Bridge Contract Advances Start Date for Superintendent Dr. Ashley Whitely to July 1

At the June 27, 2024 Lakota Board of Education meeting, the Board approved a bridge contract that advances Dr. Ashley Whitely’s start date as superintendent of Lakota Local Schools to July 1, 2024. 

The Board named Whitely superintendent at a special meeting on May 4 with an Aug. 1 start date. In addition, Whitely would have 20 contracted days to overlap with Interim Superintendent Elizabeth Lolli during the transition into the new role. In June, Lolli asked the Board to approve a bridge contract in which Whitely would officially be named superintendent one month earlier. 

Following the approval of the bridge contract, Lolli will shift to a consulting role, working remotely with Whitely and other staff for the month of July before retiring on Aug. 1. “In order to make sure there is a smoother transition, I recommended to the Board that I am available whenever (Dr. Whitely) needs me,” Lolli told the Board at Thursday's meeting. “She has already been here this week, meeting with the team and learning what their projects are, as well as meeting with me on a regular basis.” 

Lolli explained that officially giving Whitely the superintendent title a month earlier would allow her to get a better jump start. It would also mitigate any confusion as to who the district leader is when Lolli returns from a previously scheduled vacation mid-July. In addition to shifting to more of a consulting role, Lolli will continue to wrap up the superintendent responsibilities she was already working on.

“I’m excited to officially begin my new role as superintendent on Monday,” said Whitely. One of her goals for the first semester, she said, is to meet with as many stakeholder groups as possible for “listen and learn” sessions. “I want to gather feedback from our administrators, staff, students, families and community members about our district,” she said. “I want to keep Lakota’s rich traditions while we look to the future and determine what steps are necessary to best support our students and ensure they are meeting their full learning potential.” 

Dates for Whitely’s listen and learn sessions will be posted on Lakota’s website in the near future.