District 128 School Board Race: Kevin Huber

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — There are 10 candidates running for four open seats this spring on the Community High School District 128 school board.

Patch.com requested information from all candidates through a survey. Here are the responses submitted by District 128 school board candidates Kevin Huber:

Age (as of election day): 53

Town/city of residence:

Libertyville

School district:

District 128

Family -Names, ages and any pertinent details you wish to share.

Michelle 49 wife
Lauren 18 daughter
Jack 15 son

Both children attend Libertyville High School

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? -This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for.

no

Education:

BS Accounting University of Illinois Urbana Champaign High Honors MBA Northwestern University Certified Public Accountant

Occupation-Please include years of experience.

Retired Executive Director of the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund -15 years

Campaign website: @KevinHuberforDistrict128SchoolBoard

Previous or current elected or appointed office: Board member D128 elected in 2017

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The number one issue facing D128 will be the challenge of replacing a long serving superintendent and Board President. These positions were instrumental to D128s success and both gentlemen have served the district well for over a decade. Board governance, teacher contract negotiations, financial accountability and educational and mission driven outcomes all fall under these leadership positions. First and foremost, I intend to work with the new superintendent to help her become acclimated to our district and provide whatever is necessary for her to be successful early in her tenure. My governmental, board, and financial experience should assist in her transition as well as the change over of potentially three new Board members, including a new Board president. As a current Board member, I have first hand experience of dealing with Covid and its impacts on D128; this historical, practical experience will also be helpful in future decision-making.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?:

I have done the job of a D128 Board member successfully for 4 years which included leading teacher contract negotiations and serving as the chairman of the finance and facilities committee. My D128 experience will help provide stability and leadership while we replace two board members with a combine 26+ years of experience and a long serving superintendent.

I know the role of a Board and how to work collaboratively to maximize outcomes. I have served as the Board Chairman of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) since 2017, served as a member of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, and have served as a member of other community Boards. I am also the retired CEO of the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund. I reported to a 12 member Board for over a decade so I understand the management/Board dynamic. Knowing a Board‘s role and responsibilities is crucial to successful governance.

I am able to work with those of different political ideologies. I was appointed to ISAC by Governor Quinn, made chairman by Governor Rauner and reaffirmed Chair by Governor Pritzker. Why is this important to the D128 voter? You need to be able to understand and work with and respect all different opinions and groups for the benefit of the kids and community.

When I was elected in 2017, brought a moderate, independent, and thoughtful perspective to decision making. These attributes along with my experience separate me from the other candidates.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community or district?

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

There are many issues facing D128, some more critical than others.

One immediate issue is to help reunite the community which has fractured during the pandemic. The pandemic has had a tremendous impact on students, teachers, and our community. The Board needs to make sure that leadership continues to work tirelessly with the teachers to help the kids recover from the tough 2020-2021 year and become stronger and more resilient. Covid has been awful, but it has provided the opportunity to learn many things, first of which is how to pivot and be flexible. We need to assess and minimize the gaps in the educational, social and emotional needs of our kids. Covid has proven what we knew- that the school buildings are far greater than just educational institutions, they are emotional and social foundations for our kids.

A longer term issue is to oversee how D128 manages its financial resources with stagnant revenues and rising costs. The job of a Board member is to put people in place and let them manage the fiscal challenges while providing the proper governance and guidance. One substantial item of note is ensuring a fair and reasonable deal in the upcoming teacher contract negotiations (starting October 2021). This is vital to continued D128 financial stability, employee morale, and educational excellence.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Managed a 10B governmental pension fund with complex teacher labor negotiations.

Worked with the legislature and executive branch in Springfield for key legislative outcomes.

Chair a Board that administers a 500M grants to Illinois students and is responsible for a
$1B college fund (College Illinois).

Chair of the D128 Facilities and Finance Committee that has deployed resources to improved our capital structures, including a new pool, wrestling room and dance studio at Libertyville as well as new classrooms, lunchroom and gymnasium at Vernon Hills without incurring any district wide debt.

Senior manager at KPMG in charge of Governments and Not for profits, including School Districts.

Why should voters trust you?

I have done the job successfully for four years and helped manage D128 through a pandemic. I have done what I told the voters in 2017-moderate and independent decision-making. I have a voting record, I have experience, and I am not afraid to ask the difficult questions

A statement from a voter perhaps answers this question best... “ You will always have our votes Kevin Huber Even when I don’t necessarily agree with your position I find you to be thoughtful and open minded - I for one am grateful you are willing to continue We need your calm RESPECTFUL experience”

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success?

Reestablishing the educational excellence of D128 subsequent to Covid. By the nature of the pandemic, there is tremendous ground to make up in our kids' educational, mental and emotional health. Additionally, successful integration of the new superiendent and new Board members would mean a successful term.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

The current and past budgets have been appropriate for what the community expects and demands. So as the chair of the facilities and finance committee and with a background in accounting, I spend a lot of time trying to make sure I do not micromanage administration. Taxpayer focus should be on the four biggest budget priorities –or the macro budget view. First, property taxes. Our affluent district really has few revenue steams so the annual property tax accounts for a majority of our revenue. The state has a law that caps the tax levy we can impose so this Board, myself included, has chosen to tax at a rate between 2-2.5% in order to provide the most financial stability. However, if we don’t need or use the taxes, we certainly should have a mechanism to return it to the taxpayer. The next crucial item which is our reserves or savings. The reserve at one point exceeded 100M. The reserve is now at a more reasonable level after we have invested in the infrastructure of the two schools. For budgetary purposes, the Board should really focus on having a minimum reserve of 3 months and a maximum reserve of 12 months of expenses. Third, continual review the infrastructure needs of the district as this is an area where cost control will save significant amounts. Finally, while tax levy is our clear driver of revenue, teacher salaries are our biggest expense driver. We have the best teachers who deserve to be compensated. However, with a limited increase in revenue streams (remember 2-2.5%) we must be cognizant of this cost whenever we enter into contract negotiations which we are going to do this October.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

Our kids need to be cognizant of the world around them. The deaths of George Floyd, Jacob Blake, Daniel Prude, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castille, and countless others whose names or experiences have never been in the headlines are part of our history. The protests that followed served as a call to action that have mobilized people from all races and walks of life who have not previously been actively involved in racial justice issues. This is an important moment and inflection point. Peaceful protest is an essential part of our democracy that I fully support. As a current D128 Board member, the Board continues to fight for equity and condemn discrimination and biases in all forms, especially as it relates to the future leaders of the country, our students.

Do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality, and if not, what specifically should be done to do so?

Its our fiduciary duty to support racial equity as this is a critical piece of the D128 student body and community. I have supported the standing board policy of "Equal educational and extracurricular opportunities shall be available for all students... No student shall, on the basis of sex, or sexual orientation, or gender identity be denied equal access to programs, activities, services, or benefits or be limited in the exercise of any right, privilege, advantage, or denied equal access to educational and extracurricular programs and activities"; the DARING mission which reinforces the policy; and the recently considered diversity and equity policy with metrics and goals. Every kid has the right to feel safe and included at their respective high school. High school and the teen age years are hard enough so our job as Board members is to facilitate inclusiveness and eliminate biases whether in the classroom, on the sports fields, or in the auditoriums. Our current policies do just that.

What are your thoughts on the district’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic? Are you in favor of remote learning, in-person learning or a hybrid of the two? Do you support a mask mandate for students and school staff, or mandatory coronavirus testing for both students and staff?

D128 has consistently been recognized as one of the top districts during my term and I believe we did an excellent job serving students and balancing needs during the pandemic. There is no absolute in the decisions we made – but we worked to makes sure that our students and parents had options, and our teachers were protected. We provided the teachers with two weeks of professional development to learn a new educational delivery model to start the year (remote) and provided another week when the decision was made to pivot to hybrid in January. Few other districts were this generous with providing teachers this time. We also completely redid the daily schedules as remote and hybrid teaching is better performed in a block format. Finally, it was clear that we needed to implement school-wide Covid testing of staff and students in order to migrate toward a return to full in person education. The District had no issues with incurring this expense to make the teachers, community and students feel safe.

I was on record in July and remain on record today that people should be given a choice and schools should be opened for in person learning safely. This was based upon the overwhelming survey results from students, staff and parents combine with scientific data derived from other countries school openings. Current data has continued, in my opinion, to validate opening schools safely. For the majority that wanted a return of in person learning, I was their advocate. For those who preferred remote, I worked extremely hard to ensure that D128 had the classroom resources and agreements in place with teachers to ensure those learning remotely were not at a disadvantage.

I do support the mitigations currently implemented by D128 which includes masks, distance to the extent possible, hand washing, and frequent Covid testing and contact tracing of those who are in the building or representing D128 outside the building. The hope and goal is to lessen the mitigations by next fall with the intent of a more normal return.

When the vaccine is available to them, do you support mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for students and staff?

This is a decision that is personal to each of our families and staff. While I would highly encourage all to receive the vaccine so a return to normal can proceed, each person has to make their own decision for themselves and their family.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No. I expect to serve the full four years.

The best advice ever shared with me was ____________

Always leave a place better than you found it.