Lisa Hessel: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Lisa Hessel

City: Vernon Hills

Office sought: Libertyville Area High School District 128 school moard Member, 4-year term

Age: 48

Family: Husband Clay, daughter Avery (16) and son Evan (13)

Occupation: N/A

Education: BS Journalism, University of Illinois, 1998.

Civic involvement: Current D128 Board Member.

Previous elected offices held: N/A

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? I was unanimously appointed by the board to fill a vacancy. I was sworn in on May 21, 2018.

Website: N/A

Facebook: http://fb.me/LisaHesselforD128

Twitter: N/A

Issue questions

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

Hessel: First and foremost will always be educating our students and keeping them safe. Beyond that, we are driving our new DARING mission. We are also currently facing significant enrollment growth and are planning capital improvements to accommodate that growth. We are also in the midst of contract negotiations with our teachers and are committed to maintaining our position of being an employer of choice, attracting and keeping some of the area's very best educators. This negotiation is taking place in the midst of significant financial uncertainty at the state level, and we are committed to partnering with the teacher's union to reach a win-win solution that everyone, including our community, can be proud of.

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?

Hessel: We are incredibly proud of student achievement in our district. Our recent 'exemplary' state report cards, as well as both schools being nationally ranked Schools of Excellence, speak to the outstanding education our students receive. One way we know our district is doing a great job of preparing them is to look at college enrollment rates, which are over 90% compared with the state average of 75%. That being said, we take pride in not resting on our laurels. We continue to successfully expand our AP enrollment as well as AP pass rates, giving students a leg up once they get to college; and we are one of two districts in the state to offer a nationally recognized Illinois Global Scholar Certificate. Established by Illinois legislation, the certificate expands on our DARING mission and recognizes students who have attained expertise in global competencies.

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.

Hessel: Budget concerns stem mostly from uncertainty at the state level. Many community members are unaware of a penalty that was significantly increased last year that districts pay if a teacher's retirement calculations are increased by a salary raise of more than 3%. This penalty does not benefit teachers or school districts, and it will create some unnecessary complications as we work toward an affordable, fiscally responsible contract that is sustainable. On the income side, I do not support any tax increases beyond inflation. If we don't keep up with inflation, we won't be keeping up with what it costs to run the district, and will be forced to make cuts that would negatively impact students.

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?

Hessel: 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?

Hessel: We are not asking for concessions from our employees and are working hard to create a contract that rewards teachers and provides financial security for their families. We are committed to maintaining our district's long-term financial health and have a responsibility to our community, where we are taxpayers ourselves, to provide top-quality public education that attracts and keeps people in our towns and doesn't create any need for higher taxes more than necessary to run the district in a financially responsible way. We don't want to take more money than we need or spend more than we have.

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?

Hessel: I would not support a substantial increase in pay for an administrator nearing retirement because of the stiff penalty our district would owe to the state of Illinois if we exceeded the 3% cap.