It is sad to see where Naperville School District 203 has found itself.
For a district that, until a few years ago, enjoyed an extraordinary level of community support, trust and confidence, the announcement that it is embarking on a year-long “listening campaign” is a wake-up call.
But perhaps the most important question is this: Why does a school board that was elected to listen to its community need to launch a campaign to start doing it?
Parents, teachers and taxpayers have not been silent. For several years now, they have regularly spoken at school board meetings, sent emails, raised concerns and asked questions. They are asking for accountability, transparency and responsible stewardship of the district.
The problem isn’t a lack of opportunities for people to speak.
The problem is whether the people in positions of authority are actually listening and, more importantly, whether they are willing to act when they hear something they don’t want to hear.
That distinction matters.
A listening campaign can be a worthwhile exercise if its purpose is to genuinely understand the community and change course when necessary. But listening should not require a year-long initiative that will cost taxpayers money. It is the basic job description of every elected school board member.
And I believe we need to be honest that District 203’s current leadership has fallen short.
I do not believe the majority of the current school board has responsibly fulfilled the responsibilities entrusted to them by the voters. As a mother of three children currently in District 203 schools, I witness firsthand the impact on the children by this lack of leadership and the flip-flopping in decision making. Teachers facing serious allegations are moved to another school. The creation of additional classrooms doesn’t start until after the school year begins. Teachers are fired and then rehired. The start of the school year is moved up despite parental outcry. Tax rebates are given because of there’s a budget surplus and then a few years later, they’re announcing the district has a $12 million budget hole.
District 203 is entrusted with hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer resources. Seventy-four percent of your property tax dollars go to District 203. Managing that budget responsibly is not an optional exercise. It is one of the fundamental responsibilities of the school board. Let us not forget that the state of Illinois considers District 203 to be a Tier 4 fully-funded district.
When elected officials preside over significant budget challenges despite access to significant taxpayer dollars, taxpayers have every right to question whether those officials have demonstrated the fiscal discipline necessary to take on even greater responsibilities.
And that brings me to an issue that deserves to be said plainly.
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If a current school board member is considering running for Naperville City Council, voters need to look very carefully at that person’s record before deciding whether they deserve a promotion.
Serving on the school board is already a significant responsibility. Naperville City Council is responsible for an even broader set of issues affecting every resident and business in Naperville — public safety, infrastructure, economic development, taxes, utilities, land use and the overall financial health of our community.
Those responsibilities require judgment, accountability and the ability to represent the interests of the entire community. These responsibilities require the ability to listen — without paying for a listening campaign.
The majority of the current District 203 school board has not demonstrated that they are ready for that responsibility.
They are failing to responsibly manage the school district, and so how can they responsibly manage a larger public institution? Instead of focusing the next year on a demanding campaign for a more complex job, they should instead direct that energy to fixing the current issues created under their watch.
They do not deserve to represent our community on the Naperville City Council.
That isn’t personal. It is about performance.
We should not automatically reward elected officials with higher office simply because they currently hold elected office. Public service is not a ladder where one elected position automatically qualifies someone for the next.
It should be a record of accomplishment.
Before asking voters for a promotion, an elected official needs to point to a record that demonstrates responsible management, thoughtful decision-making, fiscal discipline, transparency and the ability to listen to — and represent — people who may disagree with them.
That is especially important in a community like Naperville, where residents expect their elected officials to put the interests of the entire city ahead of political constituencies.
Listening isn’t sitting quietly while someone speaks.
Listening means considering what you’ve heard, accepting responsibility when necessary and changing course when the facts warrant it.
Naperville has some of the most engaged parents, teachers and taxpayers anywhere. They care deeply about their schools. They deserve elected officials who respect that engagement rather than treating it as a problem to be managed.
District 203 has an opportunity to rebuild trust. But that won’t happen because of a slogan, a listening campaign or another series of meetings.
It will happen when the board demonstrates — through its decisions — that it is willing to listen, willing to be accountable and willing to responsibly manage the public trust that voters have given it.
Jennifer Bruzan Taylor is a lawyer and a former member of the Naperville City Council.