TP_032119

tinleyjunction.com election 2019
the Tinley Junction | March 21, 2019 | 5
KIRBY SCHOOL D140 SCHOOL BOARD (6 for 3 FOUR-Year Seats)
Name: John Lutz
Age: 70
Occupation: Retired
teacher/coach
Prior Elected Political
Experience: Kirby School
D140 School Board, member
for six years
Why are you running for Kirby School
D140 School Board?
I have called Tinley Park my home for
45 years. All three of my children graduated
from Grissom and attended colleges
of their choice. Seven of my grandchildren
have also attended district schools.
Four are presently enrolled at four different
district schools. Two others have
moved onto Andrew and are working at
advanced levels. My other grandchild
participated in a “teacher intern program”
at Keller. The valuable experiences she
received helped her acquire a Golden Apple
Scholarship. Therefore, I feel a sense
of obligation to give back to the community
that has been so good to my family.
What makes you the best candidate
for this position?
I have a very solid and well-rounded
background in education that I bring to
the board. I retired from School District
117 after 35 wonderful years. Over that
time, I served as a teacher, coach, dean
and principal at both the elementary and
middle school levels. My education includes
degrees from Northern Illinois
(bachelor’s in education) and St. Xavier
(master’s in administration and a certificate
in curriculum). I also completed the
necessary coursework from Governors
State (and passed a state exam) to be eligible
for a certificate in school finance.
Since retirement, I have had the opportunity
and privilege (over a 10-year period)
to coach boys basketball at the high
school level. I truly believe that these
lifetime experiences should provide both
a historical and pedagogical perspective
to the board as we continue “to build on
our tradition of excellence.”
What are the Top 3 issue you see
facing D140 and what would you do to
solve them?
I am pleased to report that, financially,
our district remains on a “solid footing.”
We are one of the few districts within the
state to work with a surplus budget. Our
management has allowed us to maintain
the funds necessary to support and enhance
our vision and community expectations.
However, like any organization,
we can always find ways to improve.
The three issues that I would focus my
attention upon and encourage the board
to address would be our reserve, public
relations and standardized tests. Presently
our board has a reserve fund of
approximately $50 million due to the
“good stewardship” of previous boards.
Our challenge over the past six years
has been to “wisely” reduce this reserve
to a smaller emergency fund that could
immediately respond to any unfunded/
unexpected expenses (i.e. teacher retirement
funding). I am proud to state that
the board has just recently approved $10
million from this reserve to fund muchneeded
improvements at Bannes (which
will complete our six-year plan to upgrade
the mechanical, parking and safety
features of all of our schools without acquiring
any debt or interest payments).
Secondly, I see a need to expand our efforts
to inform all of our residents of the
“happenings” within the schools, district
and board. Future community support
depends on an informed public. The importance
of transparency and increased
efforts to celebrate, recognize, and publicize
our achievements and decisions cannot
be overstated. Lastly, I understand the
significance of test scores. It is one of the
ways our district can be measured. I will
continue my efforts to direct our staff to
establish “action plans” based on data
to promote better results. The challenge
remains of increasing scores without
negatively impacting our present efforts
to teach to the whole child (not just to
the test).
Name: Chuck Augustyniak
Age: 61
Occupation: Deputy Sheriff,
Cook County
Prior elected political experience:
Two terms on the
Orland Hills Public Library
District, three prior terms on the Kirby
140 School Board
Why are you running for Kirby School
District 140 School Board?
“Educate and inform the whole mass
of the people. They are the only sure reliance
for the preservation of our liberty.”
—Thomas Jefferson
It is critical in today’s instant information
society that we are fostering places of skill
development and critical thinking. It is my
desire to help make Kirby 140 one of those
places. My two children were afforded that
opportunity, and I wish to give that chance
to others. Kirby 140 is a public organization
with a budget of $50 million. It requires citizens
to help maintain the high standards that
the community expects. I believe I have the
requisite skills to be that citizen.
What makes you the best candidate for
this position?
When looking for someone to be representative
of the community to sit on the
local school board, it is important to have
diversity of experience. I have served the
community for 20 years as a law enforcement
officer. I have seen what can happen
when investment in children and learning
does not happen. I’ve volunteered
as a coach in youth sports serving every
community in the district. I listen to what
families are looking for. My education
at Lewis University helped prepare me
to examine budgets, ask tough questions
and acquire negotiating skills. I’ve also
learned about teamwork. A good board
member takes their individual strengths
and learns to mix it with the skill sets of
others on the board. No one person has all
the answers. The board’s function is not
to micromanage the schools. Professional
educators and administrators are hired for
that purpose. I think my ability to foster
dialogue and maintain historical perspective
while dealing with the future is critical.
[Response truncated for exceeding
word count.]
What are the Top 3 issues you see
facing Kirby School District 140 and
what would you do to solve them?
School funding and finances
Kirby 140 today is in a healthy financial
position. Back in 2005, the voters and taxpayers
saw the need to approve a school
referendum. The critical balance between
the levy rate and the assessed value of
property had gone out of line. This allowed
the board to stabilize revenues. It
also enabled the board to eliminate the
bond debt. The district today has no longterm
debt. Kirby 140 has embarked on a
modernization and life safety construction
project, which will provide improvement
at every school. This has occurred
while the State of Illinois has reduced its
share of education funding to our district.
During my time on the board, several labor
agreements have been reached. The
board has worked with its employees to
achieve cost reductions, while still fairly
compensating our staff to continue to attract
and retain quality people. We have
seen neighboring districts struggle when
they do not keep a sharp focus on the balance
between cost and revenue.
State mandates and cost shifting
There has been much conversation
regarding the way the State of Illinois
handles public education. School Board
members are required to take multiple
hours of training in public finance, procedure
and tax law. I have yet to see the
mandatory training for legislators. The
State continues to mandate curriculum
changes and life safety requirements. All
these come at a cost, which is placed upon
the local taxpayers. The topic of pension
costs shifting, consolidation and expanded
universal preschool hang over the district.
A pension shift would cost D140 a
minimum of $5 million annually. We have
Please see augustyniak, 13
Name: Lisa Strand
Age: 38
Occupation: Legal
assistant for
IUOE Local 150
Prior elected
political experience:
Past four years on D140
Board of Education
Why are you running for
Kirby School D140 School
Board?
Over the last four years, I
learned more about what makes
this district work — not just the
Board, but the administration,
teachers, paraeducators, office
staff and the families. I am
equally determined, if not more
so, to make sure the district
continues to run as successfully
as it has run in the past. We
have a healthy budget, no debt,
continue to update our schools
and grounds, continuously
grow our programs and technology,
and, most importantly,
a strong relationship with the
people who have our kids for
the majority of the week.
What makes you the best
candidate for this position?
We are a union family raising
four children. I value this background,
firmly believe in the
labor movement and therefore
can better appreciate the KSD
educators’ stake in this district.
Please see strand, 13