CHSD 230 Board Of Education Candidate Mike Martinez: 2025 Election

ORLAND PARK, IL — Challenger Mike Martinez is running with the Inspire230 slate for the CHSD Board of Education in the April 1 election. Early voting is March 17 through March 31.

Your Name:

Mike Martinez

Campaign website:

Inspire230

Campaign social media (include links for Facebook, Instagram, etc.):

Facebook: Inspire 230 Instagram: Inspire_230 X: @Inspire230

Town/city of residence:

Orland Park

School district

CHSD 230

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

Wife a Registered Nurse, Son a senior at Sandburg HS, Daughter an 8th grader at Century Junior High.

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:

Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Occupation:

Senior Vice President in the Project Management / Construction Management field

Previous or current elected or appointed office

Served as a D135 Finance and Operations Advisory Board Committee member and currently serve on the Village of Orland Park Recreation Advisory Board.

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

School districts throughout the country are facing very similar issues. Budget, staff shortages, declining test scores, etc. Please visit Inspire 230 social media to learn more about our campaign. While the issues may be similar, my systematic approach to solving issues will add value to the school board. The majority of my 28 year career has focused on improving our surrounding environment. While leading teams of architects, engineers, and construction teams I have been involved at every phase of a project from inception through the planning, design, construction, and close out.

The issues facing D230 are not and will not be resolved overnight. We will need to work together to revisit previous goals and plans, prioritize what is working and what could use some tweaking. We need to rely on professionals to guide us and hold ourselves accountable.

With that said, as a board member, I intend to collaborate with students, parents, community members, teachers and administrators, and fellow board members to ensure that the school board is providing the appropriate oversight and support to our teachers so that they are successful in producing the student outcomes we expect.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I would like to thank all the candidates for their efforts in leading and improving D230. As a non-educator I bring a different prospective on solving issues. I have a creative and sometimes out of the box way of looking at things, all the while with a big picture in mind. I’m focused on making D230 a top ranked school district in the state.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community or district?

The current school board has not failed the community or the district. My son has excelled that last four years at Sandburg, and I wish to publicly thank the board members, teachers and administrators, and the community for helping grow my son.

In my opinion, the 230 United slate has remained complacent with regard to how D230 operates. The previous members implemented goals and policies to benefit D230. The recent board members are going along with old practices and not looking into future growth. However, as stated earlier,change will not happen overnight. Proper planning with contingency plans to be able to respond to changing indicators is something that I will push for as a school board member.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

Please visit Inspire 230 social media to learn more about me.

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

I was selected from a pool of applicants to serve on the D135 Finance and Operations Advisory Committee. I was appointed to represent residents of the Village of Orland Park on the Recreation Advisory Committee. I successfully completed my term at D135 and currently serve on the Recreation Advisory Committee since 2019.

On my career side, I have been involved in successfully overseeing over $40 billion worth of residential, transportation and infrastructure projects.

Why should voters trust you? My actions have consistently demonstrated that my best interest is that of my family and community. I promise to be open to all and make the best decisions for all of D230.

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

To be known as the go to school district anyone in Illinois or those considering moving to Illinois would want to be a part of would make my term successful. As previously stated, this will not happen overnight, but if entrusted by the voters I promise to get us moving in the right direction.

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

Our schools should follow federal and state laws.

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

I don’t believe in an outright ban of cell phones in schools. A cell phone can be used as a learning tool and with most students having access to phones, we should not eliminate a device capable of assisting with learning. Should a teacher feel like cell phones should not be used in class, we should respect the wishes of that professional. I believe that is D230’s current policy and don’t see a need to amend.

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

Sex education should focus on science and providing our children material to make informed decisions regarding their own sexual health. Any political agenda regarding LGBTQ should not be part of sex education in our schools.

Is the high school teaching critical race theory, Marxism or any other ideologies, and what should be done about it?

I am not opposed to familiarizing students to CRT, Marxism or any other ideologies so long as advocacy for any ideology is kept out of the classroom. As a well-rounded individual, I feel it’s important to be aware of ideologies but more important to foster critical thinking skills within our students.

Do you think property taxes are too high, too low, or just about right?

D230 is only one component of our taxes, and would be naive to say anyone is happy paying taxes at our current level. My intention is to optimize our current tax base and avoid unnecessary raising of taxes.

How do you feel about TIF districts? Do they hurt or benefit schools? Explain.

A TIF district, when implemented collaboratively with school districts is beneficial to the district. The Illinois TIF Act has specific language to address how schools receive funding from TIF districts. Any intergovernmental agreements should be carefully executed to ensure schools will not be negatively affected.

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?

D230 has many reasons to be proud. As a board member, I will constantly push to do better. As mentioned before through collaboration with all stakeholders and planning with the future in mind we can become the premier school district I know we can be. We have great teachers who have the best interest and know what is required to achieve our goals.

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

No