Educators urge Lake County School Board to act on turnover, pay and working conditions

Speakers at the Lake County School Board meeting on Sept. 8 urged the board to prioritize pay, workplace support and teacher voice to slow what they called a dramatic loss of educators in recent years.

Elizabeth Emery, who described herself as a former student, teacher and coach in Lake County Schools, told the board, "In the past 3 years, we've lost over a thousand educators in Lake County Schools." She cited a 2024 Learning Policy Institute analysis and added, "the turnover of just 1 teacher in a district our size cost the district about $16,000." Emery said educators want "fair compensation and support for rising costs, safe, healthy working conditions, and a voice in the decisions that impact their classroom."

Other public commenters, including Jessica Sawicki and Bobbi Bloggio, echoed calls for stronger support and funding for public education. "Public education must be fully funded to give all our children the chance to transform their lives for the better," said Jessica Sawicki, identifying herself as the new vice president of LCA. Bobbi Bloggio, a teacher at Leesburg High School and a Lake County Education Association board member, said LCEA "provides our educators with a listening ear, a caring heart, and a collective voice" and called for making Lake County Schools "a destination occupation for faculty and staff and a destination education for our precious students and families."

Board members responded with expressions of appreciation and acknowledgement. Dr. Luke called the accounts "inspiring" and praised district staff efforts to support STEAM and teacher recognition. Other board members thanked the educators and noted ongoing work—without detailing new board action—on staffing and employee supports.

No formal policy or compensation change was proposed or voted on during the public-comment period. The meeting record shows the board did not take immediate action at the Sept. 8 session on the staffing concerns raised during public comment; follow-up or staff-directed work was suggested verbally by individual board members and staff during later remarks.

The public comments were part of the meeting's public-input segment; speakers were invited by the chair and several stayed to receive acknowledgement. The board later proceeded to consent and routine business items. The district's graduation rate and A rating, cited during the meeting, were mentioned alongside concerns about educator retention.