Schools losing 98 years' experience

McCook Public Schools lost 98 years of teaching and management experience with the resignation and retirement of four teachers and its business manager during a regular board meeting Monday evening.

Board members accepted letters of retirement from Nancy Buresh, third grade teacher at North Ward; Rose Mary Datus, English teacher at McCook Senior High; and Randall Datus, business manager in Superintendent Dr. Don Marchant's office. Each asked for, and was granted, inclusion in the school district's retirement incentive plan.

Buresh has taught for 29 years in McCook and Rose Mary Datus for 28 years. Randall Datus has taught and worked in the superintendent's office for a total of 27 years.

Nancy Prosser-Weedin, who teaches fourth grade at Central Elementary, also retired, after teaching in McCook for seven years. She is not eligible for retirement benefits from the district.

Stacy Olsen resigned her position as first grade teacher at East Ward, after seven years in the McCook school district. Olsen wrote, in a letter of resignation, that she and her family will be moving to Lincoln, where her husband has accepted a new job with Wells Fargo Bank.

The board approved contracts to hire these teachers:

* Jeremy Yilk of Gothenburg, will teach third grade.

* Carole J. Gaunt of McCook, will teach second grade.

* Timothy Lee Garcia of Tilden, will teach elementary physical education (filling the position created by the death of Coach Ron Coleman in November 2004) and coach boys basketball.

* Dawn Diederich of Oberlin, will teach fourth grade.

* Charlene Kay Springer of Lebanon, will teach third grade.

* Elizabeth Hoehner of Kearney, will teach first grade.

* Stefanie Becker of Beaver City and Monte A. Else of Malcolm will teach senior high math.

Superintendent Dr. Don Marchant said McCook is losing many, many years of teaching experience with resignations and retirements this spring. "Think of our loss, in experience and leadership," Dr. Marchant said.

Dr. Marchant said he is dismayed with the lack of young people wanting to teach. He said he attended a career fair at Fort Hays State University recently, and only six people stopped to inquire about positions.

"I'm very, very concerned that young people are not going into education," he said.

"We really need to encourage young people," Dr. Marchant said. "We need to let them know this is an honorable profession."