Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series of candidate profiles for the District 65 board election.
Randy Steckman, an associate at engineering firm Grumman/Butkus Associates, is running for one of four open seats on the Evanston/Skokie District 65 Board of Education.
The father of a District 65 kindergartener said he wants to use his background in construction to adequately assess the current $48.5 million Foster School project and the district’s accumulated $189 million in deferred building maintenance.
“Deferred maintenance is the polite way of saying we’re kicking the can down the road,” Steckman said. “We’re ignoring a problem because it hasn’t broken yet.”
Steckman has worked as a mechanical engineering consultant in Mexico, China and India. He earned his associate’s degree from Madison Area Technical College and majored in mechanical engineering at Milwaukee School of Engineering.
Steckman spoke to The Daily about his vision for District 65 if elected.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
The Daily: What went into your decision to run for the school board?
Steckman: I was watching (board) meetings and seeing a need for someone with construction experience. My other concern was making sure that we didn’t forget about the kids when we were trying to figure out the financial crisis.
The Daily: What would your first goal be as a board member?
Steckman: I do facility assessments for a living, so one first step would be to go to every school and talk to the building engineers, janitors and principals. What’s working? What isn’t working? Then, getting really deep into the construction for the new Foster School — understanding the drawings and the contract.
The Daily: The next phase, Phase 3, of District 65’s Structural Deficit Reduction Plan includes school consolidations. How would you approach these consolidations and Phase 3 of the plan as a whole?
Steckman: The board needs to be as transparent as we can. All the information (the district’s consultant) comes up with needs to be shared.
Evanston is a very involved and educated community. It doesn’t need to be just seven people coming up with ideas.
The Daily: Do you have a vision for what you want this open communication to look like?
Steckman: I’m seeing regular Freedom of Information Act requests as part of the school board meetings. If there is information that can be (requested through) FOIA, let’s put it out there to begin with. For the most part, nothing needs to be secret.
The Daily: During the discussions to close Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies, several community members said there wasn’t a lot of communication or transparency from the board. As a board member, how would you address that gap?
Steckman: Outside looking in, what stands out to me is the inability to understand you’re making a difficult decision, and everyone’s going to be angry, and you need to take it. You can’t hide behind canceling meetings with the community. If someone’s angry about a decision you’re making, you have to respect and accept that feedback.
The Daily: On your campaign website, the idea of a stable school environment is something that continuously comes up. Why is that important to you? What does it look like in District 65?
Steckman: I did not go to the same elementary school (for) more than two years in a row. I went to three different high schools. I definitely went through school feeling left out. Not having a stable environment contributed to that.
It’s constant community involvement. We need to make sure that parents, teachers and even students get to be involved.
Email: anaviprakash2027@u.northwestern.edu
X: @anavi_52
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— District 65 board hears demography, equity progress indicator reports
— District 65 board unanimously approves $13.3 million spending reduction
