Michael D. Clark reports:
For some area school board members, getting an inside look at a school requires scheduling an appointment and first-time introductions with teachers.
But not for veteran school volunteer and newly elected Lakota school board member Julie Shaffer. She only needs to keep showing up to help at Lakota schools, where she is a familiar face.
Shaffer is also a first-time, public office holder – having garnered the top vote tally in November’s election among five candidates for Lakota’s governing board.
Her surprising and near immediate rise to power as the recently appointed vice president on the five-member board now provides her a macro perspective, in addition to her micro experience as a volunteer.
“I thought I could bring a different perspective” to the board, says the mother of three Lakota students. “I started to get involved volunteering because I didn’t like some of the things I was seeing in our schools. Instead of standing by, I chose to work toward making a positive difference.”
Voters in the Butler County district, which is the second largest in Southwest Ohio and the seventh largest in the state, have rejected three school tax hikes since 2010.
A corporate veteran and business consultant with experience in finance, auditing and employee benefits, Shaffer ran out of concern about Lakota’s on-going financial woes and the impact they may have on the academically top-rated district. Recent years have seen the district cut millions of dollars and now district officials are planning more budget cuts to offset a $9 million shortfall projected for next school year.
“I’m a data-driven decisionmaker who is going to look at the whole picture prior to making a decision on any individual component,” Shaffer says.
Periodic infighting among Lakota board members last year had created a split among some members over some issues. The surprise approval by fellow members last month of Shaffer to board vice president was – in part – a result of those conflicts.
Lakota’s recent tax campaigns have been among the most contentious in the region, with opposition organized to a degree seldom found in other Greater Cincinnati communities.
Some public impressions of the elected board including its occasional public conflicts have already surprised her, Shaffer says.
“The board has had its challenges. But there are some people who truly believe the board is making decisions to be punitive,” she says.
“It’s important for everyone to understand where the whole board stands when they (members) make a decision,” she says.
Lakota Board of Education President Ben Dibble, who has publicly acknowledged last year’s board conflicts and has called for greater cooperation, says Shaffer “brings her broad base of knowledge and connections, as well as a fresh perspective” to the board leadership.
“For years Julie has worked as a volunteer in Lakota’s schools and with levy efforts. This has given her a broad base of knowledge about the concerns of our parents and our community,” says Dibble. “Julie has also been an active member of the Lakota Finance Committee, contributing her employee benefits expertise to discussions. This involvement has provided her with …a very good understanding of the district.”
Lakota’s recent tax campaigns have been among the most contentious in the region, with opposition organized to a degree seldom found in other Greater Cincinnati communities.Some public impressions of the elected board including its occasional public conflicts have already surprised her, Shaffer says.
“The board has had its challenges. But there are some people who truly believe the board is making decisions to be punitive,” she says.
“It’s important for everyone to understand where the whole board stands when they (members) make a decision,” she says.
Lakota Board of Education President Ben Dibble, who has publicly acknowledged last year’s board conflicts and has called for greater cooperation, says Shaffer “brings her broad base of knowledge and connections, as well as a fresh perspective” to the board leadership.
“For years Julie has worked as a volunteer in Lakota’s schools and with levy efforts. This has given her a broad base of knowledge about the concerns of our parents and our community,” says Dibble. “Julie has also been an active member of the Lakota Finance Committee, contributing her employee benefits expertise to discussions. This involvement has provided her with …a very good understanding of the district.”
Posted in: Board of Education, Schools |
