Lakeland Academy co-founder reflects on school’s growth and community impact

When Lakeland Academy opened its doors in 2012, co-founder Jenn Bardall said her motivation was simple: to show her children — and her community — what was possible.

“It was a desire to actually go get the charter for the school and get it up and going,” she said. “I wanted my kids to know that if you have a desire to do something, you can do it. I’ve got a high school diploma — I’m not anybody.”

Bardall said she helped launch the school for students who might otherwise feel overlooked.

“A lot of our kids would get lost in the shuffle, and I don’t mean that in a bad way,” she said. “We have some kids who are gifted, just so smart. But sometimes their personalities are not out there. The class sizes are so small that I feel like you can see each student better.”

Lakeland is a tuition-free charter school and, like a traditional public school, receives state funding based on enrollment. For many families in and around Freeport, Bardall said, having an option closer than a 30-minute trip to Harrison Central has made a meaningful difference.

She does not teach classes. Bardall began as the school’s secretary and now serves as co-superintendent, handling the day-to-day administrative work that keeps the school operating.

“It’s wonderful,” she said. “Not only are we teaching kids, but we have a group of adults who are making a living. I worry about that every day.”

Community, she said, remains at the heart of the school’s mission.

“We are very community oriented. Community is everything,” Bardall said. “I didn’t live here my whole life — I lived right outside New Philadelphia and moved here. My first job here was the library. That’s how I took my kids out and we met people.”

Her inspiration goes back to her own school days and a teacher who shaped her view of education.

“I went to a pretty small Christian school. It was a lot like this,” she said. “My fifth to eighth grade teacher, Mrs. Adams, was very smart and somebody I always looked up to. She lives down south and I still see her sometimes.”

This year marks a milestone for Lakeland: the first kindergarten class to ever enroll there will graduate.

“It’s been fun to watch this grow,” Bardall said.

Among the things she treasures most are small reminders of what the school means to students — like a welded sign a student made for her in class.

“I don’t do anything on the educational side per se,” she said. “But I make sure they get their graduation and what they need to do that. I push to get them through. That’s a rewarding thing. I know I’m in it for the right reasons. When I see the kids every day, even if just one does something amazing, I’ve done my job.”