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Outgoing board member urges better onboarding, more outreach and comfort with dissent
Summary
A departing Lorain City Schools board member (addressed as Barbara) used new business time to call for improved onboarding for new members, more committee meetings and public-facing engagement; she also encouraged members that it is acceptable to vote 'no.'
During new business at the Nov. 24 meeting, a board member addressed the board at length about improving onboarding for new members, strengthening internal communication and increasing visible support for students and extracurricular groups.
The speaker — later addressed by name as Barbara — said onboarding could be difficult for new members and urged the board to be "really friendly" in sharing information, and to make committee work more regular so members could bring consistent updates back to the full board. She praised existing training and said she had "heard nothing but great things" about training opportunities and the district's wellness room donors.
Barbara suggested visible outreach such as attending events together, volunteering as a group when appropriate, and wearing school shirts or polos to show support for clubs and teams. She also said it is appropriate for members to vote against measures they do not support, telling colleagues that "it's okay to say I don't support this" and that the board will be all right.
She requested three additional meetings before the end of the year, including executive sessions, to address outstanding matters; that scheduling request was recorded but no formal vote on meeting scheduling appears in the transcript.
The speaker closed by urging the board to be more approachable and welcoming to meeting attendees and community members. The board's next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 8 at 5 p.m.
