Thomas J. Manzardo: Candidate Profile

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:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: SchaumburgWebsite: http://www.tom4sd54.orgOffice sought: Schaumburg Twp. Elementary D54Age: 43Family: Married to Lisa. We have four children: Rob(27), Ryan(20), Megan(16) and Tyler(6).Occupation: Private Wealth Advisor - Manzardo Associates, a financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.Education: Bachelor of Business Administration, University of Iowa, 1989Certified Financial Planner, 1997Chartered Life Underwriter, 2000Chartered Financial Consultant, 2001Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, 2005Board Certified in Estate Planning, 2009Civic involvement: >Schaumburg Township Elementary School Foundation - Founding Chairman and Current Trustee, 1996 to present>Rainbows - International Headquarters Governing Board Member, 2006 to present>Schaumburg Business Association, 2006 to Present>Nerge PTA, 2009 to present>SAA Indoor and Outdoor Soccer Coach, 2009 to presentElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Maintaining high quality educational experiences for all children.Key Issue 2 Maintaining a balanced budget without cutting programs despite the current fiscal challenges that Illinois faces.Key Issue 3 Our superintendent is retiring in the next few years and I would like to be a part of the hiring process.Questions Answers How satisfied are you that your district is 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 think there needs to be more collaboration between district 54 and district 211. The better prepared children are for high school the greater the likelihood of success at all stages thereafter.What budget issues will the district have to confront? What measures do you support to address them? If cuts are needed, be specific about programs and expenses that should be reduced or eliminated. Do you support any tax increases for local schools?One major budget issue for the district is the mandated categoricals which are currently not funded by the state. Current projections for the next 5 years show that the school district is still on sound footing and appears to have 9 months of reserves set aside. Given the current fiscal status of the district I do not support any cuts in programs nor do I support an increase in taxes.Is experience as a teacher or support from a union valuable because it suggests educational insights or detrimental because it creates pro-teacher bias? Please clarify whether you have such experience or would accept union support.It can be valuable from an experience and knowledge standpoint but also detrimental if seen as overly supportive of the unions. While the role of a board member is to be non-partisan and impartial, it is imperative that there is a collaborative and cohesive relationship with the union and all parties involved. At the end of the day it's all about delivering the best educational opportunities for the children of district 54 and all parties need to believe in and be supportive of that fact.As contract talks come up with various employee groups, what posture should the board take? Do you believe the district should ask for concessions, expect employee costs to stay about the same as they are now or provide increases in pay or benefits?The district is currently in the middle of a new 3 year contract. Hopefully the current economic environment can continue to show signs of improvement before the next round of talks begin. I would like to think that concessions will not be needed but whether costs will stay the same or increase will depend on the state of numerous economic variables that will need to be evaluated at that time.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 such a practice. Fortunately the district has eliminated this practice at all levels.