Tom Vaclavek: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Tom Vaclavek

City: Cary

Office sought: District 155 School Board

Age: 44

Family: Fiancee is Shawna Stassen, Sons are Broderick and Colton. My fiancee's daughter Raegan also lives with us.

Occupation: Attorney

Education: BS Media Arts at University of Arizona, JD at Chicago Kent College of Law

Civic involvement: 2018 Recipient of The Distinguished Service Award by McHenry County Bar Association in recognition of dedicated service and contribution to the citizens of McHenry County. 2012 winner Best Under 40 by McHenry County Business Journal. 2009 Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year. Current Board Member of CASA of McHenry County since 2013. Current Finance Committee member for the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce. Active in Barrington Chamber of Commerce. Board Member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of McHenry County from 2007 to 2013. Served as Board Member for the McHenry County Housing Authority from 2011 to 2017. Board Member of Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce from 2009 until 2015. Founding President of the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals.

Previous elected offices held: None

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? No

Website: http://www.vacstasslaw.com

Facebook: @TomVaclavekforD155

Twitter: none

Issue questions

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

The most important issue facing our district is how do we continue to provide an exceptional education that prepares our students for a dynamic workforce while being a good financial steward. I believe great schools and fiscal responsibility do not need to be mutually exclusive. Being a business owner, I will approach the schools budget the same way I run my business and my personal budget. I understand the community feels the board has not always been transparent. While I think the current board has improved, I believe it can do better and if elected, I will ensure we do better. My experience as a divorce attorney has taught me that lack of communication is the central theme of a relationship gone bad, which is why open and transparent communication between the board and the public is a must.

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 155 has some of the best schools in Illinois. Being a parent to a freshman at Cary Grove, I am constantly impressed by the available opportunities he and the other students have to them. I do believe like many other districts, District 155 has been slow to implement workforce development, but I am excited by what has been done so far and want to continue. This is something I am passionate about and will prioritize so that The Board continues to do more. The incubator programs at the schools are fantastic and show that the District is committed to preparing its students for all stages in their lives whether they choose to go on to college or vocational training.

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 am not in favor of tax increases. With enrollment down, District 155 will need to be innovative to continue to provide the excellent education that the community has become used to while meeting their budget and not overburdening taxpayers. I believe it is difficult for me to say that certain programs or expenses should be considered for reduction or elimination since I am not on the board but I am a critical thinker, business owner, tax payer and father of a child in the district so I believe I will have the ability to look at all potential solutions without any bias or preconceived notions of what needs to be done. As a business owner I am constantly faced with making difficult decisions that impact my people and I think that has prepared me to make those same types of decisions to benefit this community and its schools.

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 not currently, nor have I ever been employed by any school district. Nor is any member of my direct or indirect family employed by the school district.

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?

Fantastic schools do not come without having great educators and the Board needs to remember that but I believe that it is a two way street and educators need to remember we all have one common goal which is to ensure that our children are getting the best education and preparation for when they graduate high school.

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 do not support a substantial increase in an administrator's pay when they are nearing retirement. I believe it is most fair to all involved to make sure that our educators are retiring at or close to their pay prior to nearing retirement so that the burden on the District and its' residents do not increase.