A Note From Superintendent, Donna Hubbard

 August 23, 2010

Dear Parents,

Lockland School District offers its students and parents a unique educational experience. The district prides itself in providing a small school opportunity for students in which their academic needs are addressed. Personalized attention to academics maximizes student potential. Rigorous academic courses in conjunction with efforts to build character and self-confidence in our students develop strong future leaders of the community, who are successful in obtaining their career goals. Lockland students are encouraged to build relationships with their classmates and teachers. These relationships are among the strongest in their lifetimes. The district has had 94-100% graduation rates for the last seven years which have been increased from 61% in 2003. Lockland graduates are strong and determined to persist in their efforts to meet their lifetime goals.
Our small class size and accelerated reading and math programs allow students to take advantage of early graduation, post secondary coursework at local colleges, flex credit offerings for high school students on Odysseyware virtual learning, vocational careers at the Great Oaks campuses, an alternative work-study high school offering, and gifted courses for our elementary and middle school students, who score in the 95th percentile on national norms.
Our small school, big experience approach to educating students provides parents with outstanding programs that are tuition free. Students needing special attention to academic deficits are given after- school tutoring. Our computer labs are open to elementary students at 7:15 a.m. each morning. Our athletes receive free physicals. Our district has a no pay-to-play policy for athletic participation, which is $200-$400 per sport in other districts. There are also no student fees for labs or other courses.
A Grab and Go Breakfast program has been implemented for our elementary students in grades K-5 from 7:30 to 7:55. Students in grades 6-12 are also offered breakfast in the cafeteria at the same times each morning. Lockland School District’s uniforms are consistent district-wide and they resemble uniforms much like private schools. Parents are appreciative of the cost savings for school clothes and the improvement in discipline and appearances this policy affords.

The school district presents a true financial bargain for the parents and for the communities of Lockland and Arlington Heights. Opening enrollment, aggressively seeking grant funding, reductions in staffing along with frugal spending practices have helped a committed Board of Education financially balance the district’s budget over the last seven years. Opening enrollment was an innovative strategy that was first initiated by the district in 2004. This strategy was so successful in keeping the district open without having to merge or go back to the voters for more levies that surrounding districts are now opening enrollment. Milford, Reading, and St. Bernard have followed our lead and opened enrollment. This has leveled the playing field on this innovative strategy to obtain more school funding.
In this present economy, most districts have asked their communities to pass levies every two to three years. Lockland has only passed three levies and one bond issue in the last thirty years. Due to the loss of tangible personal property tax revenue from local businesses, every district in Ohio has experienced a loss of revenue. Lockland, too, has lost or will lose significant revenue due to this change in the taxation laws. Other factors that have negatively influenced the district’s budget have been impacted by Ohio’s HB 1 altering the way that it funds schools. The Evidence Based Model (EBM) of school funding, which is now used, penalizes small districts such as Lockland. Despite Lockland employees and administrators agreeing to accept minimal or no raises to offset these decreases in revenue during the last few negotiations, it has become necessary to propose a 14.95 mill levy November 2, 2010 to secure Lockland’s financial future. A 14.95 mill levy is predicted to last five years. Financial information will be forthcoming this fall to explain the district’s need for additional revenue. Lockland has 159 years of tradition and the educational program that is offered to the students of Lockland School District is still upholding the tradition of excellence that it provided a century ago.
It is my pleasure to serve as Superintendent of the Lockland School District and I wish everyone a very happy school year! If I may be of assistance in any way throughout the year in helping your child(ren) experience an exceptionally GREAT school year, please do not hesitate to contact me at 513.563.5000 x 103 or e-mail at donna.hubbard@locklandschools.org.

Sincerely,

Donna Hubbard, Superintendent
Lockland Local School District 2010-11