Stevenson School Board Candidate: Bruce Lubin

Name: Bruce Lubin              

Age: 57

Town: Long Grove

Incumbent? Yes-2003, 2007

Family: wife, Cynthia; three daughters, Brea, Jenna and Marissa

Occupation: President of Illinois Commercial Banking and Private Wealth at The PrivateBank

Community Involvement: President, Stevenson High School District 125 School Board,  Current board member-Gateway for Cancer Research, Gilda’s Club, AJC, The Joffrey Ballet. Former board member- Special Education District of Lake County, Providence St. Mel School, Little City Foundation. Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow

Link to campaign website or Facebook page: united4stevenson

Why are you running for a School Board position?

I believe Stevenson High School to be one of the top high schools in the nation and I’d like to see it continue to promote academic excellence in a fiscally responsible manner. 

What are the key issues that the district will have to address in the next four years? 

Declining enrollment and how we respond to that while maintaining the quality of the academic experience for the student as we continue to become more efficient. 

What are your top three priorities as a board member? 

1. Continued maintenance of academic excellence, while promoting a fiscally responsible environment. 
2. Continued focus on success for every student, as well as insuring they are participating in an environment of inclusion and acceptance. 
3. Continuous improvement over what we did yesterday.

What are some of the district’s strengths? 

Our strengths are our faculty and administration, our students, and a very supportive community.

What do you think could be done to improve the district? 

We should continue to listen to the community to insure we understand ever changing needs. Our community includes our residents, the students, the teachers and the administration. We should continue to focus on efficiency while maintaining our focus on the vision and values of the school.

What role should the School Board play in shaping Stevenson’s curriculum?

The School Board shouldn’t actively shape the curriculum. Rather we should continue to support our qualified professionals who have the experience, knowledge and understanding of the standards necessary in shaping an excellent curriculum. Every month the school board learns from a different segment of the faculty on aspects of our curriculum. We should continue to listen and ask appropriate questions as our extraordinary curriculum continues to improve.

What are your thoughts on the district’s financial state?

We can always do better. That being said I believe the district acts in a financially responsible manner. We have a fund balance available to support our needs yet we were able to abate 100% of the tax levy increase for this year back to the community. We also have received a AAA bond rating from S & P which is evidence of financial strength from an outside rating agency. As I stated earlier, we should continue to look for ways to be more efficient, while not sacrificing the experience our students receive.

What distinguishes you from the rest of the School Board candidates? 

It’s difficult to compare myself to other candidates (particularly those who I share a slate with as we are consistent on the major issues). This question leads me to comment on why someone should vote for me. In the past 8 years as a board member, I’ve learned that it takes more than a passion for Stevenson to be successful on the Board. I believe I have gained the knowledge of the operations of the school to add value on a daily basis. I believe my financial background and ability to evaluate a cost/benefit analysis will assist the District in the future as we continue to deal with challenging financial times. I believe my leadership experience will continue to allow me to be decisive when necessary, listen when appropriate and support the administration as they do their jobs. It’s all about the kids, and if anyone forgets that, they don’t deserve to be on the Board.