From the Superintendent

Welcome to Lakota Local Schools! 

January 2026

At Lakota, we believe WE are Building OUR Future…One Piece at a Time, and as we return from Winter Break, I want to thank you for being such a vital part of our journey thus far. During the first semester, we began building the foundation of our jigsaw puzzle, and the edges are now in place and the picture of student success is truly beginning to emerge. 

Every student, staff member, parent and community partner holds a unique and important piece of that puzzle creation. We are continually striving to create a vibrant, supportive and forward-thinking educational experience for all students.

This semester, we remain anchored in the R-Factor Performance Pathway—the guiding principle of E + R = O, which reminds us that while we cannot control every event, we can control how we respond. These daily choices shape our outcomes and, more importantly, our culture. Soon, we will be introducing our new Culture Blueprint to all Lakota staff, which was co-created by a team of our employees. This document will help us anchor our values, behaviors, and outcomes in our daily work. Whether an individual has been part of Lakota for years or is new to our community, this shared mindset will continue to help us all grow, connect and thrive.

We are also looking ahead with intention and purpose as we continue important work on our Master Facilities Plan (MFP). The Board of Education and district leaders are reviewing the results from focus groups and feedback sessions, along with the community-wide ThoughtExchange survey. This feedback will be strongly considered as MFP work moves forward to:

• Improve safety and security in our schools;
• Enhance educational programming and opportunities for every learner, including fewer building transitions between grade bands;
• Reduce overcrowding and lower class sizes to better support students and staff; and
• Achieve operational efficiencies.

More information will be shared as decisions are made. While communications will be sent via our normal channels, I also encourage the community to stay informed by visiting our MFP website. More information, including community meeting dates, can be found here. 

Last year, I held over 100 listening sessions to hear directly from you—our families and community members. We will continue gathering feedback to help shape our next strategic plan, which will serve as our vision for the future. Together, we will design a plan that honors our strengths, addresses our challenges, and reflects our shared values.

As we step into the second semester, let’s keep building and shaping a future that reflects the best of who we are as a Lakota community—supporting our students as we build OUR future, one piece at a time.

Dr. Ashley Whitely
Superintendent/CEO