WestChesterBuzz.com

A 15-year-old Lakota East student was arrested Thursday after he allegedly vandalized cars in the high school parking lot during a three-week period.

Overall, there have been a total of 11 victims, most of whom had their tires slashed. There were a couple of other instances where a car was scratched and another that had an expletive word scratched into the vehicle.

Lakota East High School principal Suzanna Davis said on Friday that the school has no reason to believe that anyone else, besides the suspect, acted in these acts of vandalism.

In an email to parents Thursday evening, Davis said the school’s administration immediately launched an investigation after receiving the initial report of vandalism on Oct. 29.

“I want to assure you Lakota East is committed to providing a safe environment for our students. Disruptions to our student’s learning process and/or environment will not be tolerated,” Davis wrote in the email. “Please take a moment this evening to discuss this matter with your teen. I want to reassure them we take these matters very seriously and will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.”

Davis couldn’t comment on the extent of the charges that the suspect faces. However, the Pulse Journal reported that the student faces seven misdemeanor counts of criminal damaging.

Posted in: Crime, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Lakota East, Lakota East High School, Lakota East principal Suzanna Davis, Suzanna Davis

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

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 East teacher charged with prom fund theft- A Lakota East High School teacher was charged last Monday with a misdemeanor count of theft in connection with missing money from the school’s prom fund. Heather Schoell-Schroeder, 45, of Liberty Township was charged after she and her attorney met with sheriff’s investigators.

Lakota high school softball teams eliminated from postseason – Both the Lakota East and Lakota West softball teams lost district semifinal games last Monday afternoon. The Firebirds lost to Northmont at Fairmont by the score of 5-1, while Lakota East fell to Fairborn at West Carrollton by the score of 3-2.

Lakota East names new principal- 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.

Lakota East honors student athletes with signing day event – Lakota East High School honored nine student athletes last Wednesday during its spring signing day event. Among those recognized include Jacob Landers (Baldwin Wallace College, wrestling), Ivan Thomas (Kentucky Christian University, football), Tyler Overberg (College of Mount St. Joseph, golf), Morgan Weinheimer (University of Mississippi, volleyball), Jeff Mundy Jr. (Kentucky Christian University, football), Tanner Lyons (Centre College, track and field), Aleth Pashi (Otterbein University, basketball), Jacqui Tackett (Mount St. Joseph, lacrosse) and Molly Blomer (Nova Southeastern University).

Lakota West students unveil new design for school website – After five months of work, Lakota West students showed off their new design for its official high school website last Wednesday in front of classmates, teachers and Lakota administrators in the high school’s theatre. The redesigned lakotawesthigh.com launched after the presentation made by students from Lakota West’s web design 2 class.

Police investigating dog hanging in West Chester – WestChesterBuzz.com reported last Wednesday that a local woman claims that she found her dog hanging by its neck from a tree in her yard in the 8900 block of Lesourdsville-West Chester Road on May 10. The West Chester Police Department is investigating the complaint reported by Sherry Faber on the morning of May 13, despite not seeing the dog.

Police investigating a report of public indecency– WestChesterBuzz.com reported last Thursday that the West Chester Police Department is looking for a man, who entered a local Circle K Gas Station and exposed his genitals to the clerk on May 5, according to Crime Stoppers.

Gunman robs UDF in West Chester – The Cincinnati Enquirer reported last Friday that police were searching for a gunman who held up United Dairy Farmers, 8976 State Route 747, according to emergency communication reports. The suspect entered the convenience store just after 6 a.m., brandished a gun and demanded cash.

Moeller eliminates Lakota high school baseball teams from postseason – Twice last week, Moeller eliminated a Lakota high school baseball team from the postseason. On Thursday, Moeller defeated Lakota West by the score of 11-2 in the sectional finals. Then on Saturday, the Crusaders eliminated the defending Division I state champs in Lakota East by the score of 7-2 in the district finals.

VOA Museum opens its doors for tours – For the first time since December, the National VOA Museum of Broadcasting opened for tours this past Saturday and Sunday. There were a few public tours in late 2011 before construction forced the budding museum to close its doors. Prior to those tours, the museum had been closed to the public for two years.

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

Tags: Tags: Heather Schoell-Schroeder, Lakota East High School, Lakota East missing prom funds, Lakota East missing prom money, Lakota East principal Suzanna Davis, Lakota East prom, Lakota East softball, Lakota East Sports, Lakota East stolen prom money, Lakota West, Lakota West softball, Lakota West sports, National VOA Museum of Broadcasting, National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting, Suzanna Davis, VOA Museum, VOA Museum of Broadcasting, Voice of America Museum

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