This post is paid advertising by Dave Laudermilch for Palmyra School Board.

Two months ago, I announced my candidacy here on LebTown, and on this Tuesday, May 18, Palmyra residents will cast their vote on who they feel is best equipped to meet the challenges the district faces in the coming years.

The past year has been quite an experience in learning how the district operates and what obstacles it faces in providing a quality education for our children. I’ve been talking with residents over the past year, obviously much more so in the last two months. The people of Palmyra are smart, they have great questions and a unique insight into what makes this district such a success.

It’s one thing to talk about my vision and ideas about the district, but it’s been more important for me to learn and listen to what others think makes it worth serving. Hopefully you’ve heard me speak at a board meeting over the last year, or checked out my candidate page (@palmyravoices) on Facebook to find out more about me and how I think I can serve the district best. I’ve posted both the PennLive candidate survey, along with the responses to the PAEA survey as well. Those should really give you a good idea of what’s important to me in this race, and what you can expect from me as a board member.

I hope you’ve found me accessible, transparent and, agree or disagree, that I’ve answered your questions honestly. I’ll continue providing information on my candidate page to give residents insight into the financial condition the district is in and what kind of tax reform we need from Harrisburg to get tax relief in Palmyra.

I’ll also continue promoting all of the positive news about the district, like the recent high ranking given to the Palmyra High School from US News and World report. I’ve found that residents are looking for positive leadership from their candidates, not fear and misinformation. If you are looking for a thoughtful, forward looking vision for the Palmyra School Board, I hope you’ll consider voting for me on Tuesday May 18.

Regardless of who wins or loses on Tuesday, your children will remain in the excellent care of our district staff. While some policies or priorities may shift around, the teachers will still be there. The aides will still be there. The coaches will still be there. All cheering on and supporting our children every day no matter who sits on the board. To give you some insight into how much these devoted and relentlessly fierce advocates of our kids are, I wanted to share a link to a post that I often draw strength from whenever I question if I can even make a difference. If you want to know what makes the Palmyra School District such a special place worth every ounce of our effort, it’s dedication like this from the people that work there. We owe them so much more than can ever be given.