Meet New Lenox D122 Board Of Ed Candidate: Rhonda Starklauf

NEW LENOX, IL — Rhonda Starklauf is one of five candidates running for four open positions on the New Lenox School District 122 Board of Education. Starklauf is a teacher, and currently serves as the District 122 Board president. She has served on the District 122 Board of Education for eight years.

Starklauf recently filled out the Patch candidate survey, and her answers can be found below:

If you are a candidate for the April election, and would like to answer our Patch candidate questionnaire, please email andrea.earnest@patch.com.

Name: Rhonda Starklauf

Age (as of Election Day): 44

Town/city of residence: New Lenox

School district: New Lenox 122

Family: Brian - 44, husband; Jack - 17, son; Sam - 15, son

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Education: Rhonda earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Augustana College in Rock Island. She completed her teaching certification, her Master’s in Education, and earned a Teacher Leader endorsement from the University of St. Francis in Joliet.

Occupation: Teacher - 20 years

Campaign website: Can be found here.

Previous or current elected or appointed office: NLSD 122 School Board President

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

For most of my time on the Board, funding has been the most pressing issue. Pre-COVID it was worrying about a tax freeze and funding teacher retirements. Now, we have had to adjust our budget due to all of the unforeseen costs the COVID pandemic has required. Plus, we do not know how the long-term effects of the pandemic will influence the availability and allocation of state funds. The NLSD 122 board has determined a fund balance threshold that we will maintain and not go below. If necessary, budgetary adjustments will have to be made to continue to operate our schools within our financial means.

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

I am a life-long, New Lenox resident. I went through New Lenox schools, my children have graduated from District 122, and I work at Lincoln-Way Central. The high quality of education received by students in NLSD 122 has directly and indirectly affected both personal and professional areas of my life. I am extremely proud of the level of education our schools provide for all children in the New Lenox community.

I have also been on the Board for eight years. During that time, I have been the Board secretary, vice-president, and president. I have worked with three different superintendents, and have formed a positive and productive working relationship with each of them.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform: N/A

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

Looking back over my time on the Board, there have been so many positive and meaningful educational accomplishments in District 122. In 2013, NLSD took the final steps to integrate all special education services into the New Lenox school system by breaking away from the District 843 Cooperative and allowing students the opportunity to attend schools within their own district, with their siblings and friends. This process took almost ten years to fully implement and staff the necessary programs and still provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings to the district. District 122 has also successfully implemented its 1-to-1 technology initiative, purchasing and distributing iPads for all students. Even with the push in technology, the Board and administration agreed that there needed to be meaningful curriculums not centered around the use of a device or screen. The district’s curriculum committees have evaluated, recommended, and adopted new, updated textbooks and curriculums to continue to provide students with more critical-thinking and problem-solving skills necessary to be successful in today’s world.

Financially, we have operated within our means and been able to pay cash for almost $40,000,000 of capital improvements during my time on the Board. We have 12 buildings to maintain, and some of them are very old. Some of the most noteworthy improvements are remodels at Haines, Bentley and Tyler to ensure safe working areas and enclosed spaces; new roofs on Tyler and Bentley schools; and new HVAC systems at Haines and Bentley. I am extremely proud of the proactive approach the recent Boards of Education have taken to prioritize these and other maintenance projects for our facilities.

With forward-thinking guidance from the district’s business manager, the administration and Board have also been able to restructure the District’s bond debt and level off the debt payment schedule. NLSD has already restructured three sets of bonds, saving the district $3.4 million dollars. We are currently working on plans to restructure two additional sets of bonds over the next few years, potentially saving the district another $5 million.

Why should voters trust you?

For the past eight years, I have been open and honest with the community. I try to be consistent and fair when making decisions, and my number one goal is to always put students first. I am not afraid to fight for what is right when ensuring that our students have the best educational opportunities possible.

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

A successful term involves operating under a balanced budget, providing opportunities for growth for all of our staff and students, and continuing to update and improve our buildings.

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

District 122 has worked hard to maintain a healthy fund balance and also operate with a balanced budget year. Our district is able to operate successfully and provide top-rated educational experiences to our students because of local property tax dollars. This is not something that I take lightly. This is also why we have worked to restructure the district's debt to help alleviate a potential spike in the debt service payments and also save the district millions in interest. Over the years, the inconsistency in funding and payments from the State of Illinois makes it difficult to maintain a long-term plan. However, we are fortunate to have a very frugal and cautious business manager who updates the Board monthly will any budgetary concerns. Also, the Board meets two times a year to thoroughly analyze and update the five-year plan. This has been extremely beneficial this past year when having to add the unforeseen expenses from the COVID pandemic.

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?

N/A

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

For me, equity is not just about race. So, I do not see how I can respond to the questions from only a racial perspective. Equity is about fairness for all races, genders, sexual identities, religions, socioeconomic classes, etc. It is the responsibility of the schools and the community to create and provide unbiased opportunities for all of our students. Over the past year and a half, I have been part of several sessions and seminars on equity training. These sessions showed how difficult conversations are necessary for making progress in student achievement. In August of 2020, the NLSD Diversity and Inclusion Committee was formed with the purpose of “identifying strategies and resources to create a positive and respectful learning experience where critical conversations can take place. Equality, equity, and justice will be explored when creating additional culturally responsive practices.” Regarding the earlier mentioned curriculum committees, our staff was mindful in choosing programs and textbooks (like the ReadyGen Literacy Program) that provided students with opportunities to witness more diversity in the world. Most recently, some administrators and staff began an “Intro to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the K-12 Setting” program through the Professional Development Alliance. This program provides ways for educators to “cultivate a better understanding about the impact of implicit biases, stereotypes, and microaggressive behaviors” in educational settings. I am confident NLSD 122 will continue to explore and implement practices that promote fair learning experiences for all students.

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?

Throughout the entire decision-making process during the pandemic, our goal was safety to ensure that our staff would be able to fully teach the curriculums and our students would be able to successfully learn. We based our decisions on the data we had at that time, following recommendations and guidelines from IESB, IDPH, the Will County Health Department, and our attorneys. It was difficult to keep personal opinions and feeling out of the decision-making process, but I support our administration’s and the Board’s decisions. That being said, we also adapted as new information was made available. We all recognize this pandemic requires flexibility, grace, and patience. The district received hundreds of emails. There was no way to make everyone happy. We tried to come up with a plan to accommodate our in-person learners as well as our remote learners. Most families have been extremely understanding and supportive, and I am very grateful for them and our community during this time. I am in support of the mask mandate because I think it is one of the best ways to keep our students in school. I know it presents some discomfort to everyone in the schools, but it is worth it to avoid returning to remote learning. I think it is not feasible from a monetary and procedural perspective to mandate COVID testing on-site.

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

Right now, receiving the COVID-19 vaccination should remain a choice. There is still a lot we do not know about the virus itself as well as the vaccines, and it would be unfair and unethical to require a vaccine at this time.

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

No

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Great leaders are great listeners. It has been my experience that people can often agree to disagree after meaningful conversations where both sides have an opportunity to express their views as well as feel like they were heard. Even when an outcome is not in my favor, I walk away with a greater understanding and appreciation of the other person or situation if a respectful exchange of opinions and ideas occurred.