On the eve of the election, the Lakewood Board of Education welcomed both of the city’s state politicians, State Rep. Nickie Antonio, D-13, and State Sen. Michael J. Skindell, D-23, to honor eight Lakewood High School students for their work in the classroom Monday at Harrison Elementary School.

About 1.5 million students competed in the National Merit Scholarship program, and LHS was home to five students who placed in the top 5 percent, and three in the top 1 percent.

“My hope is that they go off, get a wonderful education, and then they come back home,” Antonio said. “We need you to help us continue to have Lakewood be a wonderful place to call home.”

The students who placed in the top 5 percent, and earned the honor of Commended Scholars, were Nina Pizzo, Annalisa Perez, Matthew Sims, Mick Jones and James Matthiesen. Katherine Reading, Derek Dashiell and Ryan Cleary are the semifinalists who placed in the top 1 percent.

But that’s not all the board was up to Monday night.

Board member Betsy Shaughnessy reported the district has spent more than $6.5 million from its general fund this fiscal year on the Long Range Fiscal Master Plan, and has earned more than $9 million in investment earnings since the project began.

“These are well within our expectations and the five-year forecast,” she said.

Moved to second reading was a motion brought by board member Ed Favre for the purchase of a new truck to plow snow. The 2012 Ford F-350 would replace the district’s 1994 Chevrolet ¾ ton pickup, and cost $31,774, including the plow and the blade, at Valley Ford Truck, Inc. in Cleveland.

“Anybody who knows anything about snow removal knows a 17-year-old truck isn’t going to plow too much more snow,” Favre said.

According to Ford’s website, a 2012 F-350 starts at $29,785.