The Great Bend USD 428 Board of Education accepted three licensed teacher resignations and approved seven new appointments during the regular business meeting on Monday.
The resignations included long-time district employee Todd Kaiser, Eisenhower Elementary physical education instructor and Great Bend High School track coach, who was placed on administrative leave last week.
The board spent 45 minutes discussing personnel in executive session prior to approving the following personnel changes without further comment:
• Resignations of Kaiser from teaching and coaching positions; Paige Stegman, teacher of K-6 music at Jefferson Elementary; and Amy Williamson, family support worker at Jefferson.
• Appointments of Taylor Baxter, third grade teacher at Park Elementary; Sherri Brantley, fourth grade teacher at Eisenhower; Victoria Buelow, first grade teacher at Riley; Jebediah Detter, sixth grade teacher at Eisenhower; Elisabth Gafford, fifth grade teacher at Jefferson; Sadie Pile, social studies teacher at Great Bend Middle School; and Krystal Woodral, family support worker at Jefferson.
Earlier in the meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Human Resources John Popp gave an overall report on personnel at USD 428. He noted there have been 57 position changes from last year and 30 new-to-district hires. There were four position reductions: two special education teaching positions, a high school computer teacher and a high school science teacher.
“We don’t need to fill those positions,” Popp said, noting the situation could change in the future.
Two weeks into June, the district has all but four teaching filled for the 2016-2017 school year. It must find a technology coach for Lincoln Elementary, a vocal music instructor for Jefferson and a physical education teacher for Eisenhower, as well as a speech language pathologist.
Superintendent Brad Reed noted that the district reduced the overall number of teaching positions by six last year. The net reduction of 10 positions over the past two years represents about $600,000 a year in savings for each year that trend continues.
The district has added one administrative position, for a federal programs administrator. That salary will be paid using federal funds, Reed said.