CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Candidate:  Paul O'Neal          Position Sought:  School Board - Pekin Community High School District 303

1.  Why are you seeking this office?

I view serving on the board as a way to give back to the community.

2.  What are your qualifications for this office?

I am a local business owner and a parent of PCHS alumni.

3.  Have you ever owned or managed a business?  If yes, please explain.

I currently own and operate O'Neal Construction, building custom homes.

4.  Do you have any experience with labor relations?  If so, please explain.

I have had several employees throughout my career, and am a past member of Dist. 303 board.

5.  What role, if any, do you believe the school district should play in the attraction of new residents to Pekin?

We should do the job of educating young people to the very best of our ability.

6.  Given that one of the critical elements in business retention and attraction is the quality of the local educational system, what would you do to develop the relationship between the education and business communities?

7.  What do you see as the role of the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations in local education?

8.  What are your thoughts on school district consolidation?

I see no evidence that consolidation would be beneficial , but I do believe that we should continually study it.

9.  What are your thoughts about James Field?

I think that Dist. 108 just made a good decision to allow the park district to operate and improve it.

10.  What are your thoughts about the school district's current finances?  Are there opportunities to cut expenses?  Specifically, where are those opportunities?  Are there areas where spending needs to be increased?  Specifically, where does spending need to increase and where would that money come from?

I firmly believe that the administration is always looking for ways to save money; the board must encourage them in those efforts.

11.  What do see as the role of a school board member?

To direct the administration in the safe and productive operation of our school.

12.  If elected, what would be your top three priorities?

To listen to all issues concerning the school board; to seek out information concerning those issues; and to make decisions as needed based on that information.

13.  At the end of your term in office, how will you know if you've been successful?