Patrick resigns from Olentangy BOE

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The Olentangy Schools Board of Education is looking to fill a vacant seat following the resignation of Mindy Patrick on May 26.

Patrick, who was first elected to the board in 2016, announced her resignation during the May 26 board meeting. Patrick cited a move of her family to their “dream home” just outside of the Olentangy Local School District borders as the reason necessitating her resignation.

“I can honestly say that it has been a true honor and privilege to serve alongside Kevin O’Brien, LaKesha Wyse, Kevin Daberkow, Brandon Lester, and my former fellow board members Julie Wagner Feasel, Dave King and Roger Bartz,” Patrick said during the meeting. “I consider all of my fellow board members, past or present, to be excellent mentors and role models. It’s been a true pleasure to work with you all.”

Patrick praised the district leadership and, most especially, the teachers for their dedication to each student throughout the district. Finally, she lauded the efforts of the district staff to promote social and emotional learning, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion. Patrick issued a strong and personal testimonial, telling the story of her son, Mason, who graduated from Olentangy Liberty High School this year despite years of struggling with learning disabilities.

“With all the resources my husband and I have, we could not buy what Olentangy has done for our son,” Patrick said.

Patrick went on to condemn the “misuse of social media,” saying respect and common courtesy are no longer common.

“Bullying on social media is still bullying,” she said. “To this group of individuals, it was not a pleasure to serve you. The focus of meaningful work became a focus on national policies and politics, and that kept me from doing what I’m passionate about, which is advocating for literacy.

“Thankfully, now I will have time to get back to why I got involved with education in the first place and advocate for struggling readers across Ohio and beyond.”

The application to fill the vacant board seat is available on the district website, and applications must be submitted online by Tuesday, June 7. The board will meet in executive session during its meeting on June 9 to review the applications, and if interviews are deemed necessary, they will be completed by June 19.

The board will then appoint the new member at the June 23 meeting to fill Patrick’s remaining term, which ends on Dec. 31, 2023.

“The Olentangy Board of Education is looking for a resident who is interested in serving our community by working with district administration to achieve our mission of facilitating maximum learning for every student,” Board of Education President Kevin O’Brien said in a release. “The board looks forward to reviewing applications and meeting with community members who are interested in filling this open member position.”

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By Dillon Davis

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Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on Twitter @DillonDavis56.

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