Jim Martin: Candidate For Summit Hill 161 Board Of Education

FRANKFORT, IL — The consolidated election, which features several local races, will be held on April 1, with early voting starting on March 17. As a way to help keep voters informed, Patch offers candidate questionnaires for all candidates in local races.

One of those races in Frankfort is the race for Summit Hill District 161 Board of Education. There are two candidates running for one unexpired 2-year term; and eight candidates running for four 4-year terms.

The Summit Hill race is slightly crowded and contentious, in part due to a December 2023 vote by the Board to close two of the District's schools. The school district boundaries pull students from parts of Frankfort, Frankfort Square, Mokena and Tinley Park.

One of those candidates is Jim Martin, who is an incumbent running for a 4-year term. Martin recently filled out the Patch candidate questionnaire, and his answers can be found below:

Your Name:

Jim Martin

Campaign website

Citizens For 161 Excellence

Age (as of election day):

66

Town/city of residence:

Frankfort

School district:

Summit Hill 161

Family. (Names, ages and any pertinent details you wish to share.)

My wife Rene' and I have lived in Frankfort for over 20 years. Our children are in their 30s. Our two sons own homes within the district, and our daughter resides in New York City.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for.

No

Education:

Undergraduate: North Central College- History, Education (General and Special Education)
Graduate: Governors State University- Masters in Educational Administration
Post Masters-work toward Superintendent’s Endorsement

Occupation. Please include years of experience.

Teacher- 14 years, General and Special Education
Administration- 23 years, Dean, Assistant Principal, Principal and Assistant Superintendent

Previous or current elected or appointed office:

Current Summit Hill 161 School Board President, Lincoln-Way Special Education District 843 Governing Board President

The most pressing issues facing our district are _______, and this is what I intend to do about them.

The most pressing issue facing our district is to maintain the positive momentum we have achieved follow the building consolidation. Our school board majority provided the instructional, financial and personnel resources to increase student academic growth while reducing residents taxes. We have achieved this through adoption of new curriculums in Math, Science, English/Language Arts, Science and STEM (Action Lab). Student academic growth is reflected in increased test scores. Financial stability is evidenced by the upgrade in our financial score to a perfect 100% by the State of Illinois. Additionally, we have maintained the lowest class sizes of any elementary district feeding into Lincoln-Way 210.

Should cell phones be banned during school? Why or why not?

Cell phone use without boundaries is disruptive to the learning process; I don't think anyone can argue that fact. The question becomes how do we manage this disruption. The difficult part is establishing consistent, effective procedures to do so. An outright ban on cell phones is unrealistic as the ability of parents to connect with their children before and after school must be maintained. I do favor restrictions on cell phone use during the instructional day.

If you are a challenger, what do you bring to the board and what may you plan to change?*

I am an incumbent.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

The building consolidation, while necessary, was a traumatic time for our district, but instead of focusing on the past, we are intent on moving forward. We have instituted a Community Outreach Committee to enhance communication and are focused on reducing the tax burden on our families by paying off our bonds in 2027 and continuing to balance our budget each year, operating with what our taxpayers provide,

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Myself, Stephanie McCleish and Katie Campbell have shown that we are willing to make the hard decisions that need to be made to improve our district. The addition of Cicily Gant only strengthens our team. We have established long-term financial stability while lowering taxes. The district will be debt free by 2027 with a promise not to seek additional bonds. Over our 4-year term, test scores in ELA have risen 17% and Math 10%, the greatest gain in 10 years. We have instituted Full Day Kindergarten, opened the Mary Drew Early Learning Center, enhanced security at all buildings, instituted student board members, a Community Outreach Committee and a Parent/Guardian Academy to name a few initiatives.

Why should voters trust you?

Because we have acted as responsible board members. We did not leave empty buildings in our district, we have the lowest class sizes and the highest staff retention rate in the area, we reduced the tax burden on our citizens all while raising student academic performance. All of these community concerns were raised during our 7 meetings from September to February concerning consolidation, and we met the challenge in each area.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success?

Our goal is to be the premier elementary district in the area, achieving the highest academic performance standards at lowest cost to our taxpayers.

What guidance should staff be given for dealing with potential ICE enforcement at schools?

We have administrative procedures in place to address any outside agency's request to enter our buildings.

How do you feel about sex education being taught in school? Should an LGBTQ component be included, and why or why not?

Parents have to right to either opt in or opt out of sex education as part of our health curriculum. The focus of the curriculum is the human body, which is appropriate for elementary students.

When it comes to student achievement, what are schools within this district doing well and what needs to be improved? How can those improvements be made?

With the adoption of our new math, ELA, STEM (Action Lab) and science curricula, we continue to see academic gains. Our goal is to enhance academic programming across the board. For example, with consolidation to 2 grade schools, we now have the opportunity to extend more academic support to both high-achieving students and those needing additional academic support in grades 2, 3 and 4. This could not be accomplished with 4 buildings.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

I have currently served 8 years on the Summit Hill 161 board, and have not missed a single meeting in 4 years. There is no reason to believe that I will not serve my full term.

(If you are a candidate in the upcoming April 1 election, please email andrea.earnest@patch.com for a candidate questionnaire to share your positions with readers)
Frankfort Election Guide: What’s On The Ballot, What To Know
Here is a look at the candidates for Summit Hill District 161:

• Board Member, unexpired 2-year term (vote for one)
  • Katie Campbell (incumbent)
  • Melissa Ryan
• Board member, four-year term (vote for four)
  • Stefanie McCleish (incumbent)
  • Amy Berk (incumbent)
  • Adrian Chavez
  • Patrick Oliphant
  • Ronnie Petrey
  • Jim Martin (incumbent)
  • Cicily Gant
  • Bill Curtin