WestChesterBuzz.com

Lakota school members to be available before board meetings

If you are having trouble getting in touch with a school board member, Lakota Local Schools is taking a new approach to combat that problem.

Joan Powell, the school board president, announced this week that beginning with the next regularly scheduled school board meeting, on Feb. 28, all board members have committed to be available to the community for 15 minutes before the meeting starts.

“There are already two times during the meeting when people can come to the podium and address the board,” Powell said. “That won’t change. But I know sometimes people are uncomfortable doing that, or prefer a more informal exchange with the board members. This will provide them with that opportunity.”

Since September the district has been holding “Community Conversations” throughout West Chester and Liberty townships, meeting with residents in living rooms, coffee shops, churches and other locations. Typically, the Lakota Board of Education is represented at these “conversations.”

• Community has open conversation about Lakota’s present and future

The next school board meeting is at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 28, at the district’s central office at 5572 Princeton Road, in Liberty Township.

For more information on how to host or where to attend a “conversation,” visit lakotaonline.com for details.

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

Tags: Tags: Ben Dibble, Joan Powell, Julie Shaffer, Lakota East, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota school board, Lakota West, Lynda O'Connor, Ray Murray, Ron Spurlock, school board meeting, school levy

By Adam Kiefaber and Michael D. Clark

Newly appointed Lakota school board president Joan Powell announced on Monday night that she wouldn’t be running for her seat this fall. She is one of Greater Cincinnati’s longest tenured board members.

“This will be my last year on the board,” Powell said during the regularly scheduled school board meeting.

“16 years is enough. A friend of mine (Sandy Wheatley), who served on the board for 12 years, told me you will know when it is time … I just knew that it was time.”

The 16-year board veteran first took office in 1998 and her tenure on the board coincided with Lakota’s booming student population that has seen the Butler County district become the second largest in Southwest Ohio and the eighth largest in the state.

“She has been able to see the evolution of changes that have occurred in education,” said Karen Mantia, Lakota superintendent. “She also has a grasp of where it is going, so that past experience really guides her to see what the future will look like and we will miss that.”

Powell’s leadership has often been credited for some of Lakota’s many successes, but on occasion she has also been the center of controversy. Most recently, Powell in 2011 publicly criticized fellow board members for not working together and impeding the board’s effectiveness.

During Powell’s stint on the board, Lakota rose both in size and academic prominence, becoming the largest district in Ohio to consistently earn the state department of education’s highest academic rating.

“It has been incredible amount of time. Lakota has doubled in size since I first started on the board. There have been so many changes,” said Powell, 61, who is a realtor with Huff Realty in West Chester, also has two grandchildren and two children.

“I have worked with four different superintendents. I can’t think of how many governors. Lakota has seen a lot of change and I hope Lakota can remain so successful because I really do believe that it holds a valuable place in this community.”

The 17,300-student district has not seen voters pass a new operating levy since 2005 and saw three school tax issues rejected at the ballot in the last two years. The district has cut more than $36 million in personnel and programs in recent years and is anticipated to go back to the voters for a new school tax later this year.

Two other board members, whose terms are up after the year, Ray Murray and Ben Dibble said they were both planning to run for their seats.

Both Murray and Dibble began serving on the board in January of 2010.

The remaining board members Lynda O’Connor and Julie Shaffer were most recently elected in the fall of 2011 and began four-year terms in January of 2012.

Shaffer is currently serving her first term on the school board, while O’Connor is serving her second four-year term.

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

Tags: Tags: Ben Dibble, Joan Powell, Julie Shaffer, Lakota East, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota school board, Lakota West, Lynda O'Connor, Ray Murray, Ron Spurlock, school board meeting, school levy

Cincinnati Enquirer’s Michael D. Clark reports:

It’s a new year and the Lakota school board that has occasionally been mired in high-profile infighting is asking the public for a fresh start.

The five-member governing board of Southwest Ohio’s second largest school system may deserve some of the blame for three school tax levy defeats since 2010, according to Ben Dibble, the newly elected Lakota Board of Education president.

“Let’s acknowledge that the school board could be part of the reason for our levy failures, During the last couple of years, the school board has projected an image of divisiveness – that we weren’t always working toward the goal of providing the best possible education at the lowest cost,” according to a statement Dibble read during the board’s meeting earlier this week.

The past year saw a sharp divide among some board members over a variety of issues including the use of public monies to hire a private search firm to find a new Lakota treasurer and superintendent. The occasional highly public and at times personal clashes were cited in part by some district critics who organized successful opposition campaigns in defeating proposed school tax hikes.

“I ask my fellow board members to leave behind the ways we’ve done things in the past and take a new approach. Doing things the same old way will lead us down the same path that has resulted in three levy failures. Our credibility and communication with the community needs to improve,” Dibble stated.

Dibble was voted to the one-year term of presidency by fellow board members earlier this month, as was newly elected member Julie Shaffer. Shaffer won election to the board in November in her first try at public office and was chosen by members to serve as the board’s vice president.

Dibble replaced 2011 and 2010 board president and 15-year board veteran Joan Powell.

Dibble pledged his leadership will feature more openness to the community, greater feedback from all residents in the district – “not just the folks we think will agree with us.” (more…)

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

Tags: Tags: Ben Dibble, Joan Powell, Julie Shaffer, Lakota, Lakota cuts, Lakota East, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota reductions, Lakota school board, Lakota school levy, Lakota West, Lynda O'Connor, Ray Murray, school board, school levy

The Lakota Board of Education appointed a new president and welcomed in its newest board member at its annual organizational meeting Thursday.

After serving two straight years as vice president, Ben Dibble was the only school board member nominated for president. Dibble replaces Joan Powell, who had served as the board’s president for the past two years.

“I have be able to watch Joan do a great job and learn under someone who was on the board for a long, long time,” Dibble said.

“This will be a challenging year for Lakota and the board will need to work together.”

Overall, the selection process of the school board’s president went much smoother than it did a year ago when board member Ray Murray demanded change and challenged Powell.

In his challenge, Murray and board member Lynda O’Connor voiced their displeasure with fellow board members who agreed to spend $50,000 in its search for a new superintendent.

Those board members, Powell, Dibble and Paul Lohr voted in favor and approved the hiring of the search firm. More than six months later, the school district finally hired Karen Mantia as its new superintendent with the annual salary of $165,000.

At this year’s organizational meeting, newly elected board member Julie Shaffer was sworn in and appointed vice president.

Shaffer, who has also worked in the employee benefits and finance field for 22 years, joins the board at a time when it must decide how to trim $9 million from its operating budget for the 2012-2013 school year.

“There are certainly going to be many challenges ahead,” said Shaffer, who has three children (ages 13, 10 and 5) in the district. “There are no easy answers out there. It is going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of people working together to come up with any solution.

“I hope that I can bring my financial perspective to those decisions.”

One decision Shaffer and her fellow board members will need to make in 2012 will be whether to place another tax levy on the ballot.

With the district facing a projected budget shortfall of $14.1 million by 2015, the freshly appointed vice president is in favor of placing a tax levy on the ballot this year.

“When I look at the financial situation, which is where I have spent the majority of the last five years on while working on Lakota issues, I do still believe that there is a revenue need,” said Shaffer, who volunteered on Lakota levy campaigns and has lobbied in Columbus for changes to public school funding.

“I believe that passing a levy in 2012 would be critical in order to not continue eliminating opportunities for our students.”

Joining Shaffer in starting a new four-year term on the school board Thursday was O’Connor, who begins her second term. Shaffer and O’Connor each received approximately 25 percent of the vote in November’s election, which was more than fellow candidates Mark Etterling, Jamie Green and Luke Hall.

Choosing not to seek re-election this November was Paul Lohr, who closed out his term Dec. 12. Fellow board members, Powell and Dibble, terms will end at the conclusion of 2013.

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

Tags: Tags: Ben Dibble, Joan Powell, Julie Shaffer, Karen Mantia, Lakota, Lakota cuts, Lakota East, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota reductions, Lakota school board, Lakota school levy, Lakota Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia, Lakota West, Lynda O'Connor, Paul Lohr, school board, school levy, Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, superintendent Karen Mantia

The Spark, a magazine produced by Lakota East High School students, will host a Lakota Board of Education candidate forum this Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lakota East Main Campus Theater.

Five candidates are currently running to fill two, four-year seats: Julie Shaffer (photo), Mark Etterling, Lucas Hall, incumbent Lynda O’Connor and former board member Jamie Green.

All five have agreed to attend the forum.

Community members are encouraged to participate by sending questions for the candidates to lehs.spark@gmail.com or to the Spark’s twitter account, @LakotaEastSpark. Audience members can also submit questions before the forum begins.

Lakota East High School is located at 6480 Lakota Lane in Liberty Township.

Later in the month, the West Chester/Liberty Chamber Alliance will sponsor another “Meet the Candidates” forum for the school board candidates. That event will take place Oct. 21 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Lakota central office.

The Lakota central office is located at 5572 Princeton Road in Liberty Township.

Posted in: Board of Education, Election, Events, News, Political events, School events, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Jamie Green, Julie Shaffer, Lakota Board of Education, Lakota East, Lakota East High School, Lakota East Spark, Lakota East Spark Magazine, Lakota school board election, Lucas Hall, Lynda O'Connor, Mark Etterling, school board, Spark, The Spark

Residents in the Lakota school district are invited to attend a “Meet the Candidates Night” at the Lakota West Freshman School this Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The candidates in attendance are running for the Lakota school board.

Five candidates are currently running to fill two, four-year seats: Julie Shaffer (photo), Mark Etterling, Lucas Hall, incumbent Lynda O’Connor and former board member Jamie Green.

The Lakota West Freshman Campus is located 5050 Tylersville Road in West Chester.

Questions for the candidates can be emailed in advance to LakotaCandidateQuestions2011@yahoo.com. Audience members can also submit questions that night.

Later in the month, the West Chester/Liberty Chamber Alliance will sponsor another “Meet the Candidates” forum for the school board candidates. That event will take place Oct. 21 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Lakota central office.

The Lakota central office is located at 5572 Princeton Road in Liberty Township.

Posted in: Board of Education, Election, Events, News, Political events, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Jamie Green, Julie Shaffer, Lakota Board of Education, Lakota school board election, Lucas Hall, Lynda O'Connor, Mark Etterling, school board

Lakota Board of Education members continued interviewing applicants for the Butler County school system’s superintendent position Friday and will hold more interviews Saturday, according to Cincinnati.com.

Here is the rest of the report from Cincinnati.com:

The school board this week began holding executive sessions and closing meetings to the public as allowed under Ohio law for boards discussing personnel matters such as hiring a superintendent.

Ben Dibble, board member supervising the superintendent search, said the board is meeting at the Wingate Hotel, 7500 Tylers Place Blvd., West Chester Township, instead of at its Central Office in Liberty Township so “these important discussions (are) in an environment that provides privacy and will have minimal distractions.”

In December, members of the Lakota school board debated if the district should pay Hudepohl and Associates $50,000 for its search to find its replacement for Mike Taylor, who retired as the school’s district superintendent at the end of January.

School board members Joan Powell, Ben Dibble and Paul Lohr voted in favor of spending the money for the search firm, while members Ray Murray and Lynda O’Connor voted against the hiring of the firm and thought the district shouldn’t spend the money.

After Taylor’s official retirement took place, Ron Spurlock took over the position on an interim basis. Prior to his appointment, Spurlock has served as the assistant superintendent for the past four years.

For more information about Lakota’s superintendent search, visit lakotaonline.com.

(Photo: Principal and Managing Director of Hudepohl and Associates Gary Hudepohl gave a presentation updating the current status for the new Lakota superintendent to the Lakota Board of Education during board meeting in late March)

Posted in: Board of Education, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Ben Dibble, Gary Hudepohl, Hudepohl and Associates, Joan Powell, Lakota Board of Education, Lakota East, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota superintendent search, Lakota West, Lynda O'Connor, Mike Taylor, Paul Lohr, Ray Murray, Ron Spurlock

Principal and Managing Director of Hudepohl and Associates Gary Hudepohl gave a presentation updating the current status for the search for Lakota’s new superintendent to the Lakota Board of Education during tonight’s meeting.

Hudepohl (photo) discussed his firm’s strategy for the search in front a packed house of Lakota parents, teachers and students, who were at Lakota Central Office to learn more about the upcoming cuts to the 2011-2012 school year.

The search firm has already begun making recruiting calls and targeting potential candidates for the position. The job has also been posted on various websites and will be advertised in the March 30th publication of Education Week in order to reach a national audience.

The search firm also complied research based on more than 365 community members, who provided the firm input on what type of superintendent they were looking for.

In December, members of the Lakota school board debated if the district should pay Hudepohl and Associates $50,000 for its search to find its replacement for Mike Taylor, who retired as the school’s district superintendent at the end of January.

School board members Joan Powell, Ben Dibble and Paul Lohr voted in favor of spending the money for the search firm, while members Ray Murray and Lynda O’Connor voted against the hiring of the firm and thought the district shouldn’t spend the money.

After Taylor’s official retirement took place, Ron Spurlock took over the position on an interim basis. Prior to his appointment, Spurlock has served as the assistant superintendent for the past four years.

For more information about Lakota’s superintendent search, visit lakotaonline.com.

Posted in: Board of Education, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Ben Dibble, Gary Hudepohl, Hudepohl and Associates, Joan Powell, Lakota Board of Education, Lakota East, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota superintendent search, Lakota West, Lynda O'Connor, Mike Taylor, Paul Lohr, Ray Murray, Ron Spurlock

The Lakota Board of Education decided to re-appoint Joan Powell as the school board president this evening during its annual organizational meeting. The board also determined the 2011 Lakota school board schedule during the meeting Jan. 7.

The board actually nominated members Ray Murray and Joan Powell for the title. Powell retained the honor, which she held last year and has been a school board member for 14 years, after the board voted 3-to-2 in her favor.

“I think you have done a wonderful job building what we have here, but times are changed,” Murray said to Powell before the vote took place.

“I am very sensitive about spending money. I don’t want to do the same old thing. In my mind, that is insanity.”

Murray has been a member of the school board for the past two years.

“I am in agreement with Ray that we need a change,” school board member Lynda O’Connor said.

O’Connor and Murray used the example of the board spending $50,000 in its search for a new superintendent for the need for a change.

At the board’s last meeting, Dec. 13, Powell, Ben Dibble and Paul Lohr voted in favor of spending the money for a search firm, Hudepohl and Associates, to help find the replacement for Lakota Superintendent Mike Taylor, who is set to retire at the end of the month. (more…)

Posted in: Board of Education, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Hudepohl and Associates, Joan Powell, Lakota East, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota school board, Lakota West, Lynda O'Connor, Mike Taylor, Ray Murray, Ron Spurlock, school board meeting, school levy