Laura Wingler

Our students are the future and everything we do should be centered around their success. As an educator myself, I have a deep respect for teachers and their passion, and I want to continue to serve in a way that advocates for them and their students to access quality education and services, and to support the staff that makes it all possible.

What I love most about being on the BOE is serving with members who bring different perspectives and experiences to the role that keeps us all objective. We learn a lot from each other in how we approach the unique situations that come to us. 

Since starting on the BOE in 2021, there have been open seats each year which has resulted in changes and influxes of members. I think often shifting board members and leadership brings a lot of instability to the district. 

Being a school board member is a serious commitment that takes up a minimum of 15-20 hours of volunteer service each month between going to events, committee meetings, reading documents, presentations, e-mails, reading and re-reading agendas, and attending regular board meetings. I am dedicated to the role, I ask a lot of questions, and want to continue volunteering my time to putting our students first.

• Communication & Community Engagement 

Improving communications between the school district and the community is important to me. Throughout my entire term on the board, I have continued to advocate for the BOE meetings to be streamed or recorded and for the public to have opportunities to participate and be informed. I will continue to advocate for ways to engage families to participate in flexible ways. I want all information, presentations, and anything that families need to know readily accessible online. 

• Career and College Readiness

Providing opportunities to prepare for a career after high school or to meet the competitive admissions processes at colleges is important. Expanding opportunities at the high school, vocational school, and AP/Dual Enrollment is critical to helping students achieve their goals and leave the district prepared for their future. I supported these expansions during my term on the board and will continue to support growing opportunities for students. 

• Special Education, 504, Title 1, Title 3

Of all the areas I focus on as a Board member, this is the one I am most passionate about. I believe every student deserves meaningful access to an education that allows them to learn, grow, and reach their potential. For students with disabilities, that means ensuring their right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and providing the services, accommodations, and supports identified through the IEP or 504 process. For students receiving Title I or Title III services, it means identifying and removing the academic, language, and other barriers that can interfere with their success.

This is personal to me. I am the parent of children with learning differences, so I understand these systems not only from the Board table, but from the other side of the table as a parent. I know how important it is for families to feel heard, respected, and included in decisions about their children. I also know how much of a difference the right support, provided by the right person at the right time, can make in a child's educational experience. Professionally, much of my work in higher education is also centered on removing barriers to learning and creating educational environments where students with different needs have meaningful opportunities to succeed.

I am especially committed to maintaining full-time paraprofessionals in our schools because I have seen their impact firsthand. My own child had absolutely amazing paraprofessionals during her elementary school years who changed the trajectory of her experience there. They understood her needs, encouraged her, provided consistency, and knew when she needed support and when she needed to be encouraged toward greater independence. Our family will never forget the difference they made in her life. That experience has shaped the way I look at these positions as a Board member. Paraprofessionals are not simply positions on a staffing chart or an easy place to find savings when budgets become difficult. They are an important part of the team supporting our students, teachers, and classrooms, and I fully support maintaining these positions.

Supporting our students also means investing in qualified staff and making sure the people working with these populations have the appropriate training, certifications, and resources. I support continued access to basic skills instruction, resource room and small-group instruction, behavioral and academic supports, and opportunities for staff to pursue additional training and credentials in areas such as ESL, Orton-Gillingham (OG), and Wilson. I also support parent academies and other opportunities that help families better understand programs, services, and the resources available to their children.

As student needs change, we must continue evaluating whether we have the right professionals and supports in place. That includes special education teachers, paraprofessionals, RBTs, school psychologists, guidance counselors, interventionists, and other specialists who work directly with students and support the educators serving them every day.

More than 25% of our school community falls within these populations. These are not simply programs, classifications, or numbers on a budget spreadsheet. They are students with individual strengths, challenges, and tremendous potential. It is important to have Board members who understand the laws and processes, ask informed questions, listen to families, support our educators and specialists, and recognize the difference that appropriate services can make in a student's life.

My goal has never been for Manchester to simply meet the minimum requirements or check a compliance box. I want us to continually ask what our students need to be successful and how we can remove unnecessary barriers to their education. Even as we face difficult financial decisions, I believe we must protect the people, services, and supports that make it possible for every student to have a meaningful opportunity to succeed.

• Enrichment Opportunities & Athletics

Learning should not be restricted to the four walls of a classroom. Students also learn by experiencing the world around them, discovering new interests, developing talents, and finding places where they feel connected to their school community. I believe we should continue expanding opportunities for students to participate in art, music, STEM, clubs, field trips, career-focused experiences, and other activities that allow them to explore interests beyond their regular coursework.

Athletics are an important part of that experience as well. Ensuring that students have opportunities to participate and compete helps build teamwork, confidence, discipline, school pride, and a sense of belonging. Not every student will find their passion or their greatest success in the same place, which is why providing a variety of opportunities matters.

During my time on the Board, I've had the pleasure of watching newer programs and athletic opportunities grow, including eSports, Girls Wrestling, and Girls Flag Football. I want to continue supporting opportunities like these while preserving the art, music, athletics, clubs, field trips, and enrichment programs our students already value.

Even as we face increasing financial pressures, I believe enrichment opportunities should remain an important part of the conversation. When budgets become tighter, it can be tempting to focus only on what schools are required to provide. I believe our students deserve more than the bare minimum. A strong school experience should give every student the opportunity to discover something they enjoy, develop their strengths, and feel that they are part of their school community.

• Mental Health & Trauma-Informed Practices

 Supporting the academic, behavioral, social, and emotional needs of students is an important part of creating schools where all students have the opportunity to succeed. As student needs have evolved, the district has worked to strengthen and expand the professionals and services available to support them. This includes growing positions and resources such as Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), guidance counselors, school psychologists, and other specialized support staff who work directly with students, families, and educators.

These professionals provide important behavioral, academic, and social-emotional supports while also helping teachers and staff respond effectively to individual student needs. Continuing to evaluate where additional support is needed, connecting families with appropriate resources, and investing in services that allow students to receive support as early as possible remain important priorities. By building a strong network of student support services, we can help students overcome barriers, remain engaged in their education, and reach their full potential.

• Addressing our shrinking Budget

During my six years on the Board of Education, I have watched our enrollment decline, our demographics shift, and our school leaders continually adapt to meet the changing needs of our students. At the same time, the financial resources available to do that work have become increasingly constrained.

After sitting through six full years of budget meetings, I have learned just how quickly a roughly $60 million budget is committed to expenses the district has limited ability to control. Dramatic increases in health insurance costs, including the financial pressures associated with the state health benefits system, rising operational costs, contractual obligations, transportation, special education, and other mandated expenses leave a much smaller portion of the budget available for the day-to-day needs of our schools than the overall budget number might suggest. New Jersey's school funding formula adds another layer of complexity, particularly for districts like Manchester as enrollment and demographics change.

As Board President, I have supported our district in taking these concerns beyond the board table. We have sent letters to county officials and state legislators advocating on behalf of Manchester and calling attention to the financial pressures affecting our schools, including rising costs and issues related to state funding and health benefits. I believe part of our responsibility as a Board is to make sure Manchester's concerns are heard by the officials whose decisions directly affect our students, staff, schools, and taxpayers. 

The state's preschool expansion funding has helped relieve some pressure while allowing Manchester to expand opportunities for our youngest learners. However, the next several years will bring additional challenges, including continued increases in costs, changes in state funding, and new housing and development that may affect both enrollment and the needs of our community.

For me, fiscal responsibility cannot simply mean cutting positions, reducing services, or providing students with the bare minimum. I believe we have a responsibility to protect the people and programs that directly support our students while also respecting the taxpayers who fund our schools. I do not want short-term budget solutions that create long-term problems by eliminating staff or supports that our students and teachers rely upon.

That means asking difficult questions, examining spending carefully, advocating for fair funding, and supporting our administration and business office in finding creative and sustainable solutions. My priority is to make sure Manchester remains financially responsible while continuing to provide our students with the staff, programs, opportunities, and support they need to succeed, not simply what we are required to provide at a minimum.

Both of my kids changed me as a person and the way I view the world. They have taught me so much about empathy, advocacy, and commitment. 

I met my stepson Robbie when he was just three. He was this funny, wild child with a massive vocabulary who had enough energy to power a building. He struggled in school when he was younger. Now, he has grown into a kind and caring young man who is still funny, energetic, and gets along with everyone. 

My daughter Ally is the smartest and most animated person I have ever met and she is only 12. She has autism and from the time she was around two, she struggled in daycare settings and socially. That was a really hard time for our family and it caused me to stop working for a while. It wasn’t until she had the incredible opportunity to attend MTSD for their Pre-k disabled program that made the biggest impact on her life. She has come such a long way and I am forever grateful for every teacher, paraprofessional, and staff member who has worked with her throughout the years and shown her empathy and love. 

Public school employees have some of the hardest and most important jobs in our society and I believe it is important that parents engage with their children's education and partner with their child's school.