Michelle Ruminski: 2025 candidate for Antioch Elementary District 34 board

Bio

Office Sought: Antioch Elementary District 34 board (Vote for 4)

City: Antioch

Age: 53

Occupation: Human resources assistant

Previous offices held: District 34 school board member since 2023

Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?

I am a firm believer in public education. I think all kids have a right to a good education. My own child was able to receive a quality education in Antioch. Now that he is grown and flown, I feel that serving on the school board is a way for me to give back to a community that has given our family so much.

When my own child was in school, I felt I could not be impartial. My priority was him and his experience. Now that he is grown, I have both the wisdom of our experience and the freedom to look at the whole picture without any internal conflicts of interest.

I have been fortunate enough to serve on the board for the last two years and would like to continue the work we are doing to improve and elevate District 34 for all its students and the community.

My motivation is making sure the kids in Antioch are receiving a quality education in a safe and supportive environment.

What is the role of the school board in setting and monitoring the curriculum?

The state of Illinois sets the standards that each student should master. Any curriculum decisions that are made must ensure our students cannot only meet, but hopefully exceed those standards.

In Antioch, we are very fortunate to have a highly qualified superintendent with an equally talented administration serving under him. As a board, we rely on the expertise of our superintendent and his staff to decide which curricular tools to use to effectively teach and prepare students to meet the standards.

Data and results are continuously monitored to determine if the curriculum is meeting the needs of our students. If not, adjustments are made. The board’s role is to hold our superintendent accountable for the success of the students in our schools.

Are there curriculum issues within the district that you feel need particular attention from the board?

There is nothing specific that I can think of at this time.

I definitely feel there is room for improvement across the board as far as achievement goes. There are some subsets of students that seem to have had their growth stalled. We need to do better.

Superintendent Aron Borowiak has been responsive to the board’s feedback and has been making changes to address the concerns. Time will tell if those changes result in greater student successes.

How do you view your role in confronting policy or curriculum controversies: provide leadership even if unpopular, give a voice to constituents — even ones with whom you disagree, or defer to state authorities?

One of our main jobs as board members is to set policy. Much of that work is set forth through legislative mandates. However, there are some areas where local policies are created or altered. This is usually done to address a unique concern, but always with “What is best for students?” in mind.

Many of the recent controversies in education have tended to be from a lack of understanding or misinformation. That being said, we serve at the pleasure of the taxpayers. People can and do express their concerns to the board in various ways. I welcome hearing from community members. We need to listen to the concerns and different views expressed. It creates a fuller context.

It is important, when possible, to effectively communicate responses to questions, address misinformation, and above everything else do what’s best for the community as a whole. This is not always popular. However, a good leader does what’s right for the group as a whole and doesn’t bend to the will of a few — even if their voices are loud.

Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach an agreement and manage school district policy? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions for your school board.

Each member is responsible for knowing policy. It can be daunting. We rely on advice from our attorneys, the Illinois Association of School Boards and sometimes ISBE to guide our decisions. We discuss the ramifications of instituting a new policy or a change to an existing policy. For me, I read the policy and any supplemental documentation. Then I ask, “How is going to impact students?” This is always my first question.

It is important to always remember we are here to serve our youngest citizens. After that, I listen to my fellow board members and the administration to hear their perspective. They may have a different interpretation or viewpoint that I hadn’t considered. Together as a group, we try to come to consensus on what the best choice is for our community, after considering all the different scenarios, opinions, etc.

We must always try to do what’s best for kids and the community at large.

What is your assessment of the school district's diversity and equity efforts? Do you support the continuation or enhancement of such programs, of would you rather see them diminished. Please explain your reasoning.

I am glad the district had an established equity committee before I became a board member. I support the work they do. They are striving to create an educational environment that is safe and welcoming for all. One of the core values in the district’s most recent strategic plan states, “We believe equity, diversity, and inclusion are foundational elements that make us stronger together.”

This strategic plan committee consisted of members from all aspects of the community; a group from different spaces and backgrounds. They also developed our mission statement — “We inspire our students to dream and empower them to achieve.”

How can we hold true to this mission if we aren’t creating opportunities for all of our students? Equity doesn’t mean giving one group an unfair advantage over another, what it does mean is we help everyone to succeed. Sometimes that looks like accommodations for a learning disability, or it might mean having wheelchair accessible buildings, or having an interpreter for a parent that doesn’t speak English natively so that they can understand how their child is doing in school. To me, these are just the right things to do. It’s kind and decent.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I am passionate about education. I was raised to value education. I have instilled that value and passion into my own family. I was an active volunteer while my child was in school. Why? Because I wanted the kids to know they were valued. I wanted to do what I could to make things better.

The majority of children in this country attend public schools. They are the backbone of our society. Public schools are preparing our children for the future. If we want society to thrive and the American economy to proper, then our youngest citizens must be ready to meet the challenges of the future.

I have dedicated much of my adult life to volunteering in Districts 34 and 117, both as a parent and now as a board member. I have seen a lot in the last 20-plus years and there is so much good here in our community. We are a community that cares deeply. Our children deserve a quality education. If I have the honor of continuing to serve on the board, I will do my best to make sure all of our kids receive the best education possible.

What’s one good idea you have to better your district that no one is talking about yet?

We need to find better funding sources for schools. The dependence on residential property taxes is not sustainable and evidence based funding from the state is falling short of projected needs. I also feel the current TIF structure is unsustainable and unfair to the majority of the taxing bodies. It seems like these decisions are being made in a vacuum.

I support growth in Antioch, but I feel like we don’t work collaboratively enough with the village and businesses. We need to work together to make Antioch an attractive place to live and do business. It will increase income and property values. You know what else increases property value? Excellent schools. Families might be attracted to the area by businesses but they will move here or not move here based on the quality of the public schools.

What about exploring a small increase in sales or gambling taxes to offset and/or possibly reduce the dependency on property taxes? If it is successful, we may be able to get to a point where we are abating property taxes.