Submitted by Angela Perry
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — Palm Beach County native and education attorney, Corey M. Smith, has announced his candidacy to represent District 7 of the Palm Beach County School Board (PBCSB). His campaign focuses on three main pillars: strengthening the school-to-workforce pipeline; improving early childhood academic success for increased elementary school achievement; and re-prioritizing educator and student mental health and well-being.
“As a graduate of Palm Beach Lakes High, and a former educator, this is more than just a race for an open school board seat. For me, it is an opportunity to serve and shape a system that continues to shape me and continues to shape my children. As a father of four, three of whom are in PBC public schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, I want the best not only for my children, but for everyone’s children who may not have the background and knowledge that I’ve been blessed with. With almost two decades of experience as an education attorney, I am uniquely qualified to keep our school district moving in the right direction,” expressed PBCSB District 7 candidate, Corey M. Smith. “My career has proven that I stand for the marginalized of society. It has allowed me a unique understanding of educational issues confronting the district 7 community and I have a proven history of working within our school system to improve the lives of our students.”
Smith is the founder and president of the Law Office of Corey M. Smith, P.A., located in West Palm Beach. He concentrates his practice on Education and Criminal Defense. He is a native of the City of Riviera Beach and was amongst the first in his family to graduate from college. Smith earned a B.A. in Political Science from Morehouse College and was a teacher in Palm Beach County, working in an At-Risk program for middle school students. He then earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida, returned home, and began his legal career as an Assistant Public Defender, gaining significant trial experience while representing the indigent, the overlooked, and the left out. He then returned to the School District of Palm Beach County as an Associate Counsel, beginning his practice as an education attorney. There he managed cases involving student rights and employee relations and assisted in the development and implementation of policies on various issues, such as student rights and due process, student discipline, and charter school oversight. He also performed trainings on these issues and provided real time, day-to-day advice to school and district administrators.
As a public servant, Smith has been a member of the governing board of Inlet Grove High School, where he collaborated closely with educators, administrators, community members, and students. He has also served in an elected capacity, as a member of the Thousand Oaks Community Development District, Seat 3 where he worked collaboratively with other board members to keep taxes low and services at a premium. He also currently serves as a Special Magistrate in the City of Riviera Beach, presiding over code enforcement and unsafe buildings cases.
His experience in the education system expands to k-12 finance, approving budgets, overseeing audits, Sunshine law, ethics issues, managing faculty and staff, student rights issues and discipline, special education, curriculum, and general oversight of a public educational institution.
If elected to the school board, Smith plans to use his experience to fight for equity and representation for District 7 and all of Palm Beach County, and to partner with the community for innovative solutions to lingering problems.
