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’ve completed 3 years of NJSBA school board training and continue to participate in training and professional development opportunities to do my best to represent the community.

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 Academies 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

Ensuring that all students are provided their Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) is critical to their success. Students deserve to be supported and to have barriers removed from their education--this is my own philosophy as both a parent to children who have learning differences and as someone who removes barriers from education as part of my professional career. Improving this category includes working as a team between school and home, making sure that staff working with these populations have the appropriate training and certifications, providing basic skills instruction, resource room/small group instruction, hosting parent academies, and sending staff to get additional credentials in areas such as ESL, OG, and Wilson. More than 20% of our school community falls within this category and it is important to have board members who understand the issues, the process, and supports students and their families. 

• Enrichment Opportunities 

Learning is more than being restricted to the walls of a school. Students learn from experiencing the world and engaging with it. This includes everything from expanding opportunities for students to participate in activities that interest them in areas like art, music, STEM, and athletics to taking more field trips.  

• Mental Health & Trauma-Informed Practices

The pandemic impacted everyone including students, staff, and families. Since returning to school, there has been a rise in mental health issues, substance abuse, and other behaviors. Addressing these issues is important. Some things that the district is working on are: making this a priority in the strategic plan to address issues directly over the next 3 years, planning for additional support staff (i.e. Additional SAC Counselor to address substance abuse), providing wellness activities for staff, and connecting families to resources. 

• Addressing our shrinking Budget

During my three years on the BOE, I have watched our enrollment decline, demographics shift, and our school leaders try to adapt to meet the needs of every student. I’ve seen things like health insurance premiums skyrocket and unforeseen financial obligations spread across our school budget. After sitting through three full years of budget meetings, I’ve seen how a $60M budget gets sliced away with only a small percentage of it funding the day-to-day necessities within the schools. I’ve seen how our school funding formula leaves much to be desired. While the Pre-k expansion grant from the state helped alleviate some of the pressures on the budget, the next few years will bring other factors from rising costs to new housing projects that will further impact school funding and require the board to support the district's business administrator in finding creative solutions.

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 9. 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.