“It was a decision bigger than myself and for me family always comes first” said Lovell, citing the job move from Hamilton County Educational Services Center to Sycamore as being the best career move for his family, which resides in the Lakota district.
Under Ohio law, school board members can work at other school districts as long as they maintain a residence in the school system overseen by the board and are elected by voters in their home community.
Lovell, a former Lakota school principal who won election in 2017, has shown interest in seeking a second term from voters in this fall’s election by pulling a candidate’s petition from the Butler County Board of Elections.
Lovell, however, declined to comment as to whether he intends to file his petition by the Ohio elections deadline of Aug. 4 to place his name on the November ballot for Lakota board.
Lovell holds one of three seats voters will decide on for the five-member board, which oversees the 16,800-student Lakota district.
In a statement released by Sycamore Schools, officials there said of Lovell: “Lovell has been an education consultant for Hamilton County Education Service Center since 2018, facilitating strategic planning at eight districts across the region.”
“Lovell was previously a principal at both Lakota Local Schools and Milford Exempted Village Schools and the Director of Global and Local Partnerships for Crossroads.”
Lovell’s statement in the announcement read: “It’s an honor to be able to work alongside so many amazing professionals dedicated to supporting and creating safe and engaging spaces for each of our students to learn and grow. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of the legacy of excellence in the Sycamore School community.”
Working for two school systems, school board membership is not a full-time position and they are paid per meeting, is rare locally.
Up until 2015, Steve Waldmann had worked as business director for Warren County’s Kings Schools while at times also being an elected school board member of his home district in Clermont County’s West Clermont Schools.
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