Deception and Lack of Strategy in Lakewood Schools’ Leadership Persists
- Preserve Lakewood Schools
- Aug 23
- 4 min read
In a recent WKYC interview, Lakewood City Schools Superintendent Maggie Niedzwiecki was directly asked about the alleged legal infractions by the Board of Education as related to the Elementary Planning Task Force and overall process. You can watch the video here.
Superintendent Maggie Niedzwiecki (who we will refer to as “Maggie” for the remainder of the article as she signs her emails that way), made comments during the interview which are misleading at best, and lies at worst. The below statements in bold are claims from her in the video, and we have clarified beneath each one.
Claim # 1: They [the Board] were there as observers” at “ 7 meetings” in reference to the closed door Task Force meetings
Maggie’s own words confirm that all five Board members attended seven closed Task Force meetings. Maggie just admitted to breaking the law on television. She admits a violation of Ohio’s Sunshine Laws, which require public notice any time the full Board (all 5 members) convenes. The law is unambiguous, and Board members- who must undergo Sunshine Law training each term- know this. These safeguards exist to ensure transparency and accountability in public decision-making, a keystone of democracy.
Photo evidence on the district’s own website and social media shows Board members seated among Task Force participants, engaging in conversation. Despite Maggie’s attempt to downplay it, this is not passive “observing.” It is a breach of the law. Maggie is standing at the podium in one of these images so she was there in the room; she is lying to our faces when she says they were just there observing.
Transparency isn’t about sharing decisions after the fact- it’s about allowing the public to witness deliberations as they happen. To make matters worse, the district even listed Board members as “Task Force Members” on its own site.
Claim # 2: that the district wasn’t able to reach an agreement (In regards to the legal demand letter from Friends of Lakewood Schools)
This framing misrepresents reality. According to a recent press release from Friends of Lakewood Schools (FLS):
“Friends of Lakewood Schools is disappointed that Lakewood’s school board and superintendent have decided to put on a public-relations theater rather than address the significant legal, governance, and strategic issues in front of them. The public should be concerned that, rather than setting a clear vision for the future of Lakewood’s schools and putting a proper strategic plan in place, the Lakewood school board is preparing to light another $50,000 of taxpayer money on fire for yet another enrollment study in a desperate attempt to ‘cleanse’ the illegality of their actions over the past few years.”
Who is Friends of Lakewood Schools (FLS)? FLS is a separate non-profit organization formed to promote and advocate for strategic planning and good governance within the Lakewood Schools and by the Lakewood Board of Education. While FLS’s mission as an organization is focused on developing long-term sustainable solutions for supporting public education amid a volatile state and federal funding environment, the lack of basic governance and strategic planning by the Board of Education exhibited over the past year prompted FLS to engage counsel and pursue legal remedies to safeguard school assets from mismanagement. You can find more about FLS at www.friendsoflakewoodschools.org.
FLS further clarified to Preserve Lakewood Schools:
There was no settlement because the district refused to pause its closure/repurposing process and engage in true strategic planning.
Their only “offer” was to discard the task force, commission another study, and move on- exactly what they are doing now.
FLS never asked the district not to use the February 2025 enrollment study. Instead, the district appears to be using the demand letter as a convenient excuse to order a costly new study that better fits its preferred narrative.
The Takeaway
It was already clear to us that the district is doubling down on their efforts to barrel forward with closing an elementary school - now that we see Maggie lie on television, it’s CRYSTAL clear. And in the process, this is further causing discord and divide in the community; not to mention, further legal fees to defend themselves and more expensive enrollment studies that were not requested.
We’ll let the legal experts that Friends of Lakewood Schools has engaged continue to dig into the records and call for accountability in the legal arena; they’ve said they are “just getting started”. Preserve Lakewood Schools is underscoring the cavalier attitude and utter lack of accountability that is occurring in regards to being held to the letter of the law.
This situation isn’t just about closing a school- it’s about whether our elected local officials follow the law and involve the community in major decisions that affect publicly funded buildings. So far, the Board has refused to engage in the transparent planning process that concerned residents have been requesting for months on end.
To use an analogy: the district was caught speeding, but is angry at the officer for pulling them over. They seem to have their foot on the same pedal, just on a new back road. It’s time for a new driver. Preserve Lakewood Schools is calling for lawful and honest leadership on the Board of Education. Join us on Tuesday 9/2 to chalk the sidewalks to make our voices heard before the Board Meeting and then stay to speak or attend the meeting.
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