By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
School board members Michael Horan and Laura Waters, whose terms are expiring, were honored by the Lawrence Township Board of Education at its last meeting of the year Wednesday.
Ms. Waters is completing her fourth term on the school board, and Mr. Horan is completing his first full three-year term. He was elected to an unexpired term, and then won election to a full term.
School board President Kevin VanHise thanked Ms. Waters, who he said served as a mentor to him and helped him when he joined the school board. The board will miss her contributions, he added.
“We just can’t adequately capture it in words. It would be a great honor to appoint you as honorary board president tonight. It is a position that you served in so well,” Mr. VanHise said.
“I’m not sure I remember how to do this,” Ms. Waters said as she switched seats with Mr. VanHise. She said that “it has been an honor in every way” to serve on the school board.
For the next couple of hours, Ms. Waters conducted the school board meeting, listening to public comment and calling for action on the “action items” on the school board agenda.
At the final opportunity for public comment, former school board member Leon Kaplan approached the podium. He was elected to serve with Ms. Waters and former school board member Bill Michaelson in 2004.
“Since I was here for Laura’s first term, it is reasonable to be here (as she finishes her last term),” said Mr. Kaplan, who served three terms on the school board.
Noting that Ms. Waters’ parents were educators and that two of her four children either teach or are involved in educational advocacy, Mr. Kaplan said that Ms. Waters, too, taught – by example.
“When Laura was on the school board, she tried to teach by example. She tried to teach me patience and tolerance,” Mr. Kaplan said. Ms. Waters chimed in and said that she “didn’t do too well.”
Turning serious, Mr. Kaplan said that educating all children has been Ms. Waters’ “first priority.” She recognized the importance of the public school district as a unifying force in the community.
As the school board president – a post she held for nine years – Ms. Waters sought to build consensus on the school board, he said.
Lawrence Township has been fortunate to have Ms. Waters on the school board, Mr. Kaplan said.
And as the father and grandfather of students in the Lawrence Township public school district, “I would personally like to thank you,” Mr. Kaplan said.
