Currently, the 17,800-student school system is being led by Interim Superintendent Elizabeth Lolli, who was hired last year in the wake of former Superintendent Matt Miller’s resignation in January 2023.
Assistant Superintendent Robb Vogelmann — who filled in as interim superintendent immediately after Miller’s departure — subsequently withdrew his candidacy for full-time leader leading to Lolli’s hiring as the next interim superintendent.
But Lolli’s employment agreement is only for the current 2023-2024 school year, and the former Dayton Public Schools superintendent’s contract will end on July 31.
Lakota’s governing school board is now in the process of soliciting candidates to fill the top job on a non-interim basis, starting in that position August 1 for the 2024-2025 school year and a yet-to-be-contractual-determined number of years beyond.
The district’s use of online surveys was also employed in spring of 2023 as part of the board’s process for hiring Lolli, and Lakota officials said they appreciated the public input then and now as they go about their interviewing and hiring process.
“We hope to have a new superintendent in place this spring, prior to the end of the school year,” noted Lakota Board of Education President Julie Shaffer in a recent district announcement.
“This way, there will be some overlap prior to (Interim Superintendent) Lolli’s retirement to help ensure a smooth transition,” said Shaffer.
According to district officials, the most recent survey results showed “Overall … participants would like to see a superintendent who prioritizes integrity, fiscal responsibility and a focus on core educational subjects.”
“The responses also emphasized support for student mental health supports, evidence-based teaching and learning practices in schools, as well as a focus on student achievement and teacher retention.”
The results revealed: “Top themes emerging from the responses include: employee well being; efforts to unify the district; competency; strong leadership skills and student achievement.”
Late last month, the school board approved a contract hiring the Finding Leaders employment search firm to conduct a nationwide search for Lakota’s next superintendent.
Lakota officials said more than 900 people participated in the exchange, sharing nearly 700 thoughts.
Participants were also asked to use a five-star rating system to note how strongly they agree with other responses. They were also encouraged to visit the survey several times to rate new thoughts, or share additional ones, before it closed on March 1.
“I appreciate our community’s willingness to provide feedback to the board,” said Shaffer. “The survey results have been shared with our search firm and will be compared to the feedback we received last spring.”
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