Lakota school board to 'restart' superintendent search, announces interim leader

Lakota Local Schools Board of Education President Lynda O'Connor announced a new interim superintendent on Thursday: Elizabeth Lolli, who announced she would leave her role as superintendent of Dayton Public Schools in January. A permanent Lakota leader will be hired for the 2024-25 school year.

"Results from the initial survey, paired with the feedback we received from focus groups and meet the candidates night, were all considered in our decision to hire Dr. Lolli. We were very impressed by her prior experience and success in leading districts comparable to Lakota," O'Connor wrote.

But Lolli did not present at the meet the candidates night. At that time the district introduced community members to three superintendent finalists, and Lolli was not on the short list.

That night in June consisted of Q&A sessions with Michael Acomb, of Solon City Schools; Jason Spencer, of Cincinnati Public Schools; and Ashley Whitely, of Wyoming City Schools. But last week O'Connor announced none of them would be getting the superintendent job, and that the board was slowing down its search for a new district leader.

Now O'Connor says the board will spend the next year searching for a permanent superintendent.

"Looking further ahead, the board plans to officially restart the search process for an individual to fulfill the superintendent duties beyond this school year. We will continue to keep you informed about our timeline and ways to be involved," O'Connor wrote.

Former superintendent Matt Miller resigned in January. Assistant Superintendent Robb Vogelmann replaced him at that time, then announced in April that he wouldn't be interested in the full-time gig.

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Lolli will start in her new role July 19.

“I am very excited to begin this new venture with Lakota Schools,” Lolli said in Thursday's news release. “I’ve always admired Lakota for the exceptional work their staff does for their students. I feel fortunate to be leading a district with such an influential presence and to be part of the work that will continue defining Lakota as a well-respected and future-ready school district.”

Who is Elizabeth Lolli?

Lolli announced in January that she was leaving Dayton Public Schools. But in April the Dayton School Board voted 4-3 to extend her contract for another year.

Now Lolli has changed course again and will take over as interim Lakota superintendent later this month.

Lolli has 45 years of experience working in K-12 education. Most recently she served for six years as superintendent of Dayton Public Schools. She was named the 2023 Superintendent of the Year by the Buckeye Association of School Administrators.

Before that, Lolli served as superintendent at Monroe Local School District and Barberton City School District, according to her LinkedIn page. She has also worked as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, coordinator of elementary education and assistant superintendent over curriculum and instruction.

"Most notably, Dr. Lolli has proven herself to be an effective instructional leader and communicator in the diverse communities she has served. She also takes pride in being a visible leader and a proponent of student voice," O'Connor wrote in Thursday's news release.

But Lolli has received pushback in her career, too. In January of 2022 a Change.org petition was created to remove her from the Dayton school district. It garnered nearly 300 signatures.

"There is no reason to keep her in the position as superintendent for another minute," the petition reads. "The numbers of resignations at the end of this contract year may permanently destroy this district if a new vision and leadership isn't put in place."

O'Connor said the community will have chances to meet Lolli in the coming weeks.

The next Lakota School Board meeting and public listening session will take place on July 17 at 5:30 p.m. at the Lakota East Freshman Campus, located at 7630 Bethany Lane in Liberty Township.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Lakota Local Schools announces new interim superintendent from Dayton