On April 1, 2025, elections were held for the LT Board of Education (BOE) to fill the four vacancies for the next term. 

“There are a lot of new things that are happening.” BOE Vice President Tim Albores said.“I think having new people and new fresh ideas will continue to make our organization strong.”  

Five candidates ran for the board: Christine Kozelka Campbell, Shawn Kennedy, Elias Lopez, Arlene Cabana, and Gioia Giannotti Frye ran for reelection. Kozelka Campbell, Kennedy, Lopez, and Giannotti Frye were elected to the board and were sworn in on April 28. 

“I think we’ve done amazing things, and I think that work has to continue to move forward,” Albores said. 

Albores is in his second year on the board, initially serving as the secretary before moving to vice president. During his first term, LT was rated Exemplary for the first time based on a holistic statewide rating system that looks at academic, testing, and administrative factors, something the board is looking to continue.

“[That rating is earned] with a lot of work by the district administration, the teachers, [and] the paraprofessionals,” Albores said. “That work is not done by any individual, it’s really done by the whole school community and parents.” 

As the new board takes office, there are various issues that will need to be addressed, Albores said. The board will have to tackle the sale of LT’s property in Willow Springs, as well as maintaining the rigor of classes under state mandates. The board will also work to continue the construction that has already begun with the building of a new SC cafeteria. 

“[I want to] ensure that students have access to a wide variety of learning experiences and [make] sure that LT’s facilities are modernized to attract the best teachers and retain them to benefit our students,” Kozelka Campbell said.

Kozelka Campbell, who received the highest percentage of votes at 22%, grew up in the area and returned to spend her adult years here. She currently runs Gemini Gymnastics Academy, a local gymnastics gym that provides both recreational and competitive gymnastics classes.  

“I love kids, and my life’s work has been doing good things for kids,” Kozelka Campbell said. “I have two current LT students, and my youngest child will be in the class of 2031. That, coupled with the fact that I am an LT graduate and I just love the school, [made] it seem like a natural choice to run.”

During her campaign, Kozelka Campbell participated in a League of Women Voters forum that was videotaped and published on the League’s website. She also answered a questionnaire from the Patch and participated in an open candidate forum at the Township of Lyons. While Kozelka Campbell has never served on a school board, her husband has served on the D102 school board for the past eight years. She also has previous experience in capital projects through her work at Gemini Gymnastics Academy. 

“[I am excited to learn] about LT on a more intimate level to really understand the inner workings of the school,” Kozelka Campbell said. 

Three members of the board will not be returning: current president Jill Grech, Paula Struwing, and Michael Thomas. The previous board oversaw an era of rising test scores, which helped bump LT into the Exemplary category for the first time. 

“I will definitely miss the work that we had together and the challenges, discussions, and debates,” Albores said. “I will miss their intellect.”