Running for election in 2021 for the Board of Education (BOE), Michael Thomas ‘85 set history for District 204 as the first African American to represent Lyons Township’s broader community. Now, nearly a year after his resignation, his impact still shows in belonging at LT.

“It was time to have a change of voices,” Thomas said. “It’s crucial that people are [heard], and [it is] important to see [diversity] in the board room.”

In the graduating class of 1985, Thomas enjoyed his four years at LT, while also acknowledging a struggle for representation with many minorities. One of the few examples of inequity was during his senior year, when he and several other black students were overwhelmingly encouraged to attend junior colleges by counselors.

“One thing that made my experience different was [my] passion to prove others wrong,” Thomas said. “I was determined that I wasn’t going to go to a junior college and ultimately was accepted to a number of four-year colleges.”

With both his parents graduating in the mid 1960s from LT and his son graduating in 2022, deep roots were embedded in his community, and he knew that he wanted to give back. In 2021, the death of George Floyd, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other social issues called for representation. During his four-year tenure, big changes occurred, like the homework policy addressing learning loss post-COVID, the curriculum addition of African American Studies, and the installation of an equity director.

“I was not [only] looking to help others from a broader [perspective] but also helping others understand the lens of minority students [[who] may not always have a voice [or] an impact on policy decisions that [are] being made,” Thomas said.

Superintendent Brian Waterman has added required student voices in community council committees, while Student Equity & Belonging Director Jennifer Rowe has created student advisory committees focused on belonging. The equity committee’s efforts now include annual culture and identity presentations for Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month. As of 2025, certified educators of color have increased from a 2021 baseline of 6.6% to 9.6%. With specialized roles (including Special Education, ESL/Bilingual, and more) among staff rising from 16.8% to 25.6%, creating diversity and inclusivity not just amongst race but also abilities.

“I can feel LT is making an effort to help 4students be able to open up about experiences respectfully to make a better community at LT,” Student Equity and Belonging Committee member Anujin Lkhagvasuren ‘26 said. “I’ve learned with everything happening in our nation, it’s important we don’t enable a mindset of hostility because it can damage our community.”

Additionally, with the highest non-white population being Hispanic at 26%, the community has now elected Latino Elias Lopez to the Board of Education, after Thomas’s resignation. According to Patch, he emphasized in his campaign that diversity and belonging are the most important issues facing District 204. He promoted safe and accepting environments and shared previous experience that those changes in other districts had resulted in gains for the more and most vulnerable populations in learning environments. 

“Even when there’s no representation [it’s usually said] that all students [are] in mind,” Thomas said. “I hope that I’ve been able [to] help articulate experiences hard for people to digest, [and] that I’ve been able to show other people compassion.”