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Heidi Fairgrieve

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Heidi Fairgrieve
Image of Heidi Fairgrieve
St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 Board of Education At-large
Tenure

2017 - Present

Term ends

2025

Years in position

8

Elections and appointments
Last elected

April 4, 2017

Contact

Heidi Fairgrieve is an at-large representative on the St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 Board of Education in Illinois. Fairgrieve won a first term in the at-large general election on April 4, 2017.

Elections

2017

See also: St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 elections (2017)

Four seats on the St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 Board of Education were up for at-large general election on April 4, 2017. Incumbents James Gaffney and Edward McNally and newcomers Heidi Fairgrieve and Carolyn Waibel won seats on the board. Candidates Lara Kristofer, Eric Missil, and Denton Morris were defeated in the race.[1]

Results

St. Charles Community Unit School District 303,
At-Large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Edward McNally Incumbent 19.25% 3,479
Green check mark transparent.png Carolyn Waibel 16.62% 3,003
Green check mark transparent.png James Gaffney Incumbent 16.18% 2,923
Green check mark transparent.png Heidi Fairgrieve 13.76% 2,487
Lara Kristofer 12.83% 2,318
Denton Morris 12.09% 2,184
Eric Missil 9.28% 1,677
Total Votes 18,071
Source: Kane County Clerk, "2017 Consolidated Election Contest Results," accessed May 1, 2017

Funding

See also: Campaign finance in the St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 election

Fairgrieve reported no contributions or expenditures to the Illinois State Board of Elections in the election.[2]

Endorsements

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Campaign themes

2017

Fairgrieve participated in the following survey conducted by the Kane County Chronicle. The questions provided by the Kane County Chronicle appear bolded, and Fairgrieve's responses follow below.

Why have you decided to run for election/reelection in the St. Charles School Board race?

I have been a member of the St. Charles/Illinois communities for only five years after relocating with my family from Arizona. With this said, I have grown to love the state and the community in which we chose to live.

I think that I can add value to the St. Charles School Board because of my varied experiences and skill sets. I bring a fresh perspective to a board that has a significant number of tenured members. I think it is important to maintain a balance between experience and new ideas. I have strong leadership skills and can provide a voice for better communication with D303 parents and students.

And most importantly, I have a passion for education. I am a life-long learner who believes that education is the backbone to building strong individuals who positively contribute to our neighborhoods, communities, and country.[3]

—Heidi Fairgrieve (2017)[4]

What project most needs to be completed in St. Charles School District 303? And how would you work to ensure the project is actually finished and done well?

The current D303 School Board made the decision to close Haines Middle School in the fall of 2016. If I were to become a new D303 School Board member for the 2017-21 term, I think it is important to continue moving the district forward with this in mind. This means ensuring that the potential $20 million investment in our middle school facilities is spent in a responsible manner with all improvements needed to ensure that both middle schools have consistent facilities in support of the same educational experience. The investment should support not only the vision of the D303 School District but the three- to five-year educational strategy. I would be actively engaged in the two-year process and work to ensure we are thoughtful to all constituencies: students, parents, teachers, support staff, business, and the community before action is taken. Furthermore, I would advocate consistent and regular communication regarding this project. It is critical that community members clearly understand how this project is progressing and how voiced concerns are being addressed.[3]
—Heidi Fairgrieve (2017)[4]

What experience and/or strengths would you bring to the board if elected/re-elected?

I would bring several strengths to the D303 School Board in support of one of my guiding principles: adding value. The strengths I would like to highlight are:

• Financial acumen with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, 20 years in the banking industry, and leadership roles with budget, compensation, and staff management responsibilities.

• Analytical skills with demonstrated ability to solve problems with ranging complexity and quickly identify potential gaps in proposed solutions.

• New leadership perspective with exposure to a variety of school districts

• Collaboration/Influencing skills with multiple levels within an organization

• Communication as demonstrated by successfully leading groups ranging from 12 to 110 employees to achieve business results and personal growth.[3]

—Heidi Fairgrieve (2017)[4]

Are you generally in favor of increasing school spending, lowering school spending or maintaining school spending – keeping in mind that such decisions can affect local homeowners and the taxes that they pay? Please explain your answer.

Generally speaking, I am in favor of maintaining and lowering school spending where the opportunity exists. I am not in favor of increasing school spending because of the consistent feedback I receive from community members. I have not spoken to one community member that is supportive of increasing school spending thereby raising taxes.

Our community could be entering a tumultuous time as state funding continues to be under question and discussions related to a two to five-year property tax freeze gain traction. It is important to examine our current budget and identify impacts under the scenarios identified above. We will need to prioritize budget requirements to ensure we maintain alignment with the D303 educational strategy. Once impacts have been identified, fresh ideas and creativity will be important to ensure that there aren’t unintended adverse impacts to district programs.[3]

—Heidi Fairgrieve (2017)[4]

What types of new technologies (computers, other devices/software) or styles of learning (such as blended learning) should the district focus on and/or implement in coming years?

I think that it is important for our students to be educated in current technologies. This will support their transition to college students and ultimately working professionals. The technology that the district implements should be part of an overall technology plan for D303 that in turn supports the three- to five-year educational strategy. The district technology plan should articulate the payback for the technology investment. I fully support technology investment with an associated return.

I would recommend a committee of experts (IT professionals and educators) be enlisted to discuss a district technology plan and make recommendations that would be applied across all schools and appropriate grade levels. This committee of experts would be chartered with developing recommendations to take D303 to the next level of technology in an educational environment that supports diversity in learning.[3]

—Heidi Fairgrieve (2017)[4]

What differentiates you from the other candidate(s) running for this seat?

My family and I moved to the St. Charles, Illinois, community over five years ago from Arizona. I have a unique perspective with experiences in multiple educational environments and states.

Furthermore, my educational background and professional work experience center in accounting/finance. I have practical experience forecasting and managing budgets. My current position as an underwriting director requires me to review financial statements on a daily basis and to creatively meet customers’ financing needs while managing risk. In comparison, D303 has a real risk of funding reductions that the School Board must be prepared to address.

I am a communicator and a collaborator. I believe it is important that all key parties understand the “why” behind decisions. I think it is a board’s responsibility to not only educate its community’s students but also the parents. I also think listening to and then addressing parents, teachers, and support staff concerns is critical when solving D303 challenges.[3]

—Heidi Fairgrieve (2017)[4]

Outside of politics, what are some of your other interests?

I am passionate about learning throughout life. I am a life-long learner evidenced by my education and my efforts at personal development. I have been successful in my professional career by consistently demonstrating the ability to learn and acquiring new skills used in roles with increasing responsibility. I’m sure my learning philosophy is directly related to my love of reading. I enjoy reading different genres ranging from fiction to events in any time period. My daughters are becoming avid readers as well.

I have significant interest in the success of children and how education relates to their achievements. I am a Big Brothers, Big Sisters volunteer mentor of a Chicago high school student. Additionally, I lead my youngest daughter’s Girl Scout Troop. My husband and I have supported Special Olympics with our time. Finally, we are very active at our daughters’ schools. We enjoy volunteering at all school events whether it be handing out pizza during a Boo Bash event or facilitating a station at Science Night. We have been afforded many opportunities throughout our lives and feel it is important to be present in the lives of children today.

It’s true. 'When you know better … you do better' – Maya Angelou.[3]

—Heidi Fairgrieve (2017)[4]

Why should people vote for you in this race?

I am running as a candidate for the D303 School Board because I feel it is important to bring a fresh perspective to the challenging and complex issues that face our education community – ultimately impacting the entire community of St. Charles. I stand for fiscal responsibility with all parties working together – teachers, administration/support, parents, business, and community to ensure the coming generations are given all possible opportunities to succeed. Working together successfully includes consistent and varied communication to ensure that the “why” behind all decisions is shared.

My education, professional work experience, volunteer efforts across school districts, and multiple experiences as a current parent in D303 schools allow me to be a qualified individual with the ability to represent diverse views within our community. These experiences support fresh ideas and a fresh perspective – to old challenges and to new ones that may lie ahead.[3]

—Heidi Fairgrieve (2017)[4]

See also

External links

Footnotes