Robert LeFevre
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Robert LeFevre is an at-large representative on the Township High School District 211 school board in Illinois. First elected in 2005, LeFevre won a new term in the at-large general election on April 4, 2017.
LeFevre participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 school board candidate survey. Click here to read his responses.
Elections
2017
Three seats on the Township High School District 211 school board were up for general election on April 4, 2017. Board incumbents Robert LeFevre and Anna Klimkowicz filed for re-election to their seats on the board. They were joined on the ballot by challengers Jean Forrest, Katherine David, Ralph Bonatz, and Edward Yung.[1][2] LeFevre and Klimkowicz won re-election to their seats, and Yung won the other seat on the ballot.[3] Forrest, David, and Bonatz ran together as a candidate slate.[4]
Results
| Township High School District 211, At-Large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Anna Klimkowicz Incumbent |
20.16% | 10,093 |
| Robert LeFevre Incumbent |
17.66% | 8,843 |
| Edward Yung |
16.51% | 8,267 |
| Katherine David | 16.07% | 8,045 |
| Ralph Bonatz | 14.80% | 7,412 |
| Jean Forrest | 14.66% | 7,340 |
| Write-in votes | 0.15% | 73 |
| Total Votes | 50,073 | |
| Source: Cook County Clerk, "Consolidated Election April 4, 2017 Summary Report," accessed April 19, 2017 | ||
Funding
School board candidates in Illinois were required to file campaign finance reports if they did one or both of the following:[5]
- Accepted contributions or made disbursements in an aggregate amount of more than $5,000 during the calendar year
- Accepted contributions or made disbursements in an aggregate amount of more than $5,000 during the calendar year for communication via television, radio, or internet in support of or in opposition to a candidate, political party, or public policy
The first campaign finance deadline was February 27, 2017, and the second campaign finance deadline was April 3, 2017.[6]
LeFevre reported no contributions or expenditures to the Illinois State Board of Elections in the election.[7]
Endorsements
LeFevre was endorsed by the Daily Herald, the Equality Illinois PAC, the Northwest Suburban Teacher's Union Local 1211, and the organization Progress for D15 and D211.[8][9][10][11]
2013
| Township High School District 211, At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2013 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Anna Klimkowicz Incumbent |
25.1% | 7,060 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mike Scharringhausen |
23.6% | 6,642 | |
| Nonpartisan | Robert LeFevre Incumbent |
19% | 5,352 | |
| Nonpartisan | Edward Yung Incumbent | 17% | 4,790 | |
| Nonpartisan | Roman G. Golash | 15.2% | 4,265 | |
| Total Votes | 28,109 | |||
| Source: Cook County Clerk, "Suburban Cook County Election Results: April 09, 2013 Consolidated General Election," accessed March 16, 2015 | ||||
Campaign themes
2017
Ballotpedia survey responses
Robert LeFevre participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates.[12] In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on March 22, 2017:
| “ | Continue to support outstanding educational opportunities for students.[13][14] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues based on how they should be prioritized by the school board, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Each ranking could only be used once.
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in Illinois. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| “ | i don't[14] | ” |
| —Robert LeFevre (March 22, 2017) | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer eight questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are highlighted in blue and followed by the candidate's responses. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions. The candidate was also provided space to elaborate on their answers to the multiple choice questions.
| Should new charter schools be approved in your district? (Not all school boards are empowered to approve charter schools. In those cases, the candidate was directed to answer the question as if the school board were able to do so.) |
|---|
| Yes. As long as they have the same rules, if that is what people want, our public school will compete with anyone on a level playing field. I welcome fair competition. |
| Which statement best describes the ideal relationship between the state government and the school board? The state should always defer to school board decisions, defer to school board decisions in most cases, be involved in the district routinely or only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| The state should only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| Yes. just don't misuse the date |
| How should the district handle underperforming teachers? Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students, offer additional training options, put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve or set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district? |
| Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students. Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| No. Performance should be evaluated. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| Yes. Only if they are subject to the same rules and regulations as public schools |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| Too complex to leave open like you asked. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers There is an interrelationship with all people in the classroom. The primary person expected to manage that relationship is the teacher. |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Cook County Clerk, "Candidate Filing for April 4, 2017 Consolidated Election," accessed December 20, 2016
- ↑ Township High School District 211, "Board of Education," accessed December 20, 2016
- ↑ Cook County Clerk, "April 04, 2017 Consolidated General Election Search For Results," accessed April 4, 2017
- ↑ Daily Herald, "District 211 candidates debate finances, management," March 9, 2017
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "A Guide to Campaign Finance Disclosure," accessed January 5, 2017
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election and Campaign Finance Calendar 2017," accessed January 5, 2017
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate Disclosure Search," accessed April 4, 2017
- ↑ Daily Herald, "Endorsements: LeFevre, Klimkowicz, Yung for Palatine Township High School District 211 school board," March 14, 2017
- ↑ The Illinois Eagle, "Equality Illinois PAC makes endorsements in District 211 school board races," March 14, 2017
- ↑ Northwest Suburban Education Coalition, "School Board Candidate Endorsements," accessed March 24, 2017
- ↑ Progress for D15 D211, "Progress for D15 D211 Sample Ballot," accessed March 24, 2017
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2017, "Robert LeFevre's responses," March 22, 2017
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Township High School District 211 elections in 2017 | |
| Cook County, Illinois | |
| Election date: | April 4, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Anna Klimkowicz • Incumbent, Robert LeFevre • Ralph Bonatz • Katherine David • Jean Forrest • Edward Yung |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
