East Brunswick School Board Election 2023: Laurie Lachs

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — The current president of the Board of Education, Laurie Lachs, is seeking re-election this year.

Lachs has served for over a decade on the school board and wishes to continue working for the betterment of students.

In a Q&A with Patch, Lachs details the steps taken by the BOE to help students who are struggling in school and talks about improving aging facilities in the district.

This year’s election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Early voting has already begun. Click here for our voting guide.

Name: Laurie Lachs

Age: 53

Town of residence: East Brunswick

Position sought: BOE

Family: Husband Mike, and two children. Daughter '23 EBHS Graduate

Education: EBHS Graduate. Muhlenberg College Graduate

Occupation: Event Planner for a local nonprofit, helping pregnant or parenting women who are homeless and battling mental health or substance use disorders.

Previous or current elected appointed office: Current BOE President

Why are you seeking to run for School Board?

Community Involvement is very important to my family. As a lifelong EB resident, I have been active in many civic, religious, and sports organizations in town. I have held leadership positions on all my children's school PTA's, including my last year on the HS PTSA executive board. I have served on all BOE committees in my tenure and held a leadership position for the past five years (two as President). I believe in building consensus, and working together for the greater good, and consider myself to be a true team player. Since this is a board of nine, I understand the importance of being able to work well with others.

What according to you is the biggest issue facing the school district currently? How do you plan to tackle it?

Our aging facilities. Most relevant right now is the potential referendum for a new high school. This is a divisive issue with many varying points of view. By involving all stakeholders in the process, we hope to be able to present a plan for a new high school that will be acceptable to the full township. One that all residents can feel comfortable with, regardless of their having children who will personally benefit from it. Our first step, was an AdHoc committee with a variety of stakeholders throughout the township to weigh in on the topic and needs for such a project. The next step will be a community-wide forum so that we can reach members of the community and have a truly representative conversation about this topic. The potential referendum is one that affects all taxpayers in East Brunswick and one that will need to be championed by our residents if it is to be successful.

The effects of COVID-19 are still seen in the form of student performances. What's your plan to help the most vulnerable students struggling in school right now?

COVID-19's long-term effects are still being seen both academically and emotionally for a lot of students and families. As a district, we are always looking for ways to help our struggling student population catch up to their peers. The district has implemented programs designed to tackle this issue: Our Extended School Day is an evidence-based comprehensive beyond-the-school-day program including before/after school tutoring and credit recovery. Our Extended School Year is an evidence-based summer learning and enrichment program. We offer a Summer Academy for Basic Skills, ESL, and SE students in grades K-12. Our Learning Acceleration utilizes personalized adaptive online reading and math instructional programs to address individual student academic skill gaps. Accelerated Learning Coach and Educator Support provides Instructional Coaches who work with teachers to use data to target differentiated instruction. Our reading specialists, math specialists, and ESL teachers also work with students on a daily basis to address academic skill gaps.

Residents often speak about overcrowding of schools once new housing opens in the Township. Do you think the BOE is well-placed to tackle the issue?

Yes, we are. That was the reason for the grade redistricting to alleviate issues of potential overcrowding.

What issues do you feel are not being adequately tackled in the district?

I feel the district is doing its best to ensure the physical safety and emotional security of our students and staff while ensuring an excellent education and a variety of extracurricular offerings to meet the needs of all students. That being said, we are always open to course corrections when needed and never rest on our laurels.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

We are all volunteers looking to give back to our community. I have tremendous respect for all those wishing to take on this role. I am proud to have served on this board for over a decade and to have been part of this board when we implemented a security force that serves as a model for the state, a college pathways program, allowing students a dual enrollment option, saving their parents' substantial sums of money when sending their children on to higher education and a flex program to keep our most at-risk students on the path to graduation. I have always sought to represent all the stakeholders of the town. As an alum of the HS and now parent of an HS graduate, I appreciate the value an EB education holds. I also now know what it is like to be a taxpayer without a child in the school system and will work hard to represent both constituencies.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

I have enjoyed serving the people of East Brunswick on this Board. I have always made the needs of the district a priority and worked hard to ensure excellence in our academics, athletics, and the arts while being fiscally conservative with the taxpayers' dollars. Always an approachable liaison, it has been my pleasure to help parents and residents find the correct person in the administrative structure to answer their questions. I respectfully ask the residents of East Brunswick to return me to the Board of Education so that I may continue my work in maintaining the highest level of excellence that our school system is known for, and that I (and now my daughter) was fortunate enough to benefit from personally.

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