WestChesterBuzz.com

A spring tradition is under way as Lakota high school students, some clothed and some not, do battle in Nerf Wars on their neighborhood streets.

The annual event involves students pairing up in groups and chasing each other with Nerf guns. If shot, the student and his group is in jeopardy of being eliminated and therefore ineligible to win the cash prize or pot collected from the entrants.

At first glance, the game appears to be harmless, but Lakota administrators sent out an email to parents of both East and West high schools this week stressing that their child’s safety could be at risk.

According to the email, which was written together by Lakota West principal Elgin Card and Lakota East principal Suzanna Davis, students have been known to shoot each other from vehicles and participate in car chases during Nerf Wars.

Davis, who has been a Lakota administrator for eight years, said Nerf Wars has been around since she started working in the district. Both principals stressed that “Nerf Wars is not a school-sanctioned or organized event.”

“Any time your attention is not on the road, there is a possibility that something could happen.” Card said. “We don’t want any of our young people injured and we don’t want them injuring anybody else.”

Both Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones and West Chester Police Chief Erik Neihaus said that students could receive citations if they are driving dangerously.

“I don’t like it at all. Somebody will die or get injured,” Sheriff Jones said. “If (deputies) see someone shooting one of these toy guns out the window, somebody is going to get a citation. They will get points taken off their license and they might kill somebody.”

Another way Nerf War participants can find themselves on the wrong end of the law, is for public indecency. According to the game’s rules, a participant is “safe” from being shot if they are naked.

“If we see people, whether they are students or otherwise, engaging in public indecency, then that will be dealt with accordingly,” Chief Neihaus said. “It is a low-level misdemeanor crime, but it is one that we can make an arrest for.”

According to the email sent out to parents, some Lakota students were arrested last year when they were found nude after being involved in a traffic crash.

Casey Millisor, a junior at Lakota West, said when a shooter is approaching the victim can strip down and be “safe”.

“It looks fun, but it is super risky,” said Millisor, who has not participated in the event. “I have to give props to the people who do it. You have to be gusty to be out in the woods, naked, around adults and people they might work with.”

Millisor said Nerf Wars is open to seniors and juniors. Sophomores can participate if only invited by an upperclassman. Participants then have to pay-to-play and the group that wins takes the cash.

“I watched all my siblings do it and they had a blast,’’ Millisor said, “but just be careful because you can go too far. The police won’t say, ‘oh, they are just doing Nerf Wars, they can run around naked.’ The laws are still the laws. Rules are still rules.”

Still, parents are concerned for their children’s safety and innocence.

“It could be dangerous,” said Mark Fugate, who has two daughters who have graduated from Lakota East and another in eighth grade. “I am worried about my kids driving around and some kid taking their eyes off the road. Kids don’t need distractions as is.

“The naked part? I am not too happy about that. They shouldn’t be doing that.”

One of Fugate’s daughters, Sofey, who graduated from Lakota East in 2012, said she didn’t participate in the game and called it “ridiculous”.

“It was like a 24-hour thing. People would camp outside your house, waiting to shoot you,” said Sofey, who is attending Heidelberg University. “The only way you were safe is if you would take all your clothes off.”

Lakota is not the only district that participates in Nerf Wars. Tracey Carson, public information officer of the Mason School District, said Nerf Wars have taken place in that school district for about 10 years.

NERF WAR RULES

Participants are safe 30 minutes before and after their work shifts

Participants are safe if they are naked

Participants are safe while in people’s homes

Participants are safe on school grounds

Participants can be shot as soon as they leave school grounds

Participants are safe when in areas with private property signs

Participants are not necessarily eliminated if shot, but could be out for that round

Posted in: News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Elgin Card, Gary Elgin Card, Lakota East Nerf Wars, Lakota Nerf Wars, Lakota West Nerf Wars, Lakota West principal Elgin Card, Lakota West principal Gary Elgin Card, Nerf Wars

Janice Morse reports:

Principals at both Lakota high school warned parents on Tuesday: Don’t let your teen wind up in a dangerous – or embarrassing – predicament while playing “Nerf Wars.”

Lakota West High School principal Elgin Card and Lakota East High School principal Suzanna Davis sent emails to parents of both schools, hoping to head off problems that could arise from the game. Teens across the nation have been playing it in various forms since at least the 1980s.

Armed with Nerf dart guns, players stalk each other and shoot, sometimes while driving in cars – and apparently the game can involve disrobing completely, Card said. “Students have developed rules to avoid being ‘shot,’ which include situations such as being at school or being nude in public,” his email reads.

Such scenarios could land students in traffic crashes or legal trouble for trespassing or public indecency. Worse yet, a Nerf Wars player could be mistaken for a real gunman while running through yards and down streets, Card said. That could result in “dangerous consequences,” or an actual shooting, he said in an interview, adding, “that’s my biggest concern.”

In one incident last year or the year before, a group of Lakota West students was involved in a traffic crash, “and subsequently arrested for being nude at the time,” Card’s email said. “We want to avoid our students finding themselves in this type of legal situation.”

In addition, business owners have lodged complaints about “carloads of kids (some dressed, some not) in their parking lot,” Card wrote.

No specific incident this year prompted Card to send the advisory to parents, he said. Rather, Card said he decided to spread the word after learning that the local game “had already started,” and after receiving inquiries from parents and staff members.

Also, many parents may be unaware of the game – or, if they do know about it, they could mistakenly believe it is somehow associated with the school. It’s not. Card’s email tells parents: “Nerf Wars is NOT a school-sanctioned or organized event.”

Further, he says: “Lakota West does not condone this activity because of the heightened potential for bad decisions that could put kids in harm’s way. Anytime there are kids chasing other kids in cars, we are concerned.”

Card encourages parents to talk to their teens about the situation. “None of us want to see any of our students injured or in trouble,” he wrote.

Although students at a number of other schools, such as Sycamore High School in Hamilton County and Mason High School in Warren County, have been known to play the game, Card said he didn’t know whether any other local administrators have sent similar messages to parents.

Posted in: Crime, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Elgin Card, Gary Elgin Card, Lakota East Nerf Wars, Lakota Nerf Wars, Lakota West Nerf Wars, Lakota West principal Elgin Card, Lakota West principal Gary Elgin Card, Nerf Wars

Lakota lost principals at a high rate in 2012

WestChesterBuzz.com will count down the area’s top 12 stories of 2012 this month, concluding with West Chester’s most discussed topic of the year on Sunday, Dec. 30.

List of Lakota’s principals

Information taken from past articles written by Adam Kiefaber and Michael D. Clark

New changes within the Lakota school district like further teachers cuts, shorter school days for high school and junior high students, a healthier food menu for students, a pilot program to see how personal wireless devices like cell phones could help in the educational process and an influx of new school principals were among the fresh topics when school started Aug. 23, 2012.

In total, 10 of the school district’s 22 schools have new leaders. Many of those have been promoted within, replacing retired principals or others who have moved on to better paying positions in other school districts.

“Our new administrative team that we have in place, some of them have strong ties,” said Suzanna Davis, who is now the principal at Lakota East High School after being promoted from East’s freshman campus.

“Obviously, there is some history here in the district and they have done an outstanding job for us. They have been wonderful in terms of the culture of Lakota and being able to maintain those expectations.”

In addition to Davis, G. Elgin Card was promoted to lead Lakota West High School after previously serving as the principal of West’s Freshman Campus. Other new principals (full list above) include Brad Lovell (Creekside Early Childhood), Paulette Grady (Cherokee Elementary), Joanna Sears (Endeavor Elementary), Christina French (Hopewell Elementary), Ben Brown (Union Elementary), Eric Bauman (Liberty Junior), Stacy Millburg (Lakota East Freshman) and Jason Jackson (Lakota West Freshman).

While attrition fluctuation at any school district is an annual spring event, the extent at Lakota is unusually high in the district’s 55-year history, district officials said.

The leadership drain has officials at the academically top-rated school system worried.

“We have to put a tourniquet on this pretty quickly,” Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia said during a school board meeting in June.

Lakota, with 17,400 students, is the second-largest district in Southwest Ohio (behind Cincinnati Public Schools) and seventh-largest in the state. Lakota is the largest school system among Ohio’s 613 public districts to earn the state’s highest rating – “Excellent with Distinction.”

But historically deep budget cuts in response to a string of tax levy defeats have left Lakota scrambling financially, with less staffing and fewer resources – all reasons cited by departing principals, Mantia said, based on her exit interviews.

“The number one reason is the financial insecurity from the failure of levies,” said Mantia, citing comments from those departing for other jobs.

Another reason for some departures reflects well on Lakota, Mantia said, in reference to extensive training Lakota provides principals. Lakota principals are in demand, she said.

Thomas Ash, a 39-year-veteran of public schools and now director of governmental relations for Ohio’s Buckeye Association of School Administrators, said Lakota is not alone.

“The turnover in building principals reflects both increased opportunities and anticipated public retirement reforms,” said Ash. “This year, about 60 of the superintendent vacancies in Ohio were filled by former school principals.”

“In addition, I would anticipate more retirements throughout the education profession over the next couple of years because of probable changes impacting both cost-of-living allowances and actual pension benefits,’’ Ash said. “Since they will not receive the benefits that they had anticipated a few years ago, they are electing to leave education sooner than they had planned.”

Lakota’s veteran school board member Joan Powell shares Mantia’s concern and she said pay freezes for school administrators – as part of sweeping budget cuts – play a role.

“This exodus of administrators is troubling but not surprising. These individuals have experienced a decrease in their take-home pay over the last five years, while being asked to take on more responsibilities with fewer resources,” Powell said.

“While some turnover is to be expected and can actually keep the organization dynamic, there is a point where you can risk losing the sense of connection and direction.’

Posted in: Board of Education, Levy news, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Dr. Keith Kline, Elgin Card, Gary Elgin Card, Joan Powell, Karen Mantia, Keith Kline, Lakota East principal Dr. Keith Kline, Lakota East principal Keith Kline, Lakota Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia, Lakota West, Lakota West Freshman Campus, Lakota West principal Elgin Card, Lakota West principal Gary Elgin Card, Lakota West principal Richard Hamilton, Richard Hamilton, Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, superintendent Karen Mantia, West Chester top 12 stories of 2012, West Chester top stories of 2012

Lakota West and Lakota East principals get settled

Michael D. Clark reports:

Being a principal of one of Greater Cincinnati’s largest high schools requires thinking on your feet.

That suits the energetic Elgin Card just fine. Card is in the first days of running the 1,900-student Lakota West High School. When the Butler County school building’s bells ring and students flood hallways, Card is often moving among them.

A recent school day saw Card simultaneously surveying student pedestrian traffic while also engaging a disgruntled teen irritated about being disciplined.

“You shouldn’t have suspended me,” the boy complained.

“I didn’t suspend you,” Card quickly but good-naturely retorted. “You suspended yourself.”

Card is one of two new school principals at Lakota Schools – the second-largest district in Greater Cincinnati.

Suzanna Davis, who is on maternity leave, is the new principal of Lakota East High School.

Together, Card and Davis are the administrative leaders of each high school and their feeder freshman schools, overseeing the education of more than 5,000 Lakota students.

Watching Card in action is Lakota West sophomore Baylee Carter, who likes what she sees.

“He is very active in the school and a great guy who is easy to get along with,” Baylee said. “I like how he makes small talk with students.”

Card is no stranger to Lakota West, having served as an assistant principal there from 2007-2009. He was also a grade-level principal at Hamilton County’s Princeton Schools, where he also taught.

He returned to work in Lakota in September 2011 and earlier this year was promoted to the top job at the high school to become Lakota’s first African-American high school principal in the district’s 54-year history.

Davis too is a Lakota veteran, a plus for the district, said Lakota Board of Education Vice President Julie Shaffer.

“Both Mr. Card and Mrs. Davis … have the rare ability to be well respected by their students, peers, staff and families,” Shaffer said.

Posted in: Board of Education, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Dr. Keith Kline, Elgin Card, Gary Elgin Card, Keith Kline, Lakota East principal Dr. Keith Kline, Lakota East principal Keith Kline, Lakota East principal Suzanna Davis, Lakota West, Lakota West Freshman Campus, Lakota West principal Elgin Card, Lakota West principal Gary Elgin Card, Lakota West principal Richard Hamilton, Richard Hamilton, Suzanna Davis

Michael D. Clark reports

The financial woes of one of the area’s highest-rated school districts has helped drive away more than half its principals in the last two school years.

Of Lakota Schools’ 20 building principal positions, seven – 35 percent – have recently resigned due to retirement or other jobs.

That follows the 2010-11 school year, which saw four principals depart, leaving Lakota with a 55 percent turnover rate among its school building leaders since spring 2011.

While attrition fluctuation at any school district is an annual spring event, the extent at Lakota is unusually high in the district’s 55-year history, district officials said.

The leadership drain has officials at the academically top-rated school system worried.

“We have to put a tourniquet on this pretty quickly,” Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia said during a recent school board meeting.

The impact from this turnover is hard to gauge.

Lakota maintained it state rating of “Excellent with Distinction” for 2010-11 but the four principal departures began after classes ended in spring 2011. State rankings for the recently completed 2011-12 school year will not be available until August.

Lakota, with 17,400 students, is the second-largest district in Southwest Ohio (behind Cincinnati Public Schools) and seventh-largest in the state. Lakota is the largest school system among Ohio’s 613 public districts to earn the state’s highest rating.

But historically deep budget cuts in response to a recent string of tax levy defeats have left Lakota scrambling financially, with less staffing and fewer resources – all reasons cited by departing principals, Mantia said, based on her exit interviews.

Bus transportation has been eliminated for thousands, classes are larger, dozens of teacher, building staff positions and central office jobs have been eliminated as budgets have been cut $35 million in the last three school years.

Moreover, voters have rejected three proposed school tax hikes in the last two years. This month Lakota officials announced that the unknown funding levels from the next state budget has prompted them to skip a levy try this fall. (more…)

Posted in: Board of Education, Levy news, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Dr. Keith Kline, Elgin Card, Gary Elgin Card, Joan Powell, Karen Mantia, Keith Kline, Lakota East principal Dr. Keith Kline, Lakota East principal Keith Kline, Lakota Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia, Lakota West, Lakota West Freshman Campus, Lakota West principal Elgin Card, Lakota West principal Gary Elgin Card, Lakota West principal Richard Hamilton, Richard Hamilton, Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, superintendent Karen Mantia

For second time this spring, the Lakota Board of Education voted unanimously to promote one of its associate principals to the position of high school principal for the 2012-2013 academic year.

Suzanna Davis, who has served as the associate principal at the Lakota East Freshman Campus since Aug. of 2007, will replace Keith Kline, who is leaving at the end of the school year to take the assistant superintendent job in the West Clermont Local School District.

Davis also served as the assistant principal at the Lakota East Freshman Campus during the 2006-2007 school year. Prior to that, Davis served as an assistant principal at Deer Park Junior/Senior High School from Aug. 2003 to Aug. 2006.

The school board approved the appointment of Davis after Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia made the recommendation, calling Davis “a perfect fit,” during the school board meeting Monday.

“She has a lot of experience in secondary education, she has had a great mentor, she is extremely professional and she is great with secondary kids,” Mantia said. “She is firm, but fair and innovative, so she is definitely the right fit.”

In her new position, Davis will oversee 2,700 students and 140 teachers between the Lakota East high school and freshman campuses.

She will be under a two-year contract that will include a base salary of $100,000. Kline, who was the Lakota East principal since 2007, had a salary of $106,844 in 2011-2012.

“I have had the opportunity to watch Lakota East evolve into a world-class high school, with an outstanding staff, engaged parents, a supportive community and the best high school students in the nation,” Davis said. “I look forward to continuing to build on that strong foundation.”

In April, the school board also approved the promotion of Lakota West Freshman Campus Associate Principal Gary Elgin Card to the position of principal at Lakota West High School. Card will replace current Lakota West Principal Richard Hamilton, who is retiring at the end of this school year.

Card’s two-year contract, effective Aug. 1, 2012, includes a base salary of $100,000. Hamilton’s salary during the 2011-2012 school year is $110,370.

Posted in: Board of Education, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Dr. Keith Kline, Elgin Card, Gary Elgin Card, Keith Kline, Lakota East principal Dr. Keith Kline, Lakota East principal Keith Kline, Lakota East principal Suzanna Davis, Lakota West, Lakota West Freshman Campus, Lakota West principal Elgin Card, Lakota West principal Gary Elgin Card, Lakota West principal Richard Hamilton, Richard Hamilton, Suzanna Davis

With the West Clermont school board’s recent approval of Keith Kline as its new assistant superintendent, the Lakota school district will be entering the 2012-2013 school year with different principals at both high schools.

Kline, who has served as the principal at Lakota East since 2007, will serve as the assistant superintendent of administration and personnel at West Clermont. Kline will replace current Assistant Superintendent Al Delgado.

His responsibilities will include recruitment, employee hiring, retention and evaluation, contract negotiations and employee grievances, and liaison to the teachers union.

In his new position, Kline will have the salary of $123,746. This year, Kline’s salary at Lakota East was $106,844.

The job opening for Lakota East principal was posted on lakotaonline.com May 1. Like Kline, the new principal will oversee both the Lakota East main and freshman campuses. Combined, the two schools have approximately 2,700 students.

The job description lists a salary of $91,000-to-$118,000 based on experience. The date of employment is Aug. 1.

Meanwhile, Richard Hamilton, who has served as the principal at Lakota West for the past 13 years, is retiring at the end of the school year in July.

Hamilton’s plan in retirement, which was announced in December of 2011, is to return to coaching.

Next year, he will help coach the Lakota East and Lakota West varsity swimming programs. He has also coached swimming at Glen Oak, Wooster and Princeton high schools, as well as served as an assistant coach at Southern Illinois University.

In April, the school board voted unanimously to promote Gary Elgin Card, associate principal at the Lakota West Freshman Campus, to the position of principal at Lakota West. Card’s two-year contract includes a base salary of $100,000.

This year, Hamilton’s salary was $110,370.

Posted in: Board of Education, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Dr. Keith Kline, Elgin Card, Gary Elgin Card, Keith Kline, Lakota East principal Dr. Keith Kline, Lakota East principal Keith Kline, Lakota West, Lakota West Freshman Campus, Lakota West principal Elgin Card, Lakota West principal Gary Elgin Card, Lakota West principal Richard Hamilton, Richard Hamilton

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.

Lakota West band to march in NYC Thanksgiving Day Parade – Band students celebrated a big announcement last Monday when school officials said that the band will perform at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City in 2013.

Miami introduces new basketball coach – The Miami University athletic department chose its VOA Learning Center in West Chester Township to introduce its new head basketball coach last week. Former Tennessee State University head coach John Cooper will take over the job after Charlie Coles retired in March after coaching the Redhawks for 16 seasons.

Lakota West High School names new principal – Lakota West High School will have a new principal next school year as the school board voted unanimously last week to promote school administrator Gary Elgin Card to lead the 2,800-student school. Card, who is now associate principal at Lakota West Freshman School, will replace Lakota West Principal Richard Hamilton, who is retiring at the end of this school year.

Lakota West comes back to defeat rival Mason – Trailing 3-0, the Lakota West Firebirds stormed back with a five-run sixth inning en route to a 6-3 win against Mason Wednesday at Mason Middle School. The win improved the Firebirds conference record to a perfect 8-0 and kept them in sole possession of first place in the Greater Miami Conference.

Reds legends make a visit to West Chester – Fans of the Big Red Machine visited memory lane and met the team’s Gold Glove winning centerfielder, Cesar Geronimo, during a special signing session at the Sports Gallery in West Chester Township Friday. Midway through the event, Geronimo’s former teammate George Foster stopped by.

KiteFest takes to the skies – One of West Chester Township’s most popular events, WGUC Airwaves KiteFest at Voice of America Park, took place over the weekend. Rain caused problems on Saturday, but Sunday was a perfect day for the event that draws between 13,000 to 15,000 kite enthusiasts annually.

Posted in: Board of Education, Events, News, Schools, Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: Cesar Geronimo, Cesar Geronimo Cincinnati Reds, Cesar Geronimo signing, Cincinnati Reds player signings, Elgin Card, Gary Elgin Card, John Cooper, John Cooper Miami basketball, Kite Fest, KiteFest, Lakota West, Lakota West band, Lakota West Freshman Campus, Lakota West principal Elgin Card, Lakota West principal Gary Elgin Card, Lakota West principal Richard Hamilton, Lakota West softball, Lakota West sports, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2013, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Lakota West band, Miami basketball, Miami University basketball, Miami University Voice of America Learning Center, Richard Hamilton, Voice of America Learning Center

Lakota West High School will have a new principal next school year as the school board voted unanimously Monday evening to promote school administrator Gary Elgin Card to lead the 2,800-student school.

Card, who is now associate principal at Lakota West Freshman School, will replace Lakota West Principal Richard Hamilton, who is retiring at the end of this school year.

A former teacher and grade level principal at Hamilton County’s Princeton Schools, Card joined Lakota Local Schools in 2007 as an assistant principal at Lakota West for two years.

The Board of Education unanimously approved the appointment Monday based on the recommendation of Superintendent Karen Mantia. According to a release from the school district, Mantia consulted with students, staff and parents as well as other administrators during the selection process.

“Mr. Card is a strong, compassionate leader who has shown that his top priority is helping students succeed by nurturing them, inspiring them and engaging with them,” Mantia said. “He has an exceptional ability to create a rapport with students while also clearly and firmly conveying his expectations to them.”

Card’s two-year contract will include a base salary of $100,000 effective Aug. 1.

Michael D. Clark of The Cincinnati Enquirer contributed

Posted in: Board of Education, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Elgin Card, Gary Elgin Card, Karen Mantia, Lakota Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia, Lakota West, Lakota West Freshman Campus, Lakota West principal Elgin Card, Lakota West principal Gary Elgin Card, Lakota West principal Richard Hamilton, Richard Hamilton, Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, superintendent Karen Mantia