Election 2013: Tom Cunningham

Campaign Info

• Position Sought: Orland School District 135 Board of Education
• Website:
• Email: tmjc22@gmail.com
• Phone:
• Hometown: Orland Park

Personal Info

• Family:
• Education: Moraine Valley C.C.
• Occupation: Real Estate Broker
• Political Party Affiliation: Independent

Candidate Questions

Why are you seeking office?

I have been privileged to be elected twice to the Board which means a great deal to me and inspires me to run for a third term.

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

The first issue is high staff turnover due to retirements. Stability on the board is essential during this critical time, which is why I am seeking a third term.

What sets you apart from other candidates? 

No agenda! Serving the taxpayers and children of Orland 135.

Over the last two years there have been a few sudden staffing changes, including the demotion of Melanie Walsh and putting in an interim superintendent while paying the former superintendent’s salary. Given legal and salary costs involved, should the board consider other means of addressing employee issues, and if so what would you do if elected or re-elected to do so?

First and foremost where is the question coming from about Melanie Walsh? Why don't you talk about the findings from the educators own means, ISBE, that we the Board of Orland 135 School District were found to have done the right thing, not once but twice. We have to make sure that all jobs are open and fairly executed to hire the most qualified person. We need to make sure that the Administration hires through an OPEN and honest process and not one in which it is not disclosed that your sister-in-law is the hire.

How do you propose the school district better communicate the importance of, and better prepare students and parents for, pilots of new educational programs, especially ones geared toward the Common Core standards?

The new superintendent will have to prove to the board that this is accomplished with proper planning. This means that before the decision is made, the Board of Education knows exactly how it is going to be carried out.

Concerns have been brought up about communication between board members outside of quorum and in violation of board policy. If elected or re-elected, what will you do to rectify these concerns, and do you recommend any new policies to be adopted? 

Policies are in place and any board member has an oath to carry this out.

Do you think the school district should consider a fund balance policy, and why? If so at what amount should it be set?

No. It puts an undue burden on the business manager. If this person is doing his or her job, there's no need to have a fund balance. When I came on the Board in 2005, there wasn't any fund balance. We were deficit spending at $4 million a year. With the State of Illinois broke, the pension mess will come back to the local taxpayers and we have to be ready. Just like your home budget, you need to have six months reserve for expenses. It isn't any different for the district.

Revenue from the state continues to dry up, while residents are also dealing with rising costs. Please rank the following in the order you feel the district should be focused on for meeting the district’s costs in light of these issues. 1) Staff Cuts 2) Contract Renegotiations 3) Operating Expense Cuts 4) Tax Increases 5) Other Funding Sources. Please also explain your reasoning.

2,1,3,5,4

Do you think board members, or potential board members, should have to submit for background checks? Why or why not?

No. The Illinois Association of School Boards and a member of this board have already shot it down. Read their rulings.

What can schools do to increase safety?

We have been way ahead of this curve. Parent traps were started over six years ago. Nothing is fool proof as you know but our staff is highly alert and apprised of what to do through in house training. Orland Police and 135 work hand in hand.

The possibility of buying Tax Anticipated Warrants to then loan money out to other school districts and accumulate interest on the return has been discussed in the past. If the district has enough money to be able to loan out to other schools, should the district still be requesting the maximum tax levy possible? Why or why not? 

We don't have enough money to lend to other schools at this time. As for the levy, it depends? How do you expect to pay the teachers raises every year without the levy? Tell me another way? If any new taxing business comes on the market, or if a TIF district expires, you need to capture 100 percent of the dollars by maximizing the levy.

Have you ever been charged with a crime? Were you convicted? If yes, please say what the charge was, and what was the case's outcome as it stands.

Updated, Wed. March 27. 10:55 a.m.: Yes, charges were dropped and they were expunged.

Are there any candidates in other races you would like to endorse here? 

Ann Gentile, Nathan Jaisingh

Read about the other D135 candidates in the April 2013 election.