Council Rock School Board Primary: Matthew Laskowski, Region 4

Candidates running in contested races in the May 16 primary election have been invited to provide background about themselves and their positions on the issues to voters in these profiles, which will run in Patch individually for each candidate.

NORTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP, PA — Matthew Laskowski is running on both the Republican and Democratic ballots as a cross-filed candidate. He is seeking nomination for an open four-year-seat on the Council Rock School Board in Region 4. He is facing incumbent Joe Hidalgo, who also is running as a cross-filed candidate and is seeking nomination.

Biographical Information

Name: Matthew J. Laskowski

Age: 37

Town of residence: Richboro

Position sought: Council Rock School Board Director, Region 4

Are you an incumbent? No

What Towns Does Your Position Cover? Northampton Township, Richboro, Churchville, Holland

Party affiliation: Democratic Party

Family: My partner of 5+ years Dan and our rescue pup of 3 years @CerberusBernard

Education: Council Rock South Graduate 2004, Temple University, Fox School of Business

Occupation: Project Manager at a large healthcare company

Questions

1. Why are you running?

I was raised in Northampton township and educated in the Council Rock district. My parents, a nurse and a small business entrepreneur, worked so hard to raise my sister and me here because of the excellent school district. The last few years have reminded me to not take anything for granted. In preparing for my campaign, I reviewed years of school board meetings and decisions. That, coupled with the current movements to ban books and politicize children's education, have given me concern about the future of the district. I was lucky to receive the education Council Rock provided me, and I want to give back to the district what so many teachers, administrators, support staff, and community members provided me: a great education and environment in which I felt safe to grow.

2. What are your top issues and how do you plan to address them?

There should be more frequent analysis of the district's tax-payer funded checkbook. The decisions made today regarding hiring, programs, and capital improvements need to have both short- and long- term assessments. Seeing the big picture has always been my forte. Not only do our students’ future lives depend on us getting it right, the home values of our area residents are tied closely to the performance and reputation of the district.

3. What in your experience or background prepares you for election to office?

My father passed away the day before my 18th birthday, and ever since then I have taken nothing for granted. He taught me to be bold, confident, and passionate. My mother, who is enjoying her retirement from nursing, taught me to treat everyone with respect and that anything worth doing is worth doing well. I've organized teams for the MS Bike Ride, City to Shore, and raised over $50k. After graduating from Temple, I worked to restart the LGBTQ Alumni Society by hosting networking events. Working together with the Presidents of the Jewish Alumni, Temple U. Black Alumni Association, Young Alumni, and Women's Alumni, we hosted the largest alumni event. Working together with others toward a common mission and for a common good has always driven me to success.