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Colors of Creativity Lakota Art Showcase at Liberty Center with Fitton Center March 15-April 10

Visit the Foundry of Liberty Center to experience the first Lakota Art Showcase in partnership with the Fitton Center for Creative Arts.

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Young boy grinning and holding a red Lakota foam finger, standing in the front of the line. Text at right reads %22Be First In Line!%22

Have an Incoming Kindergartner?

Don't waste another minute! Now enrolling NEW K-12 students for the 2025-2026 school year.

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Together WE Can...

Lakota's latest printed community newsletter zooms in on some of this year's shared successes.

View the E-Version

The image shows a dark gradient background with the text %22NEW: Lakota Gem Award%22 in elegant fonts. The word %22NEW%22 is in bold, light blue capital letters, while %22Lakota Gem Award%22 is written in a white cursive script. To the right side of the image, there are various colorful gemstones, including a pink, blue, yellow, and red gem, arranged diagonally, adding a sense of sparkle and luxury. The overall tone is formal and glamorous, emphasizing the introduction of a prestigious award.

WE Celebrate Staff

Every month, we'll spotlight those teachers, administrators and support staff who are a cut above the rest! 

Nominate a Lakota Gem

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Virtual Tour of Every Lakota School

Check out our new virtual tours to see what the Lakota learning experience is like at each of our schools.

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News & events

Enrollment Study Master Facilities Plan Update picture of young boy wearing a cap and holding a magnifying glass with A+

At the March 4, 2025 Master Facilities Committee meeting, John Mercurio from John W. Mercurio and Associates presented his findings from an independent enrollment study conducted for the District. Chief Operating Officer Chris Passarge commissioned Mercurio for this project to provide the committee a second enrollment study to compare against the one conducted by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) last fall.

WebsiteUpdates (PDF)

At the March 4 school board work session, Superintendent Ashley Whitely shared that updates to the District’s website would be forthcoming to more accurately reflect staffing shifts that have occurred over the past 18 months. “We would like to go through and restructure some things so that it’s accurate information,” said Whitely.

Red black and gray splatters of color

Lakota Preschool, located at both VanGorden Elementary and Liberty ECS, is now accepting lottery applications for available tuition-based seats for the 2025-2026 school year. Applications for the limited spots must be submitted by March 21 for inclusion in the lottery. Applicants will be notified by March 25.

Three young students huddle around a map smiling

If ever faced with a natural disaster, Freedom Elementary students now have an idea of what a full-scale community response might look like. Most importantly, they know how to tackle each job and whether or not they’re the person to take it on. 

MISSION STATEMENT

Everything WE do is designed to provide a future-ready, student-centered learning experience for every single child.

We are

Personalized

We are

Future Ready

We are

Fiscally Responsible

We are

In this Together

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Points of

Pride

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Culturally Diverse:

With 42% of students celebrating their multicultural backgrounds, Lakota provides a culturally-diverse experience where respect and inclusion are taught as core values.

Fiscally Responsible:

Fewer than 5% of all entities that are audited annually earn the "Auditor of State Award with Distinction" - and Lakota has received the honor 10 years in a row. 

1:1 Technology:

Through Lakota's WE are Empowered initiative, all students in grades K-12 have access to their own Chromebook for daily learning.

Dogs of Lakota:

Lakota's pack of ten therapy dogs are wagging their tails around the district, providing therapy and emotional support to even our youngest learners. 

The 4Es:

We believe in preparing every student for success after graduation in one of the 4Es: Enrollment in higher education; Enlistment in military service; Employment as a contributing member of our community; or Entrepreneurship.