ANOTHER RESIGNATION ROCKS LOVELAND SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION

Ned Portune tendered his letter of resignation from the LCSD Board of Education after the close of their meeting Thursday, April 30, the same day fellow board member Art Jarvis resigned

By Chuck Gibson

LOVELAND, OH (May 1, 2020) – In a phone interview with Loveland Beacon Friday morning, Ned Portune confirmed his resignation from the Loveland City School District Board of Education. 

He tendered his resignation in a letter addressed to Dr. Kathryn Lorenz, President, LCSD Board of Education, Dr. Amy Crouse, Superintendent, Loveland City School District, and Mr. Kevin Hawley, Treasurer Loveland City School District. Here is an excerpt from the letter he delivered following the close of BOE meeting April 30, 2020:

Kathy, Amy, Kevin,

Please accept this letter as notification of my resignation from the Loveland City School District Board of Education, effective immediately. 

As I have discussed with you individually, and regardless of the optics of this timing, my resignation is for personal reasons, and should not be interpreted as a negative reflection of my faith in, and support of, the district leadership.

Portune also provided a written statement expressing sadness in acknowledging his departure from the LCSD BOE. It states his resignation is for personal reasons and in no way should reflect negatively on his continued support for, and faith in the Loveland School District leadership. He reaffirmed those words in the phone interview.

“This is not in response to the recent ballot initiative,” said Portune. “This is something I’ve been talking about and thinking about.”

He cited the impact of the pandemic crisis on his work creating increased and changing responsibilities there.

“The world is different and our responsibilities and requirements are different,” Portune said. “I truly felt I was in a position where I had to make a decision on what was vying for my time. I don’t like to do things at 50-percent or less than the effort I believe they deserve.”

Portune explained his feeling one thing or the other was going – his actual job, or serving on the BOE – to receive less than it deserves due to changes and expanded 

responsibilities. He cited his health and the health of his family as important factors weighing into the decision to step aside from his role with the Loveland City School District.

 “There comes a time when you have to make a choice between family health, work and that other priority, which was board, and the one that had to give was board,” he said. “I did not want to do anything prior to the election. I think with the forming of the planning commission and the work that’s going on, it makes sense to allow someone else to get in there now to be part of that.”

Portune’s written statement also points out his belief success for students and teachers doesn’t happen without a “culture of care, support, learning and high expectation set by their administrators” to whom he credits great expectations and results. He listed several successes accomplished by Loveland Schools during his tenure on the board the last several years. Among those, he included: seeing the state report card grades improve from marks of B, C, D & even F’s to A’s and Ohio Department of Education ranking going from 433^rd of 610 districts to a ranking of 22^nd in the ODE’s Value Added rankings. Those are just two of more than 10 points Portune cited in his written statement

He says the struggle is accurately communicating the message of success and professional, sound, visionary leadership to the community to translate into successful support for the LCSD. Portune does not see the problem as a lack of quality leadership, teachers, staff or community. It is why he believes the planning commission will serve such an important role going forward.

 “My hope is that is where the planning commission will be very important and have a positive impact here,” Portune said. “I have confidence in the District leadership. The leadership is strong, experienced, educated, visionary; it’s ethical, but getting the message out has, for whatever reasons, proven challenging.”

Ned Portune left his seat on the Board of Education, but he plans to champion the Loveland City School District from his position as a member of the community going forward. His departure leaves two vacancies on the board, which Loveland City Schools will move to fill at their next meeting May 12 according to a statement released late Friday morning and published in NEWS on Loveland Beacon. LCSD Board of Education President, Dr. Kathryn Lorenz also spoke to Loveland Beacon about the departure of board members Art Jarvis and Ned Portune.

 “I don’t really want to say anything about why Art Jarvis resigned, I’d like his statement of why stand,” said Lorenz. “I would like to say I am very sorry that anything external may have led to his desire to resign. I believe he has done an excellent job. I believe he and Kim (his wife) are very important giving members of the Loveland community.”

Lorenz was then faced with the resignation of board member Ned Portune immediately after the Thursday, April 30, meeting ended. The five member board now has two vacancies they must fill. At the same time, they are faced with difficult decisions for operating Loveland Schools with many unknowns from the pandemic fallout as well as the failed operating levy and subsequent cuts to the budget and personnel.

“It is my duty, along with Eileen and Michele, to ensure the integrity and continuity of the Board of Education,” Lorenz said. “We are charged with the responsibility of going ahead with the work of making sure the Loveland School District continues on a path of excellence.”

Lorenz sent both copies of Art Jarvis’ and Ned Portune’s letters of resignation to LCSD Treasurer Kevin Hawley immediately following receipt of Ned Portune’s resignation after the meeting Thursday evening.

Below is the entire text of the Ned Portune letter of resignation tendered after the close of the Loveland City School District Board of Education meeting Thursday, April 30, 2020:

April 30, 2020

From: Ned Portune, Member, LCSD Board of Education

To:

Dr. Kathryn Lorenz, President, LCSD Board of Education

Dr. Amy Crouse, Superintendent, Loveland City School District

Mr. Kevin Hawley, Treasurer, Loveland City School District

Kathy, Amy, Kevin,

Please accept this letter as notification of my resignation from the Loveland City School District Board of Education, effective immediately. 

As I have discussed with you individually, and regardless of the optics of this timing, my resignation is for personal reasons, and should not be interpreted as a negative reflection of my faith in, and support of, the district leadership.

Amy, you have done what you were challenged with:  raising the bar for our students’ and the district’s success. And you and Kevin have performed with exceptional grace and integrity in an environment of great adversity. I can’t thank you enough for the results you have championed, and your tireless efforts for our students. I am grateful to have worked with you both.

It has been an honor and privilege to have had the opportunity to serve our schools and this great community with this Board and be a part of the district’s improvements and our students’ achievements over the past several years. I am extremely proud to have been a part of that.

I will continue to be a fervent supporter of Loveland Schools and our students.

Best regards,

Ned Portune