Lisa Smith for Jenkintown School Board

11/04/2025

Come see us at the polls! Hanging with Nina

11/03/2025

Happy (almost) Election Day to my Jenkintown neighbors and beyond!

I'm asking that you make it to the polls (if you have not already mailed in a ballot) to vote in the election on Tuesday, November 4th.

First and foremost, this election is extremely important with regard to the sanctity of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The three Justices up for a retention vote worked tirelessly to prevent illegal gerrymandering efforts meant to skew election results towards disproportionate Republican representation in primarily Democratic areas. In order to protect Pennsylvania women's autonomy rights, and the rights of every Pennsylvanian moving forward, these Justices, endorsed by the nonpartisan Pennsylvania Bar Association as well as Governor Shapiro, must be retained. Our Supreme Court not only influences matters directly on behalf of Pennsylvania residents, but also has potential impact on any potentially contested 2028 election results. It is vital that the Supreme Court maintains the same high standards as we approach that election.

Additionally, if you are Jenkintown Borough local, I would also ask that you consider casting your vote for me and my JDC endorsed running mates, Jason, Jonathan and Laura. We have intense work ahead to attract and hire a new superintendent in a thoughtful, focused and collaborative manner. I have faith that all three of my running mates will continue to maintain their professionalism, holding the district's best interests even above their own. This, along with the ability to maintain fidelity to district procedures, balancing transparent communication with the need to protect confidential personnel and student information, is vital in securing the best future leadership for our district. This is a difficult task, but I believe that my running mates have already exhibited grace under extreme pressure, and will continue to do so.

I also hope that you will cast a vote for me, in order to continue this work I began four years ago. If you know me well, you know that I love to explain things, to bridge both knowledge and service gaps and try and bring people together even when they disagree. It is difficult not to always be able to explain our processes or even my own intentions, but it is necessary for the safety and integrity of our school community as well as the sanctity of our financial standing, neither of which I am willing to risk for my own whim. If you have ever had to bite your tongue when you had much to say, you may understand what the past four years have felt like for me at times. And yet even still, the work of ever improving The School District of Jenkintown is important enough to me that I'm willing to continue, despite the occasional frustration.

During this election season, beginning with the primaries, you may have seen me, along with my counterparts, sending literature, knocking on doors, holding large scale events and small coffee clutches in order to learn more, and reach more community members. I personally try to be everywhere, not as a campaign tactic, but because I am an active member of this community, I enjoy being a part of it and being accessible to people. You may have seen me at the recent chili cook-off, or the summer music series, selling tickets on behalf of the theater department (even after my children have long since graduated), at sporting events, Renaissance night, fundraising events for the Legacy Park Project and the Breathing Room Foundation, as well as both elementary and the high school activities and of course, Color Day (Go Blue!). I'm there because I can't imagine NOT being there. Jenkintown is my home.

I'm running for re-election because I care about your children; I care about this community, and I want to ensure that we are creating the highest
data-driven standards in order to support the educational success and well being of all students. I believe that Jenkintown School District is the cornerstone of this community, whether you have current students, future students, Jenkintown graduates, or have never and will never have a child enrolled in the school. Our community depends on the school district's success in order for Jenkintown Borough to thrive - in our home values, in our traditions and in our identity as a borough.

If you still want to chat, there is still time. I will be at the polls all day tomorrow, Tuesday November 4th, mostly in Ward 2 and 4. Please make a point in saying hello, asking a question, or voicing your opinion. I'm always happy to talk about our initiatives and the things that we have been able to accomplish in just the 4 short years that I have been on the board.

And most importantly, don't forget to turn your ballot over and vote YES to retain our three Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justices.

Thank you.

10/18/2025

Please consider joining us for the Jenkintown Democrats Fundraiser on Thursday, October 23rd. RSVP here:

https://www.mobilize.us/montgomerycountydemocraticcommittee/event/852651/?rname=Lisa&share_context=event_details&share_medium=copy_link

09/30/2025

Proud to be a sponsor for our Jenkintown Democratic fundraiser this year. Please consider attending!

09/23/2025

05/20/2025

I voted! You should too 💙💙

05/19/2025

Election Day is THIS TUESDAY, MAY 20th!

I'm asking that you consider voting for me on Tuesday so that I can continue the work that we have begun to accomplish in the four years that I have served on the board. This includes:

- Advocating for the collection of baseline data in order to analyze our academic progress, engagement in extracurricular activities, and sense of belonging in the school community by both students and staff. This data can and will be used to inform policy, procedure and decision making down the line.

- We oversaw the creation of a standardized curriculum - a first for our district - in a fiscally creative way. We used local resources to ensure that we had the ability to fund this initiative, but also had outside experts from Penn guide us in ensuring that the curriculum was equitable and diverse.

- Additionally, we created the new administrative role of HR Director and Curriculum Consultant, ensuring that such curriculum has focused oversight and can be continuously evaluated and enhanced over time. The HR function was added to this role in order to increase support to our existing staff, as well as to improve outreach efforts for new staff, particularly those that would be more representative of our student body.

- As a board, we began a focused communication campaign in initiating the Board Brief newsletter and highlighting our progress towards our District Goals at the beginning of every board meeting. Our hope was that we could reach community members who are unable to attend meetings in a succinct and meaningful way - you can find copies of past newsletters on our website.

- Finally, we responded to the emergent needs of the community by holding open forums around such things as COVID, the SPS fire, the proposed electronics policy, the expansion of our footprint (with donor funding, no less) and the Legacy Park project.

These last issues are ongoing, and require a unified approach with our stakeholders from Jenkintown, Montgomery County and State and Local governments. Without a thoughtful and collaborative approach, we are in a less desirable position to obtain the grants and donations necessary to move these projects forward. Our community needs to be cohesive, not divisive, in order to enhance the school in the most fiscally responsible way.

I'm also asking that you consider a vote for my running mates, Jonathan, Jason and Laura, who share the same vision, and whom I believe will serve with integrity, collaboration and commitment. They have extensive expertise in law, real estate, fundraising and collaboration with stakeholders. We four candidates also have a long history of dedication to Democratic values, with many years of experience in public service and volunteerism, including for the Democratic Party and all of its tenants.

All of these candidates approached this campaign in the spirit of collaboration by speaking with existing board members first. They asked questions, clarified their understanding of what board members can and cannot do, and enthusiastically offered their free time and energy in order to improve this community. They know what they're signing up for and are promising nothing but their commitment, their willingness to listen to feedback in a private and ethical manner, and above all, to always act in a way that will always reflect positively on our school community and to the talented future staff that we hope to attract as time goes on. They are already acting in the spirit of collaboration, and will only continue to do so, because whether we agree or disagree, in order for the board to function we need to work TOGETHER - not always with the same opinion of course, but together nonetheless.

It is for these reasons, and more that we are the ONLY four candidates that have been endorsed to not just by the Jenkintown Democratic Committee, but also Napoleon Nelson and Madeline Dean, who share our vision.

In strengthening our schools, we strengthen the whole of our community, including for those who have never attended our schools or have already moved on. Because our home values, and our borough's identity are fundamentally entwined with the success of our school district.

There are four candidates with the greatest skill set to work successfully and collaboratively towards this vision - myself, Jonathan, Jason and Laura.

Please consider voting for all four of us on this coming election day, Tuesday, May 20th, and no matter what happens, let's join in hoping for a cohesive vision on behalf of our children, who are the future of Jenkintown, and beyond.

05/18/2025

I believe I am already speaking to many people who are firm believers in the Democratic process, who care about Jenkintown, and especially Jenkintown schools.

Right now, I'm here to ask you to come out and vote THIS TUESDAY, MAY 20th, not just for our school board primary, but for every ballot position that impacts our community, our region and our state.

I am running on the belief that our bylaws, rules and regulations, including the willingness to protect the privacy of the students and staff at Jenkintown School District at all times, were developed in the best interest of the community at large, and must be upheld at all times. There are times when doing so is and has been difficult, when I've been asked to let these important foundations slide, even just a little - when chatting with friends or responding to the community. These are the most difficult times, and also the most important to remember that we are not here to serve ourselves, but to uphold established processes in the greater interest of the community.

I'm running for reelection on the school board, not because it's "fun" (trust me, it almost never is) but because I believe in the children of Jenkintown and I want to create an environment for them to thrive - for all of them, regardless of their academic track or athletic prowess or artistic talent, but for each child to find success, safety and stability in our schools. Those ideals have sometimes been at odds with what might be best for my own child, or for my best friend's child, but I am sworn to consider the needs of every child in this community, and I believe I have upheld that oath over the past 4 years.

In strengthening our schools, I believe that I am strengthening the whole of our community, including for those who have never attended our schools or have already moved on. Because our home values, and our borough's identity are fundamentally entwined with the success of our school district.

I'm asking that you consider voting for me on Tuesday so that I can continue the work that we have begun to accomplish in the four years that I have served on the board. I'm also asking that you consider a vote for my running mates, Jonathan, Jason and Laura, who share the same vision, and whom I believe will serve with integrity, collaboration and commitment.

We four candidates all have a long history of dedication to Democratic values, with many years of experience in public service and volunteerism, including for the Democratic Party and process. It is for these reasons, and more that we are the ONLY four candidates that have been endorsed to not just by the Jenkintown Democratic Committee, but also Napoleon Nelson and Madeline Dean, who share our vision.

We have many things to look forward to as a district, including the possibility to improve our grounds with the Legacy Park project, and our potentially expanded footprint, which can allow us to expand and support our extracurricular offerings, which again, in turn, supports our students.

In order to accomplish these goals, we will need to work collaboratively with not just our school community, but with our partners in local, state and federal government in order to attract donors and grants. Our community needs to be cohesive, not divisive, in order to enhance the school in the most fiscally responsible way.

I believe that there are four candidates with the greatest skill to work successfully and collaboratively towards this vision - myself, Jonathan, Jason and Laura. Please consider voting for all four of us on this coming election day, Tuesday, May 20th, and no matter what happens, let's join in hoping for a cohesive vision on behalf of our children, who are the future of Jenkintown, and beyond.

05/14/2025

As election day grows near I would like to speak some final words with regard to the upcoming school board primary and the choices that our community need to make on behalf of the district.

First, with regard to my endorsed running mates, Jason, Laura and Jonathan, I have the utmost respect and admiration. All three of these candidates made a commitment to pledge their talents, time and commitment to the community in which we live. Additionally, each one of these candidates reached out to board members and to the Jenkintown Democratic Committee to ask what being a board member entailed, and to learn about the challenges as well as the rewards of giving of themselves in order to create a stronger community for not just their own children, but for all of the children of Jenkintown. They bring to the table thoughtful and reasonable approaches to solving problems, with a history of collaboration, team building and solution focused planning that I truly believe will benefit this town.

There has been quite a bit of public commentary with regard to the status of our superintendent. As frustrating as it may feel to hear, the fact that the community is unaware of the status of any performance evaluation or feedback regarding the superintendent and other staff members, or about identifying information regarding students, means that the board has upheld its requirement to maintain the privacy of such matters. To suggest that any other person could or would respond differently is either inaccurate, or, if true, would open up the district to significant legal and financial liability. This is absolutely not a risk that I am willing to take.

I've spent the last 4 years working to improve communication and collaboration with stakeholders, enhance equitable and data driven practice, uphold educational standards and increase student engagement and opportunity, all while balancing our financial burden to the community. It is imperfect work, but we have made some great strides in that timeframe and laid the groundwork for continuing to work together towards a stronger future.

The board is made up of nine community members, all volunteering their time and energy towards one singular purpose: the well-being of the school community. We do not always agree, but I hope that you have noticed that we are all working together towards that same goal.

I'm hoping to continue the work that we've started by modeling the same high standards that we expect from our students - integrity, respect and fidelity to the district processes that I swore to uphold.

When you return your ballot or show up at the polls on May 20th, you are electing someone to work towards that same common goal, in cooperation with the other eight board members. I hope you'll consider voting not just for me, but for Jason, Laura and Jonathan. They have already shown that they are able to work collaboratively with others by the way in which they approached this election, and the way that they have maintained their integrity throughout.

Thank you, and Go Blue!

05/13/2025

I wanted to share some important and exciting news that was announced at the board meeting last evening, May 12th, and was emailed out to the school community earlier today. In case you missed it:
_________

Dear School Community,

At last evening's Work Session of the Board, two donations to The School District of Jenkintown were announced. First, a donation was made by SPS Technologies for $200,000 as a goodwill gesture for our hardship as a result of the fire this past February. This by no means releases SPS from future responsibilities and clean up efforts, but demonstrates their commitment, as a community partner, to support our schools.

Secondly, Reverend Mitchell, pastor of Salem Baptist Church, announced that they are committed to working with the District to explore the potential sale of their property, adjacent to our site. To this end, we have secured an anonymous donor, who has committed funding the purchase of this property for our District. This exciting possibility would expand our footprint and afford upgraded facilities for our students. As we move closer to this goal, we will hold a community forum to discuss further details and seek community input.

These donations are very much appreciated and will go a long way in facility upgrades and improvements. We are providing these updates in order to keep the community informed on progress we have made in seeking external funding to support our District. The School Board has not yet voted on the property purchase, nor has it announced any tax increases related to the property. As we move forward, we will continue to keep our community abreast of any future developments.

Sincerely,

Jill A. Takacs, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools