WEST CHESTER, Ohio — Lakota Local School District voters have significant choices ahead this November, from selecting new board members to deciding on a major bond issue that could completely reshape the district's educational landscape.
The district is working to ensure all community members are well-informed before heading to the polls, with Superintendent Dr. Ashley Whitely noting that officials update their FAQ every time they receive inquiries from residents.
On Nov. 4, voters will decide whether to fund the district's master facilities plan, which would dramatically change Lakota's footprint from 21 buildings to 16. The plan aims to address overcrowding and improve aging facilities throughout the district.
We were certainly cognizant going into this, but also from my listening and learning sessions as a superintendent, was class size when you were sitting at class sizes of 27-28 plus, and then some in K-6, that is the most immediate need because we’re just out of space in these buildings," said Whitely.
District leaders say they have been transparent about the need for improvements, even providing tours of the nine schools beyond repair that would be replaced with four new elementary schools. These tours allow families to see the issues firsthand.
You can see inside the schools here:
During one tour at Lakota West Freshman Campus, officials showed the deteriorating conditions, with one administrator noting the challenging environment students face daily.
If passed, as WCPO 9 previously reported, construction on additional space for grades 6-12 would begin in 2026 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2028. New elementary schools would be completed in 2029, with demolition on older structures to begin in 2030.
"Adena has an innovation center right now that has four classrooms, reading intervention, gifted, and ELL all going on in one space, because we're out of room," said Whitely. "I also think that our maintenance team and our custodians and our administrators are making sure that our buildings continue to be safe, but sometimes that takes a lot of love and attention in a building, particularly like West freshman, to make sure that we can continue the educational environment."
Lakota is the largest school district in Butler County, and voters will also choose from six candidates competing for three available school board seats.
If the bond issue fails, Whitely acknowledged the district would need to work with the newly elected board to determine next steps.
"One of the important parts of the bond issue is that 2.66 mill that we're asking for eliminates the need for an operating levy in the future, in 2028-2029," said Whitely.
A Building OUR Future: Community Information Session is scheduled for 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, at Lakota East High School Innovation Hub.
Correction: A previous version of this web story erroneously stated the dollar amount of the bond issue. It has since been updated to show the correct amount.
