Lakota superintendent presents findings from 96 listening sessions, outlines next steps

Dr. Whiteley, Lakota Local Schools superintendent, told the board on Jan. 27 that she and staff held 96 listening sessions across stakeholders in the fall, plus six targeted secondary sessions, and will present a full ethnographic report at the board work session on Feb. 4.

The superintendent said the sessions consistently named caring staff and student belonging as strengths, and cited district diversity as a positive. "Almost all listening sessions started with, we have caring staff who build relationships with children," Dr. Whiteley said, summarizing recurring remarks she heard from students, staff and community members.

The sessions also produced recurring growth-area themes. In K–6, parents and staff raised questions about restoring a consistent specials rotation that existed before prior levy reductions. Across grades 7–12, students and staff asked for ongoing review of electives to ensure they reflect student interest. Dr. Whiteley said class-size concerns surfaced in K–6, with some parents noting classroom counts have crept into the mid-20s and asking whether smaller classes would support more individualized learning.

Community members raised a separate set of questions about equality versus equity in district offerings and staffing. Dr. Whiteley said some parents and staff described a "cookie-cutter" approach where every building receives the same staffing or programs even when enrollment and community needs differ. She framed the issue as a question of district philosophy and thresholds for when staffing or programs should vary by building.

Dr. Whiteley said the sessions included targeted meetings with counselors, special-education staff and English-language-learners staff, plus a session with substitute teachers. She said the secondary listening sessions produced nuanced input that will not be aggregated into the primary ethnographic dataset but will inform follow-up work.

Board members praised the effort and said they expected the ethnographic findings to feed strategic planning. Julie (Board member) noted the sessions helped board members hear perspectives they otherwise would miss; another board member described the sessions as "a great start" toward a data-driven strategic plan. Dr. Whiteley said staff would combine the listening results with the district's strategic planning and bring recommended next steps to the board on Feb. 4.

The superintendent emphasized that the district must pair listening with action: "There is a time for listening, but there's a time for doing," she told the board, and she said the district will keep the "momentum" going as it moves from listening to implementation.