Meet District 113A School Board Candidate Laura Smith

LEMONT, IL — The upcoming election is less than a month away, and early voting has already begun. In Lemont, one of the contested local races is the race for District 113A Board of Education. There are four open positions on the board, and Laura Smith is one of the five candidates running.

Smith has been part of the District 113A community for 16 years and has one son in seventh grade at Old Quarry Middle School. She has a degree in education from the University of Illinois and a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Governor's State University.

Smith is a Spanish teacher at Century Junior High in Orland Park, and has taught there for 22 years. She has also served as a volunteer board member on the Lemont Indian Youth Lacrosse Board.

Smith believes the most pressing issue facing the board is the district's growing population.

"Currently, space is a priority. In order to keep class sizes at a manageable size for educators and students, the board will need to look at options such as expansion or opening up Central School to accomodate our projected growth over the next 4 years," she said. "I will work with the board to find the best solution to accomodate growth that takes into consideration our students, taxpayers and our educators."

As the only newcomer running for election, Smith believes she can bring a unique perspective to the board.

"Not only am I a taxpayer and a parent of a student in the district, but I am also an educator. I understand the point of view of teachers and can balance that with the needs of our children and community," she said.

Bethany Martino, a current board member, is also a teacher. Smith commends the current board for accomplishing financial stability and improving the quality of education in Lemont.

Smith also believes in negotiating a fair contract with staff, as well as advocating for quality collaborative time.

"As the district moves toward standards based curriculum, there will be a need to meet with the other schools to align objectives so students, parents, and staff are aware as they transition buildings what are their common learning and assessment goals," she said. "I plan to seek input from all stakeholders regarding these important decisions that need to be made in order to maintain the current high quality of education in Lemont."

You can visit Smith's Facebook page for more information.

There are four open positions on the board in the upcoming April 2 election. The other four candidates include incumbents Damon Ascolani, David Molitor, Cynthia Kelly and Al Malley.

If you are a candidate in the upcoming April 2 election, you can email andrea.earnest@patch.com for a candidate questionnaire.