City Council chooses Lisa Lazar for GCSC School Board seat

A young mother with three children is the latest appointment to the Greencastle School Board of Trustees.

Acting on a motion by Councilman T.J. Smith, the Greencastle City Council Tuesday night appointed Lisa Lazar to the school board in a 3-0 decision. The school board term takes effect July 1 for four years.

After Smith's motion and a second from Councilman Mark Hammer, Phyllis Rokicki added the necessary third and deciding vote since Council President Adam Cohen abstained and Jinsie Bingham was absent.

Cohen explained that he abstained because he has known and worked with both Lazar and the other candidate, incumbent board member Bill Tobin, in his position at DePauw University.

Lisa Lazar

In making the motion to appoint Lazar, Smith called her "very approachable" with a personality that is "down to earth" while offering "exciting goals" for the future of the Greencastle Community School Corporation.

"Now that I have three little Hoosiers (ranging in age from 2-8), I want to be part of their education," Lazar said during her interview in front of the Council earlier Tuesday evening.

She promised to be "active and willing to do things and listen to people."

Lazar, a Greencastle resident for more than 16 years, has children at Deer Meadow Primary School and helps out in the classrooms there.

"I would love to see the community more active" in the classroom, she said, suggesting parents could donate time at least once a month to help children learn their letters and assist their reading efforts.

With a background in athletic training, she is a member of the Area 30 Health Science Advisory Committee and works part-time for Ortho-Indy and DePauw. Her husband, Vince, is a teacher and golf coach for DePauw.

Addressing what she perceives as her most important function as a school board member, Lazar hopes she can become "a voice for the people," helping promote a positive environment and continue to help raise local academic achievement and standards.

Tobin, who serves as DePauw director of Institutional Research, was named to the school board in February 2012, succeeding City Council appointee Monica Fennell who had resigned a month earlier.

However, Tobin was actually selected by the school board itself (as stipulated in its bylaws) to complete the remainder of Fennell's unexpired term.

Tobin served during what he termed a "pretty traumatic period" for the school board, admitting that some mistakes were made during that board member learning curve.

"I think we've turned the corner," he said of the atmosphere within the corporation, "where people are back to complaining (to school board members) about playing time."

He praised the faculty and administration in the GCSC.

"The level of skill and dedication the teachers and administration bring to it is very encouraging," Tobin said.

He also was asked if he felt board members' visibility within the schools was important.

"Within limits," Tobin responded.

"When you're in a building, you're raising anxiety levels," he reasoned, "and then people can't work. I know I would freak out if one of our board members came into my office to watch me work."

Despite choosing Lazar over Tobin, City Council members had nothing but praise for his service, expressing the hope he would continue to be involved in the local schools.

"It really does take a village," Rokicki commented.

Councilman Hammer offered thanks to Tobin for his service "through very trying times."

"It was not an easy time to be on the school board," Hammer said, as the other Council members concurred with his thoughts about Tobin.

The seat to which Lazar has been named is one of two that represent residents within the city limits of Greencastle on the appointed GCSC board.

The other City Council appointee is Denise Sigworth, who was named to the school board in June 2012. Sigworth was in the audience when the Council announced its selection at the conclusion of Tuesday night's meeting.

Other members of the appointed GCSC board are Dale Pierce, appointed by the Madison Township Advisory Board, and Gary Haussin and Michael White, both appointed by the Greencastle Township Advisory Board.