NWLSD Leadership & Teachers Exit District while Buildings Crumble

Over 24 employees of the NWLSD have resigned; most for "personal reasons, " according to the NWLSD's Board Meeting Minutes. One name missing from those resigning in the board meeting minutes is the superintendent, Darrell Yater. He, too, is leaving. With him goes 3 principals, 9 teachers, and 5 Intervention Assistants.

NWLSD Superintendent Darrell Yater resigns, taking a demotion in another district. Employees hint that Dustin Gehring has resigned also.Photo byWaycross Media Clip, Retrieved May 26, 2024

According to the meeting minutes, at least 24 staff have resigned due to retirement, for personal reasons, or taking another position. For comparison, Oak Hills announced in their meeting minutes 1/2 the number of employees as the NWLSD resigning. None of those were principals or program directors.

It sounds like a resounding vote of "no confidence" with the new Board of Education that has a majority of members who are ultra-conservatives and do not have children in the public school district now - or ever.

According to the district's website, the district is losing a stellar public servant:

Darrell has been an employee of NWLSD for over 20 years. He has served in various capacities throughout the district, granting him a unique awareness and perspective of the district’s needs. He began his journey with Northwest as a Language Arts Teacher, and his career has led him down a path to also serve as a Curriculum Specialist, Building Administrator, and Assistant Director of Special Education. In 2018, Darrell was hired as the Assistant Superintendent, a role that he has been serving in ever since ... In 2007, he was honored as the Milken Educator of the Year, an award only given to top educators around the country.

Yater is accepting a demotion as he exits the district to go to the Little Miami School District as their "Executive Director of HR". He's been given a 3-year contract with the district. Our records search does not indicate that Yater's contract with the NWLSD was even on the agenda - or the minds, of the board members.

Residents learned of the resignation via a Facebook post on NWLSD - Residents Working for Change late Friday evening as guests discussed the revelation that the Colerain Elementary School might be closing due to serious and dangerous neglect of the building's infrastructure.

The NWLSD "Contingency Plan" related to the collapse of an exterior wall of Colerain Elementary School.Photo byNWLSD, Retrieved May 26, 2024

Meanwhile, the Colerain Boosters organization is being investigated by the Ohio Attorney General's non-profit division for falsifying their tax reports for the last 4 years. Sandi Petrou, president of the boosters, refuses to provide the public or reporters copies of their tax records (in violation of federal law), financial records, meeting minutes, etc. When records were requested and she was confronted with the secrecy, Petrou wrote:

"[W]e aren’t “concealing” anything. As a charity/nonprofit we are not obligated to share it. There is absolutely no reason we should voluntarily turn anything over to you or anyone else. "

The Attorney General and IRS don't have to ask.

Petrou's tax forms indicate they are a "school district," as such, they are obligated to produce records upon request.

What is she hiding, anyway?

Petrou, acting as president of the boosters, issued a document to the president of the beleaguered Little Cards Youth Football & Cheer program, severing their 4+ year, improper relationship when she learned they were subject to investigation.

The boosters allowed the program's then-president to have a no-bid, exclusive contract with the boosters for years to provide uniforms and spirit wear via his private business. The boosters permitted the organization to use the booster's Federal EIN, but never reported the income from that program. The boosters also allowed the football program to use their nonprofit status in violation of their bylaws and IRS rules. Currently, both the new president and long-term vice-president of the youth group are employees of the school district which has been steering who controls the Little Cards football program.

The school board has known about the issues since January and has turned a blind eye to the Boosters possible malfeasance and continues to allow them to keep their records secret with no oversight from the district. The Boosters and the current and past leadership of the Little Cards program refuse to produce any documents or respond to inquiries to clear up the matter and dispel concerns of a cover-up of possible malfeasance and self-dealing in both programs.

Colerain Elementary School is falling down as exodus of teachers, principals, and the superintendent show "no confidence" in the board of edPhoto byNWLSD, Retrieved Mjay 26, 2024

In addition, the district quietly proposed a unification of the 2 high schools, Colerain and Northwest, to save money with a dwindling student enrollment. The Northwest Knights High School has long been the red-headed step-child of the district receiving lesser-than services and attention. There is an undeniable rivalry that separates the district - and township - between the east-side and west-side residents and students. The east-siders believe they will be more burdened than the wealthier -and less diverse - west side of the district, particularly due to the proximity of the proposed unified high school being located on the west-side of the township making it impossible for students to walk to school.

As buildings crumble over the heads of students, with concerns of malfeasance and improper influence of nonprofits, and an exodus of faculty and upper-level staff, residents feel ignored by elected officials and are concerned that they are heading toward a fiscal emergency like that being experienced in neighboring Mt. Healthy school district.