Julie Schaefer was elected president of the Lakota Local Board of Education and Kelly Casper was elected vice president during the board’s organizational meeting on Jan. 9.

The board also approved a package of routine memberships and subscriptions, set its 2025 meeting calendar with several date adjustments, established a board service fund under Ohio law, authorized the superintendent to accept resignations and make offers of employment when the board is not in session (subject to later ratification), adopted a tax budget, and authorized the treasurer to pay bills and invest funds.

The organizational meeting establishes leadership and administrative authority for the coming year and included a series of roll-call votes on routine governance items. The board voted to continue select memberships (including the Ohio School Boards Association and the Ohio Education Policy Institute), appoint a legislative conference delegate and alternate, and approve a slate of outside law firms for on-call legal counsel.

In the first substantive votes, members unanimously approved the slate of routine items (membership renewals and new subscriptions) and then elected officers. After the nomination and second, Adam (the board clerk/staff member who called the roll) recorded aye votes from the board. Following the officer elections, the board president presented a committee assignment proposal and a draft calendar of regular meetings. The calendar was amended to move the November meeting to Nov. 10 (to avoid a conflict with the Ohio School Boards Association conference), to move the February regular meeting from Feb. 24 to Feb. 25, and to move the April meeting from April 21 to April 28. The board also confirmed a June 17 work session and a one-day retreat tentatively scheduled 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

The board voted to establish a board service fund under Ohio Revised Code section 3315.15, using the $2-per-student option (or $20,000, whichever is greater) for the period July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The motion passed on a roll-call vote in which all recorded members voted yes.

On personnel authority, the board approved a motion authorizing the superintendent to accept resignations submitted while the board is not in session, with subsequent ratification required at the next board meeting and the effective date of the resignation deemed to be the date and time of the superintendent’s acceptance. The board separately approved a motion authorizing the superintendent to make offers of employment for teaching and nonteaching positions on the superintendent’s behalf during periods when the board is not in session, again subject to later ratification and with the effective start date tied to the employee’s acceptance of the superintendent’s offer.

The board adopted a formal resolution under Ohio Revised Code section 321.34 requesting that the Butler County auditor advance to the district treasurer taxes assessed in 2024 that will be collected in 2025. The motion passed on a roll-call vote with all recorded members voting yes.

Other administrative items approved included a motion authorizing the treasurer to pay bills as appropriated and to invest available funds when possible, adoption of the district’s tax budget (the board held a public hearing on the tax budget earlier that day and no members of the public attended), and a resolution authorizing board member attendance at community events. The board also approved four law firms for on-call legal representation: Frost Brown and Todd LLC; Ennis Britton Company LPA; Brick or Graydon LLP; and Peppol and Wagner LTD, by roll-call vote.

Votes at a glance

- Election of board president: Motion to elect Julie Schaefer as president — outcome: approved (unanimous roll-call yes). Provenance: transcript 61.41–81.77.
- Election of vice president: Motion to elect Kelly Casper as vice president — outcome: approved (unanimous roll-call yes). Provenance: transcript 108.435–125.31.
- Approve membership renewals/subscriptions (OSBA membership; electronic school management subscription; consortium membership; legal assistance fund; electronic briefcase; Ohio Education Policy Institute membership): outcome: approved (unanimous roll-call yes). Provenance: transcript 135.205–163.175.
- Appoint legislative liaison and alternate to OSBA Capital Conference: motion to appoint Doug Horton as delegate and Kelly Casper as alternate — outcome: approved (unanimous roll-call yes). Provenance: transcript 192.435–241.79.
- Adopt committee assignments as proposed by the president (policy: Christina and Doug; business advisory: Isaac and Christina; community engagement: Kelly and Christina; facilities: Julie and Kelly): noted as president appointments (not a formal roll-call vote). Provenance: transcript 262.63–338.795.
- Establish regular meeting dates and amend calendar (move Nov. meeting to Nov. 10; move Feb. meeting 24→25; move Apr. meeting 21→28; confirm June 17 work session and retreat): motion to approve calendar as amended — outcome: approved (unanimous roll-call yes). Provenance: transcript 380.13–839.37.
- Establish board service fund under Ohio Revised Code 3315.15 (set $2 per student or $20,000, whichever is greater; effective July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026): outcome: approved (unanimous roll-call yes). Provenance: transcript 844.09–903.21.
- Authorize board members to attend professional development hosted by organizations where the board holds membership (others require board approval): outcome: approved (unanimous roll-call yes). Provenance: transcript 900.07–939.65.
- Authorize superintendent to accept resignations when board not in session (subject to later ratification; resignations effective at time of superintendent acceptance): outcome: approved (unanimous roll-call yes). Provenance: transcript 939.65497–969.905.
- Authorize superintendent to make offers of employment when board not in session (subject to later ratification; employment effective at acceptance): outcome: approved (unanimous roll-call yes). Provenance: transcript 969.905–1019.605.
- Adopt resolution requesting tax advances from Butler County under Ohio Revised Code 321.34 (advance of taxes assessed 2024 and collected 2025): outcome: approved (unanimous roll-call yes). Provenance: transcript 1019.605–1105.185.
- Authorize treasurer to pay bills and invest funds: outcome: approved (unanimous roll-call yes). Provenance: transcript 1113.745–1127.8.
- Adopt tax budget as presented: outcome: approved (unanimous roll-call yes). Provenance: transcript 1138.915–1159.645.
- Approve resolution of attendance at community events: outcome: approved (unanimous roll-call yes). Provenance: transcript 1159.645–1181.84.
- Approve law firms for legal representation (listed firms): outcome: approved (unanimous roll-call yes). Provenance: transcript 1199.92–1217.905.

Discussion highlights and direction

Board members discussed calendar conflicts with the Ohio School Boards Association conference in November and adjusted the November meeting to Nov. 10 to avoid overlap. Members discussed moving the February regular meeting from Feb. 24 to Feb. 25 to preserve quorum and increase member participation; the board approved the one-day shift. The board president said she solicited preferences for committee assignments and proposed a slate of members to lead or participate on standing committees; those assignments are presidential appointments rather than board votes.

Quotations

Julie Schaefer, newly elected board president, said she “look[s] forward to continuing to lead the board, and all the work we started last year.”

Process notes

Where the board authorized the superintendent to act when the board is not in session, the motions explicitly require subsequent board ratification; the superintendent’s acceptance of resignations or employment offers is to be treated as effective at the time the superintendent acts, subject to that later ratification.

Ending

After completing the organizational business, the board recessed until 6:30 p.m. to begin its regularly scheduled meeting.