On Tuesday, May 11, voters from District 15 came out en force to show their support for Sol Blisko, Nachum Marcus, and David Sussman. It was a heated race as both sides had campaigned extensively utilizing various forms of media and the all important word of mouth to spread their message. In an unprecedented act of immaturity, 90% of the Blisko, Marcus, Sussman lawn signs were stolen on the Shabbos before the election. Undeterred, they continued to get the message out through other means.

And then the voters poured in. The District Clerk’s office had prepared meticulously and the polling sites were all well organized. The Number Six School had been reopened to once again serve as a polling location. Unlike in previous years, there were few lines due to the newly added machines. But the numbers tell the real story: Silverstein, DiLorio, and Reyes had a lead of 1,700 votes from Inwood and Atlantic Beach. Interestingly, these locations did show some small support for Blisko, Marcus, and Sussman as well and the growing number of Orthodox in Inwood is a demographic trend to be noted. Yet, Blisko, Sussman, and Marcus received overwhelming numbers in “Five Towns Proper,” particularly from the Middle School in Lawrence (where they received over 2,000 votes), the High School in Lawrence (where they received almost 800 votes), and the Number Six School (where they received over 1,600 votes). The library budget was approved by almost 4,000 votes while the school budget was approved by 3,528 votes.

Throughout the campaign, the school board members themselves worked tirelessly to lead the large team of volunteers who help in this yearly battle to decide the future of our children and our community. Nachum Marcus’s wife, Debra, wrote a telling article in the May 7 Five Towns Jewish Times about how their struggles to receive services for their special needs child inspired Nachum to serve on the school board and help create better conditions for all special needs children in the Lawrence community. Pleased by the election results, Nachum said, “I want to thank the electorate for showing their support and entrusting us with this job for another three years. I hope the strong mandate that we received from the public will put a stop to the frivolous lawsuits and fights so that we can work together for the good of the community and the children.” Congratulations to the newly reelected school board members and to the winners—all of us who stand to gain from having such intelligent, compassionate, and hard working leadership on our board.