Full Name: Khushali Shah
What office are you seeking? School Board Member for District 46
What is your political party? n/a
What is your current age? 49
Occupation and Employer: Sr. Product Manager, Great Minds
What offices, if any, have you previously held? Current School Board Member, 12 years
City: Prairie Grove
Education: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Texas at Austin
Masters of Art in Elementary Education from National-Louis University
Community involvement: Girl Scouts
Marital status/Immediate family: Married to Dr. Amit Shah
3 children age 19 (Sajiv Shah, sophomore at University of Michigan) ,18 (Vedika Shah, senior at Prairie Ridge High School) and 13 (Divyana Shah 8th grader at Prairie Grove Junior High School)
Why are you running for office?
- As a taxpayer, I believe that my community has a responsibility to provide the best possible education for our children, and I have for the last 12 years as a board member been committed to ensuring that our tax dollars are being used effectively and efficiently.
- As a parent of children who have attended schools in this district, I am invested in ensuring that all students receive a quality education and have access to the resources they need to succeed.
- As a former teacher with +8 years of service in the education system, I am committed to improving the quality of education in our district.
- I am running again for school board because I believe that I can make a positive difference in the lives of our students, teachers, and community.
- By serving on the school board, I hope to continue to bring my experience and perspective to the table and work collaboratively with other members to make informed decisions that benefit our schools and our community.
What makes you qualified for the office you’re seeking?
- Serving as a current school board member for the last 12 years, and for the last several years as the President of the school board. I have learned through that process about school board governance and participated in numerous trainings and received recognition from IASB for this.
- Having experience as a teacher has provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing our schools.
- Being a parent with three children who have attended Prairie Grove schools starting in kindergarten has given me unique perspective on the needs of students and families, and a strong motivation to make positive changes
Have you sought and/or received any training to run for your local school board? If so, from whom?
As a current board member I have participated in many classes and in house trainings offered by Illinois Association of School Boards. I have attained Master Board Member Level.
Would you propose any changes to the curriculum? If so, what?
I would support administration and teachers who are well versed in curriculum to continue to do their jobs in selecting curriculum that is rigorous and meets the needs of our students. I would work to make sure that any programming that benefits students does not get reduced due to changing enrollment or spacing issues within the building.
Are LGBTQ students treated fairly in your district?
In my opinion LGBTQ students are treated fairly and all students regardless of background or identity are welcomed to our school district.
What is your assessment of how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is handled in your school district?
We work hard to make improvements towards Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies at our school. As a person of color and my own children, we have only felt respect and welcomed from the administration and staff and families of the district.
Do you believe the district needs to make any changes to improve DEI in your district?
As with anything there is always room for improvement and developing a deeper understanding of changes that impact our families. We can always improve and should improve, and in the area of DEI no school district should be consider their work as done.
Are teachers in your district paid adequately now and in retirement?
I believe that teachers are competitively compensated when looking at the entire package of salary and benefits.
Would you support changes to teacher pay scales? If so, how?
At this time, I believe the shortage of teachers and ability to recruit new teachers is difficult statewide, and would like to see something to help benefit new teachers.
What is your assessment of the district superintendent’s compensation?
The district’s superintendent is fairly compensated and he has provided the much needed stability to our district. We had a rough period with turnover of superintendents and temporary superintendent. However for the last 6 years Dr. Bute has done a phenomenal job with our school district.
Would you make any changes to how the district superintendent is compensated?
no
Do you support the current superintendent? Please explain.
Yes, I do support the current superintendent. Dr. Bute is a detailed orientated person, who is passionate about the kids and their educational experience at Prairie Grove. He has provided the much needed leadership to the school district and works collaboratively with the school board to better our school district. Under his leadership we have made much needed facility improvements, enrollment has risen, and our schools are recognized by US News & World Reports for Best Schools.
Should schools in your district adopt and teach sex education according to the National Sex Education Standards? Please explain.
I believe that the grade level appropriate sex education should be provided however the option for parents to opt out should also be provided.
What is your assessment of how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled locally?
Having served on the school board during that time, I would say that the board and Dr. Bute and administration worked hand in hand to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic the best we can with the information provided. Rules and regulations changed on a regular basis without much warning. We approached it in a systematic way, based on data and rules.
What did you learn from the pandemic?
I learned that collaboration, trust and communication are all vital part of decision making. Board members need to be able to discuss issues and concerns with respect, which each member of the board did, which supported our administration during a very unprecedent time.
Are voters that support your district taxed at an appropriate level?
I believe that 87% of the revenue comes from local property taxes. Our taxes are high, and wish there were business taxes that could offset this.
Would you support any plans to raise taxes in the district? If so, what should the additional revenue be spent on?
I do not support raising taxes. We should learn to work within our means and look for alternate funding mechanism for improvements.
Would you support lowering taxes in the district? If so, what programs or services in the district would you cut?
n/a
Will you accept the voters’ decision in your race on Election Day?
I believe in the election process, and if elected I will continue to serve in my position as a board member.
What is your position on open, transparent government?
We serve the public and we should be conducting our business in the public eye.
Do you support the Freedom of Information Act and citizens’ ability to freely access government records?
Yes