Meet Richard Lloyd: School District 146 Candidate

OAK FOREST, IL — Meet Richard (Rick) Lloyd, Community Consolidated School District 146 school board candidate. The Consolidated Elections are April 6.

Lloyd recently filled out the Patch candidate survey, and his answers can be seen below.

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

Rick Lloyd

Age (as of election)

41

Town/city of residence

Orland Park

School District

Community Consolidated School District 146

Family

Wife - Monica (40)
Daughter - Anne (13)
Daughter - Megan (10)
Son - James (10)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

MS Accountancy - University of Illinois (Urbana)

BA Economics - University of Chicago

Marist High School

Occupation

Accountant & Financial Advisor (2008-Present)
Private Equity Investor (2005-2007)
Investment Banker (2002-2005)

Campaign website

146Forward Facebook page

Previous or current elected or appointed office

Board Member Community Consolidated District 146 (2016-Present)

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

The single most pressing issue is Covid and a return to full-time school for our children. Unfortunately, it appears as though Covid is not something that will be vanquished in the
near-term, if ever. As such, it is imperative that we continue to push to find a way to get our children safely back into the classroom on a full-time basis as soon as possible. Our current
students have now endured nearly a year of suboptimal learning and socialization. That is time that will be difficult to ever make up, and we need to get back to our optimal learning model as soon as possible.

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

I do not expect that I would ever agree on 100% of issues with anyone else running for office, including my 146Forward running mates. The reason why I value the members of 146Forward and have chosen to run alongside them for this position is that each member of 146Forward has
a deep love for their community, has spent time in our schools, understands the issues facing them, and most importantly, is committed to putting in the time and effort to work collaboratively with their colleagues on the Board and the district Administrators to create the best schools for
our children.

Unfortunately, I do not feel my opponents are willing to make that same commitment to putting in the time and working collaboratively to continue moving our schools forward.

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

I am not a challenger but I would like to answer this question. As I mentioned before I believe Covid and returning to school was the most important currently facing our schools.

Unfortunately, I do not believe that two of my colleagues and current opponents - Julie Jackson and Vince Aiello - have made an appropriate commitment to this issue. In both cases I was
particularly disappointed in their cavalier approach to our switch to hybrid learning, from full remote in the fall of 2020.

In preparation for such a change, our Administration held a district wide meeting of stakeholders including District Administration, Building Administration, Teachers, Staff, Union Representatives and myself as a representative for the Board. This meeting was as comprehensive a meeting as could have been accomplished at the time. Attendees considered
the pros and cons of at least four different return to school models and ended with a consensus among ALL stakeholders about the best way forward.

Following the meeting, District Administrators presented their findings to the entire board at a public Committee of the Whole meeting. The pros and cons of each model were presented and
a recommendation was ultimately made to the Board, with the intention of officially voting on the change at the next full meeting of the School Board. Unfortunately, Mr. Aiello was not in attendance at this meeting. Additionally, Mrs. Jackson, to my recollection, had no questions for the Administration at this meeting.

At the following full meeting of the School Board, the recommendation for our Hybrid return to school model was once again presented to the Board. Once again no inquiries or objections about the recommendation were made by Mr. Aiello nor by Mrs. Jackson. At the time of the vote, Mr. Aiello voted "No" on return to school and Mrs. Jackson abstained from voting.

I want to be clear, although I disagree with Mr. Aiello's "No" vote in that instance, his failure was not his final vote. Rather, it was in his lack of effort in not attending such an important committee meeting, it was his lack of transparency in asking no questions of the Administration
and it was his lack of cooperation with his fellow Board members as he never indicated to anyone, as far as I know, that he was harboring doubts about this plan or was against going
back to school.

In the case of Mrs. Jackson, her failure was in her unwillingness to take responsibility for a vote either way. The role of a school board member is ultimately, to act as a representative for the
community. At times that can mean making difficult votes or potentially upsetting various parties. It is not always easy or enjoyable, but the reality is, it is the job. In the case of that
vote, it is my belief that Mrs. Jackson failed to live up to her responsibility to the community on the most important issue that has faced our school district in the 5 years I have been a member of the board.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

I believe strongly in fiscal responsibility and respecting that our funding comes from the hard work of our Taxpayers. While I have supported our expansion to full day kindergarten and the
accompanying school additions that were required I worked with my colleagues on the Board to fund it in such a way that did not increase taxes or degrade the districts balance sheet. I have pushed for a property tax abatement for the current fiscal year and will continue to insist that excess funds be returned to Taxpayers in the future.

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

I believe my record on the 146 School Board for the past 5 years and the support of the majority of the sitting board, including all incumbent members, serves as evidence of my qualifications.

Why should voters trust you?

I am an active participant in all meetings of the School Board and I always endeavor to make my views clear on the subject at hand. People may not always agree with me, nor I with them,
but they will always know my honest opinions on the issues facing District 146.

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

Not answered

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

Not answered

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?

Not answered

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

Not answered

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?

Not answered

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

Not answered

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

Not answered

The best advice ever shared with me was ____________

Not answered