Citizens for Accountability in D15, the group that brought awareness to the community regarding the recent backdoor referendum, has formally endorsed non-incumbents Manjula Sriram, Scott Herr, and Gerard Iannuzzelli for the District 15 Board of Education election on April 5th.
The group’s position states “We have a critically important election coming up on April 5th. This election will have a direct impact on our community. Whether you have children in the schools or not, this is an extremely important issue affecting all of us.”
Citizens for Accountability in D15 sent out a questionnaire to all six candidates. They based their endorsement on candidates’ answers, first-hand experiences with each candidate, and the incumbents’ Board voting record.
About Sriram, Herr, and Iannuzzelli, the group says: “They are independent thinkers, which is extremely important and truly needed on the board. We agree with their shared platform of eliminating deficit spending, strengthening the curriculum, and deciding openly and transparently. They have demonstrated the intelligence, integrity, honesty, and critical thinking required to lead our school district in a new and much improved direction. They know the trust of the community has been tested and will work hard to rebuild that trust by being open and honest with all stakeholders. All three of them must be elected if change is to occur.”
If one of them does not get elected, the group is concerned another attempt at a backdoor referendum could occur.
“The Board majority members currently up for re-election, Jerry Chapman and Jim Ekeberg, have gotten us into a dangerous and destructive deficit spending pattern that may negatively impact our teachers, students, and community alike. This poor decision-making puts the District’s financial resources and ultimately, the high quality education of the community's children, at risk. These same members voted for the backdoor referendum that would have added millions of dollars of debt to our community without our consent and without presenting a plan for how the money would be used. Had it not been for our awareness efforts, the efforts of other involved citizens who joined us to circulate the petition, and voters rejecting it by a 2:1 ratio, the Board majority maneuver would have been successful. If the Board majority stays in power, there is nothing to stop them from trying this again.”
Citizens for Accountability in D15 was formed in response to the $27 million backdoor referendum attempt by the District 15 Board of Education in 2010. The group raised awareness and worked against the odds to gather 7,508 signatures. The petition later withstood a challenge by opponents. Through their efforts, the District 15 community won the right to vote on the bond question in November 2010. Voters rejected the new debt by a 2:1 ratio. The leadership team members are Mary Vanek, Lisa Neal, Jen Zold, Joe Heater, Jane Van Wolvelear, and Vicki Wilson. Their web site is www.d15citizens.org.