Jill N. Alfrejd: Grayslake District 46 Board Candidate

Name:  Jill N. Alfrejd

Age: 46

Family: Married 24 years, 3 children at Woodview Elementary

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Michigan State University

Occupation: Public Relations and Outreach Coordinator, Grayslake Area Public Library

Previous Elected or Appointed Offices:  None

Other community involvement:

• Co-President, Foundation 46

• PTO & Classroom Volunteer

• Along with another Woodview parent, I spearheaded the efforts to bring Destination Imagination to students of D46 schools.

Position sought: D46 School Board Member

Campaign E-mail address: jillalfrejd@gmail.com

Campaign committee: Friends of Focus on Education. She is running on the Focus on Education slate with Robert Roop, James Weidman and Steve Strack.

Campaign Website: http://www.d46focusoneducation.com

Campaign Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/D46FocusOnEducation

Campaign Twitter:  None

Why are you running?

My husband and I chose to live and raise children in Grayslake over 15 years ago and one of the major factors in this decision was the quality of our schools. Watching the demise of the school board meetings into a spectacle and lack of focus on the education of students spurred me to step up and get involved.  

The responsibility of being a school board member in any community is far too great to let personal agendas, personality conflicts, and bad behavior get in the way of doing business (education). The substantial issues we face in D46 can only be addressed by reasonable members who are dedicated to educating every D46 student and conduct themselves as such.

In what ways would the District 46 board benefit from your service?

As a mother of triplets I have had the unique experience to volunteer in 3 different classrooms at the same grade level concurrently. I have been able to witness first-hand the diversity in both teaching styles and student learning. My classroom duties have included working with ELL students in one room then going across the hall to assist the high level math group. This has given me insight into the full-spectrum of challenges our teachers face and the successes that occur each day in our schools. This direct classroom experience will be beneficial when making decisions based on their educational ramifications.

As a board member of Foundation 46 (our Education Foundation) I have had the opportunity to collaborate with other dedicated community volunteers, local business owners, and both teaching and administrative staff to the benefit of D46. I plan to bring this collaborative atmosphere to the school board and reinstate trust and respect among all stakeholders.

Additionally my professional experience includes serving on local, state, and national committees/boards. For over 10 years while working at United Way of Lake County I collaborated with diverse stakeholders and had success in strategic planning, building consensus and achieving agreed upon goals in a committee setting.

What do you think should be done about the district's projected deficit? What areas should be targeted for potential budget cuts?

Fiscal responsibility is one of the most important roles of a school board member. This includes allocating financial resources where needed and making sure the district is getting a good return on its investments. The budget itself however is not the end product. It is a tool for student achievement and any decisions to reduce expenses must be examined for their educational impact. Limited deficit spending in addition to reducing costs in the short term may be necessary to maintain our quality educational results. However, crafting a budget containing deficits is a bad habit and cannot be sustained long-term.      

As candidates we are not privy to the same detailed financial information that serving board members are, so we need to keep our minds open to any cost saving ideas and focus our efforts on cuts that will have the least impact in the classroom. Possibilities may include:

• Refinancing/restructuring our debts to take advantage of current low rates.

• Offering an early-retirement option for long-term employees

• Decreasing legal fees by not paying for a legal advice for routine matters that BOE members should be able to self monitor.

Additionally I propose short-term and long-term financial planning with regular assessments of the plan, exploring new revenue opportunities such as grants, sponsorships, and partnering with Foundation 46, (our educational foundation) to increase revenue sources and minimize our vulnerability in the future.

What do you think about the possibility of closing a school as a potential cost-saving measure?

I believe our neighborhood school structure is one of the best attributes of D46 and a major component in student achievement. The closing of any of one of our schools would cause great sadness and distress for students, parents and staff. Also current student population trends do not appear at this time to warrant this as a prudent course of action.

That being said, our current financial realities means “everything has to be on the table” in terms of cost reduction so this and other unpopular decisions will have to be explored.    

How do you feel about the way the teacher's contract and strike were handled? Is there anything you would have done differently?

The groundwork for mutual trust and respect must be established from day one of the new school board. Tone, language, and integrity demonstrated at school board meetings and in decision making will carry over into any negotiations.

All D46 educators, administrators, paraprofessionals, and support staff play a major role in the educational achievement of our students. Maintaining and attracting a quality workforce is essential to our continued success. Our current fiscal situation forces limitations on traditional rewards and incentives for staff. Starting from a place of consideration of what both sides are expecting and trying to achieve will be necessary to move forward in a positive direction.

What will you do to ensure there is more unity amongst school board members?

All board members must commit to behavior that allows for difference of ideas but maintains respect for the position and issues at hand.

The current opportunity to bring in five (four elected, one appointed) new board members will provide D46 with a fresh start. I agreed to partner with Steve Strack, Jim Weidman, and Robert Roop not because we wanted to be a voting block, but because we are four individuals who can agree to disagree respectfully and not lose sight of our responsibilities.   

The best way to lead is by example. If elected I plan to conduct myself as if my children and parents are watching.  

What else do you want voters to know?

First, establishing a collaborative relationship with parents, all staff and community stakeholders based on respect and trust is necessary to move D46 forward. Through leadership the board can become a credible and reliable source of information about D46 for the entire community. This will include developing a two-way communications plan to be utilized on an regular basis, not just when there is a crisis, establishing Board and Citizen Advisory Committees, practicing active listening and engaging all D46 residents to ensure all viewpoints are heard. This is one of my goals.

Second, our financial problems are not one of costs. When looking at what we spend to educate our students, how much we pay our teachers and staff, and the results we obtain in D46 compared to other districts it is clear we have a revenue problem. Families, business owners, students and D46 staff are being held hostage by a system that is broken. Our district has about half the amount of commercial property to draw revenue from compared to surrounding districts. As a bedroom community, the Grayslake area is a wonderful place to live. But when the economy and housing markets fail, coupled with the continual decrease in state and federal education funding the financial ramifications on the schools pits members of our community against each other.

Lastly the D46 school board must take on the role of advocate for increased revenue and partnership at all levels of government for the educational needs of the community. Board members and/or community members willing to represent the district need to establish relationships and a presence at all village board and economic development committee meetings within the district. When meetings are held to determine land use, the impact on the schools needs to be heard. Additionally, we need to join forces with the other school districts and ISBE to demand the state fully fund its state aid commitment.