Frequently Asked Questions

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There are 1,027 fewer students enrolled in the Lakewood City Schools than in 2015.

There are 494 fewer students enrolled in the Lakewood Elementary Schools than in 2015.

General education K-5 classrooms in use have declined from 106 in 2018-2019 to 88 in 2025-2026.

It impacts the quality of education when we have inequitable class sizes; the district has had to transfer teachers each year, involuntarily, in order to balance class sizes. 

Teachers are highly supportive of one another, especially when teaching the same grade. At some elementary schools, we have only one class per grade level, leaving the teacher without a partner or professional support. 

For years, the Superintendent and Treasurer have dealt with the issue by right-sizing through attrition and consolidating administrative roles. This is no longer sufficient to address the significant enrollment decline. 

Having more students at the same school will help stabilize class size and minimize teacher movement. 

While these changes would improve the quality of education and teacher satisfaction. To me, these reasons alone would not justify the disruption of a school community. 

Compounding this problem is the issue of school finances. 

Ohio has the most school levies in the United States because of House Bill 920, which is a law that limits how much revenue a new property tax levy can generate and keeps the dollar amount frozen even while property values increase. 

This will result in Lakewood’s taxpayer contribution increasing from 63% in 2026 to 65% in 2027

One problem is that when the district needs to ask for a levy to continue operations, they will need a minimum of 1.5 additional mills to maintain its current financial position if we do not repurpose an elementary school. 

"But Lakewood always votes yes for school levies"

Lakewood taxpayers have been very generous and that is partly because we do everything we can to act responsibly before we ask the taxpayers to invest in our schools. 

Half of the Northeast Ohio levies on the ballot in the last election failed.

Ohio has the most school levies in the United States because of House Bill 920, a law that limits how much revenue a new property tax levy can generate and keeps the dollar amount frozen even while property values increase. 

This means that school districts have to repeatedly seek voter approval for new or renewal levies to keep pace with inflation and funding needs. This is called levy fatigue.

In addition, there are multiple bills that would be detrimental to public education currently being considered by the Ohio legislature. Proposals that were vetoed by the Governor can still be passed until the end of next year.

We are very fortunate to have advocates like State Senator Nickie Antonio and Representative Tristan Rader fighting for us in Columbus. Unfortunately, they are in the minority so we must continue to anticipate the potential effects of these bills.

I am aware that some have called references to the state funding threats scare tactics.

I wish they were; they are real and are one of the most critical factors impacting our future. Anyone serious about public education knows that.

As a board member, I have experienced unexpected funding reductions that hurt our students and teachers, with some consequences that continue to impact us today.

Everyone working in the administration and each of my fellow board members take community concerns to heart.

We have only the best interests of all Lakewood’s children and citizens in mind and each of us will have to determine how to best serve the Lakewood City Schools, now and for the future.

I graduated from Lakewood High School, secured a Bachelor of Science in Education from Ohio University and a Master of Business Administration from Cleveland State University. I served as a Trustee of the Lakewood Public Library and as President of both the Lincoln and Horace Mann PTAs, and worked on multiple efforts to pass school and library bond issues and operating levies. I participated in a city-wide audit of health needs in Lakewood and am very proud to have contributed to the Adolescent Health initiative that resulted in the Teen Health Clinic. I have served on the Lakewood Ranger Association Board and am currently a member of the Lakewood Foundation Board and League of Women Voters. 

I am running for reelection to the Lakewood Board of Education because I remain passionate about public education and the promise it holds for our children and our country. I believe my personal history of commitment to the schools and to the citizens of Lakewood reflects my ability to respect tradition, embrace opportunity, protect the values of our community and to always ask myself “does this help all our students excel and thrive?" I have demonstrated my commitment to Lakewood and to our schools for decades and have tried to deal with adversity and success with restraint, appreciation, and a sense of perspective acquired over many years on the board.