By Sam Levitt
“It was important to continue with Forman as president because we need to continue the path we're on,” said Mansdorf, who served as the president of the Lawrence school board in 2006 and 2007.
Forman was re-elected as president at the board’s reorganization meeting on July 7 and will enter his third year as board president. Mansdorf will fill the role of vice president, a position previously held by board trustee Dr. David Sussman.
“We have a track record of educational excellence with fiscal responsibility and we hope to continue that this year,” Forman said. “We can’t slip back to the days where budgets were not passed and school boards did not invest in buildings.”
Mansdorf explained that schools are normally independent from the villages which they are housed in, but that he hopes to change this during his tenure as vice president of the board. “There is no relationship with the Lawrence school district and the village, but we’d like to change that,” Mansdorf said. “That type of relationship should exist.”
He added that he hopes the board will attempt to improve education not only for Lawrence students who have been successful, but also for students who have struggled in school.
“Principals and administrators know that they have full support from the board,” Mansdorf said. “Strong leadership lets them know that when they make sound decisions, we will back them up.”
