ONTARIO – It may be Lisa Carmichael’s last year in education, but she’s not counting down the days just yet.
Between an upcoming union contract and a renewal levy on the ballot, there’s far too much to do before the superintendent of Ontario Local Schools officially retires.
“I can’t even tell you how many days I have left, because I’m so busy. There’s so much to do between now and the end of the school year,” Carmichael said.
Carmichael will retire as superintendent at the end of June, wrapping up a 35-year career in education.
“She is probably one of, if not the best, superintendents I’ve ever worked with,” said Randy Harvey, Ontario’s treasurer.
It’s a compliment that carries weight — Harvey has worked with seven superintendents during his time at Ontario.
“What she’s been able to accomplish in her time here, her leadership, the way she makes the tough decisions that are hard to make through all these times – she’s just top-notch,” he added.
Carmichael grew up in Jefferson County in eastern Ohio. She studied elementary education, learning disabilities and behavior disorders at the Franciscan University of Steubenville and has a master’s degree in education from the University of Dayton.
She began her career in special education, working for the Indian Creek School District and Jefferson County Board of Developmental Disabilities. She eventually worked her way up to superintendent at Edison Local School District, then spent three years at Massillon City School District. In 2011, she became the superintendent at Ontario.
“I came and visited and what stood out to me was everybody that I talked to had nothing but great things to say about the school district,” she recalled.
Carmichael officially retired at the end of the 2019-2020 school year, but returned on a retire-rehire contract for two more years. She arrived during a time of difficult transitions, from the start of open enrollment to the departure of Ontario’s GM plant.
“We still were able to negotiate contracts with our unions and still had good relationships with our union. We were still able to provide quality education during that time,” Harvey said. “Ontario Schools is stronger and a better school district now than it was 12 years ago when she came, in spite of all those difficulties she’s had to navigate.”
Despite the turmoil Ontario faced a decade ago, Carmichael said the uncertainty of the last two years has been some of the most challenging in her career. School administrators have been forced to make tough calls on masking, virtual learning and how to cope with staffing shortages.
“The last year and a half, every decision that I make is criticized,” she said. “People give their opinions, but I can really see both sides to those arguments. So it’s been difficult in that regard.”
Nevertheless, Carmichael said she’s proud that Ontario has been able to continue with in-person learning since students returned. She’s also happy with the growth the district has seen during her tenure.
“When I came in 2011, that was the first year we implemented open enrollment and I think back then we had 119 open enrollment students,” she said. “This year accepted 460 and we have a waiting list for students who want to come here.
“We’re still the school of choice here and I think that says something.”
Carmichael said she’s confident in the team she’s leaving behind, which includes Harvey, assistant superintendent Mike Ream and her successor — current middle school principal Keith Strickler.
“It’s going to be a really seamless transition I think,” she said. “I feel good walking away that the district’s going to be in great hands.”
School board president Heidi Zimmerman agreed.
“We are happy with our choice of Keith. We feel like he’s someone who grew up in Ontario and he’s going to have a good sense of the community and of the families,” she said. “Lisa has been a strong leader through the pandemic and that she wants to help Keith as much as possible to create the best transition possible, which shows she cares about the future of the district, not just the present.”
Carmichael said she’s enjoyed working at a smaller district, where she’s able to build lasting relationships staff and students.
“There are students here that I’ll stay in touch with for the rest of my life,” she said.
Her co-workers describe her as someone who has a heart for kids, especially those with special needs.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen any administrator with as much care for students with special needs or coming from traumatic circumstances or home life – she’s just incredible,” Strickler said.
Carmichael is known for taking students under her wing. A drawing of a bouquet of roses sits on her desk — a hand-made gift delivered from a student.
“She has a compassionate heart for kids in need especially,” Zimmerman said. “She goes out of her way with some of the kids, especially the special needs kids, to spend extra time with them.”
When asked what she’s most proud of from her time at Ontario, Carmichael talked about enhanced course offerings and opportunities for students. When she arrived at Ontario, there were no college course options available for students.
Now Ontario High School students can take up to 40 credit hours for free before they graduate.
“Those are the things that make me most proud is when I look at the decisions I made and different programs that have been initiated and implemented and how they’ve impacted so many kids,” she said.
Securing renewal levies and updating the district’s technology also top that list.
“In March of 2020, when COVID hit, we were as prepared as we could be for that because our students already had Chromebooks,” she recalled. “They were already accustomed to Google classrooms and some remote learning through blizzard bags and things that we’ve done.”
Her advice to her successor is simple: hire good people and own your successes.
“You need to do a good job and you need to tell people about it. And you need to pass your levies,” she said. “Those are really the three most key components, not only successful superintendent, but a successful school district.”
