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Name: Michael DeVito
What office are you seeking? CUSD 427 Board of Education Member
What is your political party? Nonpartisan
What is your current age? 29
Occupation and employer: Insurance Broker- MyInsuranceGuy / Adjunct Instructor of Management/Finance/Accounting Kishwaukee College
What offices, if any, have you previously held? Current member of the CUSD 427 Board of Education
President of CUSD 427 Board of Education August 2024- Present
City: Sycamore
Campaign Website: votedevito427.com
Education: Sycamore High School – Class of 2013
NIU, B.S. in Business Administration – Class of 2017
NIU, M.B.A. – Class of 2021
Community Involvement: Rotaract Club of Sycamore Co-Founder 2020-Present
Rotaract Club Treasurer- 2020-2022
Sycamore Pumpkin Festival- Director 2017- Present
Turning Back Time Car Club- Director 2011-2024
Turning Back Time Car Club- Volunteer 2011- Present
Adopt-A-Classroom Co-Founder 2021- Present
Born Learning Trail Volunteer 2021- Present
Adopt A High Way Volunteer 2021- Present
Rotary Club of Sycamore- President 2020-2021
Marital status/Immediate family: Married with two children
Questions:
How can the district improve reading and English proficiency and state test scores?
As one of the seven board members, I aim to support our expert district staff in ensuring every student excels academically. I believe in evidence-based literacy programs that strengthen reading and English proficiency from early grades through high school. Supporting initiatives that include targeted teacher professional development, strategic data use to monitor progress, and specialized interventions—such as reading, tutoring, and language support programs—is critical. By leveraging technology and fostering collaborative planning among educators to adapt lessons for diverse learning needs, we can see continuous improvement in state test scores and overall academic success. My role is to connect community insights with our dedicated staff’s proven methods, ensuring that every student receives the best possible education.
DeKalb County public schools asked voters in November to support an up to 1% sales tax which officials said would have gone to help pay for needed things such as infrastructure work. The referendum was voted down. What ideas do you have to address aging buildings and infrastructure needs for your school district while not overburdening taxpayers?
Our district produced a one-year facilities plan to address immediate needs this past October, but we can’t stop there. I support developing a comprehensive five-year plan that prioritizes key educational spaces—classrooms, libraries, and labs. This plan needs to target essential life health and safety infrastructure while allowing for discretionary allocations to be made extremely clear so as to encourage stakeholder input. As existing bond debt is paid down over the next decade, we have an amazing opportunity to be more proactive in how we use that freed up cash flow.
Fiscal responsibility is an important part of elected roles, and a priority for voters. Do you believe the school district budget needs trimming? Why or why not? If you were to cut, where would you do it?
Fiscal responsibility is essential, our budgeting process must be transparent and reflect community priorities. In the past six months, our board adopted a budget calendar to improve planning and oversight. We have also begun publishing our annual statement of affairs alongside our district financials in a comprehensive public report. While these steps represent progress, I recognize that our current reporting is not enough—more work is needed to make our financial information truly transparent and accessible to all stakeholders. When budget adjustments become necessary, they will be carefully targeted at eliminating inefficiencies and non-essential administrative expenses, ensuring every dollar directly supports our core educational mission. By further refining our reporting and communication processes, we can empower our community with a clear understanding of how funds are allocated, reinforcing our commitment to responsible fiscal management and accountability for every taxpayer.
Illinois, like many districts across the nation, is facing significant teacher shortages. What is your idea to recruit and retain educators, including special education, dual-language teachers, etc.
Prioritizing and investing in our current educators is essential for a thriving educational community. Promoting from within and expanding opportunities for roles such as club advisors in extracurricular activities not only enhances teacher engagement but also enriches the overall student experience. Robust professional development initiatives, like Spartacon, equip educators with innovative instructional strategies and foster continuous growth. Moreover, for specialized positions in areas such as special education and dual-language instruction, expanding role opportunities beyond traditional classroom settings can better leverage their unique expertise. By nurturing our existing workforce within a supportive, dynamic professional environment, the district can build a resilient teaching force that meets today’s challenges. This comprehensive strategy ensures that every educator is empowered to excel, ultimately benefiting the entire educational community.
Do you support Sycamore School District 427’s referendum, which will appear on the April ballot, to lift restrictions on where school board candidates can live so that anyone living in district boundaries can run for school board?
Yes, I support the At Large Referendum. Allowing any candidate within our district boundaries to run for any board seat means our school board will be selected based on qualifications rather than location. This approach lets us focus on candidates’ expertise, experience, and commitment to our schools. Over the past decade, a limited candidate pool has often forced the board to fill vacancies instead of having the community elect representatives. By broadening eligibility, we ensure that leadership is chosen for ability, and the community has the final say.
If you have children, do they or did they attend public school and was that for all of their K-12 school years?
Not currently old enough to attend but will be old enough soon.
What do you see as the school district’s role in deciding what materials should be available in the library and in curricula?
The school district’s role is to ensure that library and curriculum materials meet high academic standards and reflect the values and needs of our community. Decisions should be based on transparent policies and rigorous academic criteria, free from short-term political pressures. Educators, librarians, and subject matter experts must lead the evaluation process to ensure that materials promote academic freedom, stimulate critical thinking, and remain age-appropriate. Equally important is reinforcing parental control over content for their children. The district should actively engage parents by making its decision-making process clear and accessible, providing opportunities for their input and oversight. This approach guarantees that parents understand how and why materials are selected, ensuring their concerns are addressed. Ultimately, such a strategy creates a supportive, enriching learning environment where students have access to well-considered resources that inspire inquiry, foster intellectual growth, and prepare them for future success.
Most of local residents' property taxes go to their school districts. Are taxes paid to your school district too high? What would you do to protect the interests of taxpayers?
In Illinois, with state funding for schools more limited than in many other states, our community’s property tax dollars bear a heavier burden. Transparent financial reporting, active community involvement, and regular audits to ensure spending aligns with local priorities are essential. We must consistently pursue cost-saving measures through competitive bidding, grants, and operational efficiencies. Equally important is our focus on long-term financial planning by reducing outstanding debt—lowering our debt load strengthens fiscal stability and cuts future borrowing costs. Additionally, I support initiatives to attract new industry to Sycamore through targeted incentives. By expanding our local tax base via economic development, we can ease the burden on property taxes while creating jobs and promoting community growth. Balancing immediate cost-saving efforts with strategic debt reduction and economic development ensures that every dollar is spent wisely.
Most of the COVID relief money from the federal government is coming to an end. What spending adjustments does your school district need to make to address that?
A strong budgeting process enables us to effectively manage fluctuations in funding—an essential practice for Illinois schools, which often face irregular revenue streams. Although the temporary COVID funds were anticipated, the experience of using those dollars to gather years of outcome data has informed our future budget prioritization. By using this evidence-based strategy, we can pinpoint programs with measurable student success and adjust services accordingly within new budget constraints. Consequently, we need to direct funds toward high-impact areas such as classroom technology upgrades, targeted academic support, and teacher training—ensuring every dollar is spent where it makes the most difference.
Should Title IX cover sexual orientation or gender identity? What are your views on the use of locker rooms and bathrooms by transgender students and their participating in sports?
As a school board member serving in a nonpartisan capacity, my focus is on objectively serving our community rather than engaging in personal politics. Deliberating on Title IX protections is beyond the scope of my role, and I trust our federal legislative system to address those matters. Regarding transgender students’ use of locker rooms, bathrooms, and participation in sports, my priority is to ensure that our facilities are functional and our policies remain fair and practical. In situations that require discretion, I have confidence in our district staff’s judgment based on their closer understanding of the context. I also have confidence in the feedback process available to students and parents, which ensures that adjustments or accommodations can be made when staff discretion isn’t the solution.
What is your stance on ICE agents accessing school grounds, and what policies would you advocate for regarding their presence on school property?
I believe that a school is a public place of learning. Students and staff expect a safe and welcoming environment. While I fully support following the law and respecting federal mandates regarding ICE agents, like all non education focused persons, their presence on school grounds needs to be limited to situations of legal necessity to minimize learning disruption. Our district has communicated with staff and stakeholders a clear process of coordination for legal matters of state and federal agencies on school grounds. In situations where there is discretion, student privacy and building security should be top priorities. A school, above all else, is a place of learning and should be reinforced as such.
What are the top three issues that the school district is facing right now?
Student safety is the top priority. Every student deserves a secure and supportive environment, complete with strong mental health services and social-emotional learning programs. The district also faces significant financial challenges. With limited state funding and a heavy reliance on property taxes, it’s essential to manage resources carefully—cutting costs where possible, reducing debt, and exploring alternative revenue streams—to ensure every dollar is used wisely. Finally, teacher shortages remain a critical issue. Attracting and retaining quality educators requires ongoing investment in professional development, competitive salaries, and a supportive work environment. Addressing these three challenges—student safety, fiscal responsibility, and staffing—will help the district maintain a high-quality education that meets the needs of the community and builds a stronger future for all its students.
What is your position on allowing students to use cell phones during school hours?
I believe cell phones can be valuable educational tools when used responsibly, but they also have the potential to create distractions during school hours. While quick access to information and emergency communication is beneficial, unrestricted use may interfere with learning. Personally, I lean toward limiting cell phone use during instructional time to maintain a focused classroom environment. I trust our teachers to manage their classrooms effectively in ways that best suit their teaching styles, and I believe they should not be burdened with additional duties such as policing cell phone usage. Ultimately, it’s about striking the right balance between harnessing technology’s benefits and ensuring students remain fully engaged with their lessons.
Do you think cell phone policies should allow exceptions for emergencies or specific educational purposes? If so, how would these exceptions be defined?
Yes, I believe exceptions should be allowed. In an emergency, students need to have immediate access to their phones, and when a teacher uses them as part of a lesson, that’s perfectly acceptable too. Basically, if there’s a clear educational purpose or a genuine safety need, then cell phone use should be allowed. I think these guidelines don’t need to be set as board policy; instead, they can be detailed in the school handbook after being reviewed by the Parent Teacher Advisory Committee. This way, teachers can have the flexibility to decide what’s best for their classrooms, while ensuring that students have the necessary tools when it matters most—all without a one-size-fits-all rule imposed from the top down.
What steps would you take to address concerns about cyberbullying and inappropriate content access through student cell phones?
Students should learn to navigate the digital world with both smarts and respect. The Portrait of a Spartan initiative reinforces core values like responsibility and empathy, which help guide how they use their devices and interact with one another. Teachers know best how to manage cell phone use in their own classrooms. Plus, the newly formed Parent Teacher Advisory Committee gives families a fresh way to share their thoughts on digital safety and student behavior. Filtering tools on school networks are imperative to blocking harmful content while allowing students access to appropriate resources.
Should students be able to use AI in schoolwork?
Yes, I think students should be able to use AI in their schoolwork. It can be a really helpful tool for things like brainstorming, researching, or even just getting a new perspective—kind of like having a digital study buddy. That said, it’s important that AI doesn’t replace their own thinking or creativity. Students should still be developing their own ideas and problem-solving skills. Teachers can set simple guidelines so that AI is used to support learning, not to do all the work. This way, students can benefit from the latest technology while still engaging with the material in a meaningful way.
What is your plan for making district financial reports, including budgets and expenditures, publicly available and easy to understand?
Over the past six months, the district has made significant strides increasing financial transparency. Our new board portal now hosts financial reports linked to public facing agendas. All board committees, regardless of size, are now open to the public with agendas and minutes posted in advance and after the meeting. We also post the annual statement of affairs along with the district comprehensive annual financial report online and have adopted a new budget calendar that clearly outlines our planning schedule for the upcoming year. Making information available isn’t enough—it must be accessible and easy to understand for everyone. That’s why the board recently decided to host budget discussions as an entire board instead of in closed door smaller sessions, opening the process to anyone interested in seeing how decisions are made. Whether you’re a financial expert or a concerned parent, you should be able to quickly understand the budget. By presenting our financial reports in clear, user-friendly formats, the district can build trust and accountability. Moving forward, we need to remain committed to refining these tools so every dollar is tracked in a way that is both transparent and meaningful to our community.
How would you involve parents and community members in the decision-making process for curriculum or policy changes?
The board currently has policy that requires that any new curriculum be posted for a 30-day public review before adoption, giving community members the opportunity to examine proposed changes and offer feedback during public meetings. In addition, the Citizens Advisory Committee serves as a dedicated forum for community members to share their insights on all matters related to the district. This approach not only keeps everyone informed but also allows for meaningful input before finalizing any policy or curriculum, resulting in well-rounded, representative decisions. Prioritizing parental involvement in curriculum matters is essential, and support for initiatives like the Spartan Family Academy—which offers a deeper perspective on cooperative parental involvement in students’ education—is key to achieving that goal.
What is your position on banning books in school libraries or classrooms, and how do you define the criteria for such decisions?
Decisions about which books are available in our school libraries and classrooms should be left to our educators and librarians, who are best equipped to choose age-appropriate, high-quality materials. The board’s role isn’t to make these individual choices; instead we trust our professionals to curate resources that align with our educational goals. When concerns aren’t resolved through individual professional discretion, empowering parental choice is the solution. Families should have the ability to control what information their children receive, and the standing infrastructure to support this is in place through building level administration. Change to the process can be facilitated through the Parent Teacher Advisory Committee.
How would you balance maintaining appropriate class sizes with the current teacher staffing levels?
Balancing class sizes with our current teacher staffing requires a flexible, data-driven approach. In the past three years, our board took on redistricting—a process that hadn’t been done in over 10 years—by surveying parents, teachers, and community members to gather feedback- then leveraging software that maximally utilized available resources. That experience highlighted the importance of making changes gradually rather than through sudden overhauls. Moving forward, the board needs to prioritize a five-year review of student boundaries, allowing us to adjust gradually as enrollment trends change. This measured approach can help ensure that students get the attention they need while keeping teacher workloads manageable, ultimately creating a more stable and supportive learning environment for everyone.
Do you believe the district is allocating enough resources toward hiring and supporting teachers, and if not, what changes would you make?
The district has made progress in hiring and supporting teachers, but there’s still room for improvement. In the past, contract negotiations put a massive strain on district culture with challenges in accessibility and transparency of key information and a hard to navigate path of reasoning for resource allocation. While competitive salaries and strong professional development are essential, the challenge is achieving these goals practically. By improving communication and making critical information more accessible, educators and community members will have a clearer understanding of how resources are allocated. This clarity not only builds trust but also strengthens the basis for more effective negotiations at the bargaining table.
How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?
Over the past four years on the board, I’ve had countless conversations with community members—often clarifying the sometimes confusing process for change or simply gathering feedback on upcoming decisions. My background as an insurance broker and adjunct college instructor has taught me how to communicate effectively across various platforms. Whether it’s by phone, email, or Facebook Messenger—day or night—I’m committed to making sure your voice is heard. We might not always agree, but I’ll always share the available options so that your ideas, concerns, and questions have a clear path forward.