D65 Candidate Suni Kartha: Keep Cuts Away From the Classroom

Attorney Suni Kartha is running her first campaign for election to the Evanston-Skokie District 65 school board. Here are her answers to the questions Patch posed to every District 65 candidate.

1. How long have you lived in Evanston?

 I came to Evanston to go to college in 1993 and, with the exception of a few years living in Chicago, have been here ever since.

2. What elected positions have you held previously, if any? Have you ever run for office before?

None and no.

Click here for information on the other District 65 candidates.

3. What experience/skills would you bring to the school board from your professional or personal life?

My experience as an attorney gives me the ability to analyze large amounts of information efficiently, to understand and appreciate competing interests of different parties on the same project, and to solve problems creatively and satisfactorily.  My experience in leadership positions at Orrington Elementary School (as co-president of the PTA) and Unity Nursery School (as a member of the Board) have taught me how to understand and be responsive to a community’s needs.

4. What do you think are the biggest issues for District 65? How would you address those?

Financially, the biggest issue looming for District 65 and all Illinois school districts is the possible shifting of pension costs from the state to school districts.  I support the joint resolution  that the District 65 and 202 school boards recently issued urging reforms to the pension system, and I applaud District 65 for its years of strong financial health that put our school district in a better position than most to absorb the fallout from the shift.  While a pension shift would likely require District 65 to make some budget cuts, I think all board candidates and members probably agree that we must try as much as possible to keep such cuts away from the classroom.

5. How will you balance finance constraints with the need for more space in the district’s aging buildings? 

It is indisputable that the cost of needed improvements to the district’s school buildings (including safe entryways, ADA compliance, and upgrades to adapt to the growth of the student population and school programs) as well as routine maintenance far exceeds the amount of debt service available to the District.  I do not believe that the current approach of patchwork additions in response primarily to capacity concerns is a sustainable or desirable way to approach school improvement.  I believe that a capital referendum will be necessary to make the kind of holistic improvements necessary in the district.