10 veteran Colby K-12 staff to retire
Many of the Colby School District’s most experienced teachers and staff — including several with over 30 years of employment in the district — will be retiring over the next two years, leaving many key positions to fill.
A total of 10 retirement notices appeared on the agenda for the school board meeting that was originally supposed to be held Monday but was rescheduled to Feb. 22 due to Monday’s subzero weather.
Added together, the retiring staff represent over 300 years of experience within the district.
The retiring staff include:
_ Nancy Becker, library media director, 36 years, retiring at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
_ Mary Beth Guy, physical education and health teacher, 33 years, retiring at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
_ Jennifer Krauss, high school counselor, 31 years, retiring at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
_ Lori Neumann, third-grade teacher, 38 years, retiring at the end of this school year.
_ Mary Boor, second-grade teacher, 34 years, retiring at the end of next school year.
_ Lynn Spice, elementary art teacher, 33 years, retiring at the end of next school year.
_ Jean Rosemeyer, second-grade teacher, 30 years, retiring at the end of next school year.
_ Kris Woik, first-grade teacher, 32 years, retiring at the end of next school year.
_ LeRoy Underwood II, physical education/ adaptive phy. ed, 26 years, retiring at the end of next school year.
_ Jon Kleinschmidt, art teacher, 32 years, retiring at the end of next school year.
Many of the staff are likely going to take advantage of a change in the district’s early retirement benefits approved by the school board last fall. Under the revised policy, employees can convert 50 percent of their health retirement account contributions ($3,000 per year of service) into wage increases.
Superintendent Steve Kolden said this essentially allows employees who are on the verge of retirement to shift a post-retirement benefit to a pre-retirement one.
“It just provides a lot more flexibility for staff,” he said. “Everybody’s personal life situation is different.” Kolden said it also helps the district plan ahead better for replacing those retiring employees. In the past, employees would traditionally announce their retirement by Feb. 1 of the year they planned to leave, giving administrators only a few months to find a replacement in time for the following school year.
Now, with many of these teachers and staff announcing their retirements a year or two in advance, Kolden said they can start looking at student-teachers and others who may be looking for a job within a couple years.
Applications for teaching positions and other staff openings have really dropped off in recent years, so Kolden said it’s helpful to have more time to find replacements for longtime employees.
“I always think it’s going to be diffi cult because our pool is getting shallower,” he said.
Other business
The following items will come before the school board at its scheduled meeting on Monday, Feb. 22, at 6:30 p.m.:
_ The board will review the recent transition from four to five days a week of in-person classes.
_ The board will consider approving the following dates for summer school year: July 12-15, 19-22 and 26-29.
_ The board will consider approval of quotes from Gym Boys of Oostburg for adding railings and aisles to the middle and high school gym bleachers ($9,935), preventative maintenance and inspection of the retractable basketball backstops and curtain at the middle and high school gyms ($4,000) and installation of five electrical winches at the high school gym ($9,375).
