Eric Missil
Eric Missil was a candidate for at-large representative on the St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 Board of Education in Illinois. Missil was defeated in the at-large general election on April 4, 2017.
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 |
 Edward McNally Incumbent |
19.25% | 3,479 |
| Carolyn Waibel |
16.62% | 3,003 |
| James Gaffney Incumbent |
16.18% | 2,923 |
| 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
Missil reported no contributions or expenditures to the Illinois State Board of Elections in the election.[2]
Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2017
Missil participated in the following survey conducted by the Kane County Chronicle. The questions provided by the Kane County Chronicle appear bolded, and Missil's responses follow below.
Why have you decided to run for election/reelection in the St. Charles School Board race?
| “ | To protect property taxes and raise academic performance. Currently, we have high taxes and compared to our peers, average academic results.
The largest component of my property taxes is District 303. My property taxes have increased approximately 45 percent since 2002. This rate of inflation deeply concerns me, as it has outpaced the general rise in prices and is not sustainable. Please reference my web page (https://www.electmissil.com/property-taxes) for specifics. We need to spend more efficiently and effectively. I would also like to see the academic performance of the district improve. Even though our average ACT test scores reached a four-year high of 23.8, we need to strive to do better. When I benchmark our results to other towns I consider comparable to St. Charles, we are middle of the road. Please reference my web page (https://www.electmissil.com/academic-performance) for specifics. St. Charles is largely a bedroom community. Most residents commute to their employment outside the city. Having an elite school system is the best feature that will make our city desirable and ultimately, increase our property values.[3] |
” |
| —Eric Missil (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 completion of the $50 million Middle School Renovation project. The decision has been approved, now the plan needs to be executed. There are always risks to staying on time, on budget, being safe, and dealing with unforeseen challenges. I envision monthly status updates given to the board from the administration managing the project.[3] | ” |
| —Eric Missil (2017)[4] | ||
What experience and/or strengths would you bring to the board if elected/re-elected?
| “ | I am well-versed and experienced leading large organizations. I am very comfortable challenging the status quo, building a consensus, leading change, and innovating solutions. I bring strong financial discipline and knowledge. I am analytical and stress transparency. I also have 18 years of classroom teaching experience.[3] | ” |
| —Eric Missil (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.
| “ | As I talk to people in the community, the biggest concern they express is the high property taxes. The goal for the district should be to reduce expenses or, at worst, hold flat. We need to scrutinize the budget and eliminate unnecessary spending. We also need to be more effective and efficient. We need to be able to do more with less resources. Where is there redundancy? Are we too top heavy in administration? How efficiently are our assets being utilized? Can shared services be utilized across the various campuses? These types of challenges are no different than what is faced in private industry.
We also have a large amount of risk due to the state of Illinois. They currently do not have a budget, unpaid bills keep increasing, and there has also been a lot of discussion about changing how school districts will qualify for state funding. Approximately 6 percent of the district’s funding (excluding On Behalf Payments) comes from the State. The remedy for the district is to become less reliant on state funding. To offset the loss of state funding and keep local real estate taxes flat, expenditures will need to be reduced.[3] |
” |
| —Eric Missil (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?
| “ | The focus of technology is two-fold—to assist faculty with their curriculum content and delivery; second—to assist students with their assignments and projects. Students should gain familiarity and experience with hardware and software used by business and universities. From my experience, the Microsoft Surface Pro or the iPad are two of the most successful technologies. They both allow for easy face-to-face interaction, avoiding the barrier between students and teachers that occurs with a traditional laptop lid. These two devices offer long battery life so that students can make it through an entire school day without recharging. Laptops generally have a shorter battery life. They both consolidate many functions such as textbooks, notes, lab books, calculators, calendars, cameras, and video recorders. Both devices have an extensive library of textbooks and other educational readings that are competitively priced. Having a uniform device platform allows for standardization and is a suggested best practice. The importance of centralized tech support cannot be stressed enough. Technology should not be distracting to the student. Monitoring software should allow for remote viewing of the student’s computer and effective web filtering is also needed. Leasing programs are readily available, which avoids the initial cash outlay and allows for periodic upgrading.[3] | ” |
| —Eric Missil (2017)[4] | ||
What differentiates you from the other candidate(s) running for this seat?
| “ | My priorities. I would like to see the district develop a master strategy that has at least a five-year outlook. This needs to be ongoing and not a one-time event. The strategy will outline the expected enrollment, current facility status, future facility needs, average class size, how we measure academic success, and financial impacts. The District needs to build support and gain positive momentum with the community. How aligned is the master strategy with the community? Adjustments may be required. The community also needs to be honest with itself. Enrollment is declining, state funding is uncertain, our infrastructure will continue to need modernization, and property taxes should not be increased.[3] | ” |
| —Eric Missil (2017)[4] | ||
Outside of politics, what are some of your other interests?
| “ | Baseball (especially the Cubs), fishing, kayaking, and scuba diving[3] | ” |
| —Eric Missil (2017)[4] | ||
Why should people vote for you in this race?
| “ | I am an advocate for the taxpayer and will continue to challenge the large amount of discretionary spending by the District. My agenda is to develop a long-term strategic plan and build alignment with the community around it. We need to increase our academic performance. Unfortunately, when compared to our peers, we are average. Having an elite school system is the best feature that will make our city desirable and ultimately increase our property values.[3] | ” |
| —Eric Missil (2017)[4] | ||
See also
- St. Charles Community Unit School District 303, Illinois
- St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 elections (2017)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Kane County Clerk, "2017 Consolidated Election Results," accessed April 5, 2017
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate Disclosure Search," accessed April 4, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Kane County Chronicle, "2017 Election Questionnaire: St. Charles School Board candidate Eric Missil," March 1, 2017
| St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 elections in 2017 | |
| Kane County, Illinois | |
| Election date: | April 4, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, James Gaffney • Incumbent, Edward McNally • Heidi Fairgrieve • Lara Kristofer • Eric Missil • Denton Morris • Carolyn Waibel |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
