doing a great job with the resources we have available. However, our district motto is "Always Learning, Always Growing". I believe there is always room for improvement. That is why we are currently working on developing a master plan for our district. We are aiming to engage the community to help shape this plan. Ideally, this will serve as a guide for serving the long term needs of our district.

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? Be specific.

I believe the biggest financial concern we have currently is health care costs. They've been growing at a rate much higher than inflation and is one of the few areas we can do very little to control costs. I am hoping we will be able to work with our employees to find a long term solution to this problem that provides them with the coverage they deserve and allows us to live within our means.

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?

No.

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?

I believe it is important we're open and honest about our finances with our bargaining groups. The reality is we have a limited budget and we must live within that budget. We need to find a solution that compensates our employees fairly, while maintaining our facilities, providing a quality curriculum and preparing for the future. We must do this while living within the means of our taxpayers, since we pay that bill.

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, I believe the pension system was designed to be calculated off reasonable steady increases over the life of a career. I believe increasing the salary near retirement to boost pension benefits is not ideal.