Originally, newly hired Superintendent Ashely Whitely was scheduled to start Aug. 1, taking over after the one-year stint by Interim Lakota Superintendent Elizabeth Lolli.
Now, Lakota officials said the new contract will give Whitely 20 contracted days to overlap with Lolli as Whitley adjusts to the new role.
Lolli had asked the Lakota Board of Education to approve the bridge contract in which Whitely would officially be named superintendent one month earlier.
“In order to make sure there is a smoother transition, I recommended to the board that I am available whenever (Whitely) needs me,” Lolli told the board.
“She has already been here this week, meeting with the team and learning what their projects are, as well as meeting with me on a regular basis.”
The contract “would also mitigate any confusion as to who the district leader is when Lolli returns from a previously scheduled vacation mid-July. In addition to shifting to more of a consulting role, Lolli will continue to wrap up the superintendent responsibilities she was already working on,” said Lakota officials.
School officials said Whitely plans to soon announce a series of public meetings to get the thoughts of residents and school employees about the district, which is the largest suburban school system in southwest Ohio.
“I’m excited to officially begin my new role as superintendent,” said Whitely.
One of her goals for the first semester, she said, is to meet with as many stakeholder groups as possible for “listen and learn” sessions.
“I want to gather feedback from our administrators, staff, students, families and community members about our district,” said Whitely. “I want to keep Lakota’s rich traditions while we look to the future and determine what steps are necessary to best support our students and ensure they are meeting their full learning potential.”
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