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Lincoln-Way District 210 school board candidate Aaron Janik submitted this questionnaire, answering The Herald-News' questions about the 2017 board race.
Name: Aaron Janik
Political party: Non-Partisan Election
Age: 39
Address: Mokena, IL
Marital status: Married, Molly Janik, LWC Graduate 1998
Profession: Attorney
Employer: MARBA
Email address: aaronpjanik@gmail.com
Website:
Children: Luke (LWC Freshmen Aug 2017), Madison, William
Education: B.A. NIU History 2001, JD The John Marshall Law School 2008, Accepted into LLM Program (Employee Benefits) at The John Marshall Law School (expected start date January 2018).
Why are you running for the Lincoln-Way District 210 school board?
When my wife and I were looking for a place to call our home as our family began to expand, we stayed in Mokena due in large part to the education we knew our children would receive at 210. She is a lifelong Mokena resident and graduated from the District in 1998. She and I both believe in helping the community and in public service. As the District finds itself facing a challenging time, I wanted to do my part in helping my community as I feel my experience will be an asset to the District.
What are your qualifications to serve as a board member?
I started my legal career as a law clerk at a small law firm in Chicago. Their main client was the Chicago Teachers Union. After graduating law school, I was hired as an attorney at the same firm. I then represented teachers in disciplinary matters in front of the Illinois State Board of Education and paraprofessionals in front of the Chicago Board of Education. I also litigated union matters in Federal and State Courts. I left that firm and went to the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council where I served as an In-House Attorney negotiating collective bargaining agreements on behalf of local police departments, including the Frankfort and New Lenox police departments. I now serve as the Executive Director of MARBA, a small non-profit in the construction and trade industry. I represent management’s interests at the bargaining table with the skilled trade unions in Chicago and the surrounding 9 counties. I am also responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization including supervising employees and handling the budget. I currently serve as the Vice President to the Mokena 159 Board. I have been on that Board for about 3.5 years.
What are the greatest challenges the District is facing in the coming years?
I believe there is only one “great” challenge the District is facing, that being the finances. When you step back and look at the District, you see great academics, a safe learning environment, strong athletic teams, and a strong sense of pride amongst the students. This is a testament to the students, staff, and community of LW 210. However, as most people know the District finds itself in a tenuous financial situation. We need the right individuals on the Board to delicately guide the District to a more solid financial footing. I believe I am one of those individuals having worked in education law for several years, having participated in the collective bargaining process for years, and having experience on a school board already.
If elected, what will be your top three priorities?
Preserving the academic excellence LW 210 has become known for. If the academics start to suffer it will inhibit attracting new residents to the area.
Promoting Fiscal Accountability. The District has implemented several procedural safeguards recently that should ensure there is not a repeat of past financial transgressions. I want to continue to see those safeguards are adhered to and that they are continually reviewed to ensure they are accomplishing what they were put in place for.
Protecting the reputation of LW 210. The District was recently named one of the best schools in all of America by Niche.com (490 out of 10364 schools). That is in the top 5% of all schools in America. LW 210 is a great school District, and it is important the community and the rest of the state see this.
What steps should the school board take to make the District more financially stable?
The District needs to continue to review the budget, not only on a yearly basis, but on a 3, 5, and 10-year basis. By continuing to monitor the financial state of the District and by making sure expenditures are in line with revenues (if not coming in under revenues), the District should be able to begin to realize some surpluses. By doing so, the District should see a climb in its credit rating. Once this occurs, the District can attempt to restructure and/or refinance the bond debt. This should lessen the burden on the taxpayers as well as stabilize the direction of the District’s finances, hopefully for years to come. It is important to note that while the District finds itself working under tough financial constraints the District’s academics and extracurricular, for the most part, have not suffered, test scores are at an all-time high, the number of students taking AP classes and exams is at an all-time high, sports teams and competitive clubs are competing at a high level. The District needs to ensure the academics and the extracurricular activities do not suffer while it strengthens its finances. This will take time and will not happen overnight.
As a school board member, how will you work to regain public trust in the District after the many recent controversies?
I would want to make sure the District continues to engage all stakeholders so we have a broad base of input on decisions. I want to continue the Committees the Board currently has in place and perhaps even expand them to other areas such as Public Relations and Building and Grounds. I want to include the community on a continuous development of the District’s Strategic Plan. I want to ensure the Plan recently developed and adopted by the Board is utilized and does not wind up sitting on a shelf. The District is only successful if all those that reside within its boundaries feel their concerns are being heard and acknowledged.