Among the content in the seven-paragraph flier, Powell writes, “The past four years have been the toughest of my 14-year tenure on the Lakota board. You might presume that is due to financial and other challenges before us, but it is not. Rather it is being a part of a board that does not work together and in doing so reduces its own effectiveness.”
Powell goes on to endorse two of the five candidates — Julie Shaffer and former board president Jamie Green — to fill the two open seats on the board.
The notable exception in the flier is an endorsement for incumbent Lynda O’Connor. Mark Etterling and Luke Hall are the other candidates running, while current board member Paul Lohr is not seeking a second term.
“Lakota has a great opportunity to redefine itself,” Powell wrote. “ ... But we need a board that does not send mixed messages and that is willing to make the tough calls, regardless of their own personal consequences.”
Board member Ray Murray also has made public comments criticizing O’Connor.
“Whether or not the school board functions or not, it’s the president’s responsibility as the leader,” No Lakota spokesman Rich Hoffman said. “If you’re the leader, there’s only one person to look at, and that’s the person in the mirror. It’s her fault exclusively. It’s appalling to blame other people, and it’s encouraging other people to play the same games. ... That’s where she failed.”
At Monday night’s school board meeting, community members encouraged the board to unite for a district that failed two levies in 2010 and hasn’t passed one since ’05.
“When you have the work session in January, come out as a unified board,” resident Tanya Jolliffe said. “The community is already divided. You’re our leaders. Please.”
During closing comments, O’Connor said that “bullying doesn’t have any more of a place on a school board than it does on a school playground.
“It’s hurting the efforts of our students,” O’Connor said afterward. “It’s not the example we want to be setting.”
O’Connor went on to emphasize her principles — principal dissent, representative government, transparency and accountability.
“Will Rogers once said that if two people agree on everything, than one of them is unnecessary,” O’Connor said. “I think all of us need to have independent thinking, and don’t expect to agree on all issues and thoughts. That should be true in any situation as you try to reach good decision-making.”
Murray followed O’Connor in the closing comments portion of the meeting and declined to address the issue, saying, “I’m not going to stoop to that level.”
Powell — who is having surgery the first week of November and will be out for four-to-six weeks — closed the meeting.
“It’s not easy when you have words put in your mouth that you never said,” she said. “This has been a tough week all around.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5113 or steven.matthews@coxinc.com.
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