Robert Wilson, the superintendent for Lakeview Local Schools for 12 years, is now announcing his retirement. Through the hard work and dedication he has provided, this district is one of the best in the area. Such strong leadership will be greatly missed.

The search for a new superintendent is now on, and filling the shoes Wilson has left is going to be a very difficult task. You may ask, “How are we going to find someone to meet all of the qualities, and what is the process?”

Our school district has published a pamphlet explaining all the information needed to someone interested in the position. The pamphlet lists a lot of statistics about Cortland, Ohio and our district, but most importantly, it states all of the qualifications needed to keep our school and community united together. As an example of some of our most important qualities listed, “is child-centered and keeps students at the core of each decision, able to balance these needs with the district’s legal, judicial, and financial requirements, and, is a person of integrity and personal accountability with high standards of ethics, honesty, and transparency.” These are just a few of the qualifications listed of many, but I think these are very important.

As a student of Lakeview Schools my whole life, keeping students at the core of each decision is something Wilson has done a great job of doing and something I hope our new superintendent takes to heart.

Next, I will explain what one of our Board of Education members has to say about what the board looks for when hiring a new superintendent.

Board member Larry Sherer kindly responded to an email I sent. He was very thorough with his answer, but my most important takeaway is, “I think a good superintendent is a person who constantly helps develop the goals and hopes for the school community.”

Sherer also said, “A good superintendent needs the personal qualities that assure that the school community works together to accomplish the established goals and hopes.”

The qualities our school district looks for are all something we could agree upon, considering we are essentially hiring a new “CEO” of our school district. Best of luck to everyone involved in this process, and thank you, Bob Wilson, for everything you’ve done for Lakeview Local Schools!

The Bulldog Bulletin will continue to cover the ongoing process of finding a new superintendent.