STORY ELLA HUELSKAMP

PHOTOGRAPHY RILEY HIGGINS

Current Lakota Board of Education member Lynda O’Connor was one out of the five Ohio board members recognized as a member of the All-Ohio state school board. O’Connor said her motivation has always been the same.

“I don’t feel that I ever really moved away from what I originally started for, which was to make sure that there was transparency and accountability and fiscal responsibility,” O’Connor said. “I feel like I’ve carried through on those principles the entire time I’ve been on the board.”

This award is directed by the Ohio School Board Association (OSBA) over the five regions of Ohio. Each board member is recognized for their work in their community of education and represents the dedication of board members.

“There are so many good people truly dedicated to helping kids and making sure that we’re providing a great education,” O’Connor said. “[Helping kids] is the motivation that hasn’t changed for me.”

O’Connor states how it’s difficult to point out certain people across the state, when several board members are working to make a difference.
“How can you single out people from across the state with so many great board members that really want to make a difference for the kids?” O’Connor said.

Current board member Julie Shaffer, has been on the Lakota Board of Education since 2012, and feels that O’Connor is a valuable member of the board and community.

“She spends a tremendous amount of time and effort on state and local school board committees,” Shaffer said. “I believe this was a well-deserved recognition.”

A former teacher and current Lakota School Board member Kelly Casper also felt the work achieved by O’Connor was well deserving of this award.

“She has put over the years a lot of time and effort into school board activities,” Casper said. “For her to be recognized on a state level is an accomplishment for her.”

In O’Connor’s speech when accepting the award, she said that preparing students for their future is a major priority of hers. O’Connor strongly enforced the importance of daily decisions made by the board, and being careful in what choices are made regarding the curriculum.

“It’s about daily decisions that are made on expenditures that we make to make sure that we are using our assets and our resources appropriately for you,” O’Connor said.

Overall, O’Connor, now leading her fourteenth year on the board, is humbled with the outcome of this award, and is honored to work with so many “dedicated” people to get the kids what they need.

“It kind of took my breath away to be honest,” O’Connor said.