Fairfield school district continues staff changes

The Fairfield school district continues to prepare for the upcoming school year with the hiring, transfers and resignations of employees.

During a special meeting Tuesday, the school board hired Rebecca Ritland as a third-grade teacher at Pence Elementary School. She is a graduate of Wartburg College and is an Iowa-licensed elementary, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten and kindergarten- through eighth-grade reading teacher. Her starting salary will be $55,679.

Ritland is replacing Deanna Hutchings, whose letter of resignation was approved by the school board Aug. 8. Hutchings accepted a position as a school administrative manager with the Sigourney Community School District.

The Fairfield school board approved several recommendations for teacher associates.

Sheila Strickler, a special education teacher associate at Libertyville Elementary School, resigned. She has accepted a job with Cambridge Investment Research Inc.

Megan Buford was hired as a special education associate at Libertyville. She was placed on the salary schedule as a first-year associate at $10.35 per hour and 37.5 hours per week.

Jennifer Nelson was hired to fill a vacancy for a special education associate at Washington Elementary School. She was placed on the salary schedule as a first-year associate at $10.35 per hour and 40 hours per week. She will work one-on-one and eat lunch with a student, so she will be paid for her lunchtime.

Hannah Weiland was hired to replace an associate teacher at Pence. She is a graduate of Bethany College in West Virginia. Her starting salary will be $11.40 an hour for 37.5 hours a week.

Special education associate Deb Martin?s contract was updated from 37.5 hours per week to 40 hours per week. Elementary principal Kelly Schloss explained Martin serves as a special education associate for a student who needs one-on-one assistance. She eats lunch with the child and is paid for her lunch period. Schloss said this is not a change from what Martin did last year, but her contract needs to reflect what she is actually doing.

The school board accepted the resignation of Maria Valdez as a teacher associate at Pence. She has accepted an associate teacher position in the Ottumwa school district. Superintendent Art Sathoff said Valdez had been hired in June for the 2011-12 school year, so she had never really started working. The position has already been filled as Shannon Price, who was hired by the board Aug. 8 as an associate at Washington school. She requested a transfer to fill the position at Pence, and the school board granted approval Tuesday.

Barbara Thornton is transferring from the evening custodial position at Fairfield High School to a preschool associate position at Washington school. She will be placed on the wage schedule as a first-year associate at $10.35 per hour with a 37.5-hour workweek.

Lori Kayser was hired as the FHS study hall monitor. Sathoff said Kayser had been an associate teacher in the Cardinal school district for 13 years. She is a certified para-educator and has a substitute teacher license. She was given 10 years of experience and started at $11.64 an hour.

The school board also approved several food service and custodial changes.

Kim Stark was hired to fill the 2.5-hour per day food service position at Pence. Her salary will be $9.87 per hour.

Nancy Asby was hired to fill the 4.5-hour per day food server position at Washington. Her salary will be $10.35 an hour. Because Asby also drives a school bus for the district, her workweek will be more than 30 hours so she will receive the benefits of a full-time employee, including medical insurance. District business manager Kim Sheets said the district has a history of doing this.

Jack Burnham was hired to fill a second-shift custodian position at FHS. His hourly rate will be $11.13. He has been a substitute custodial worker for the district for two years.

Burnham is taking the place of Earl Bruder. Bruder is moving to the third-shift custodial position at FHS take the place of Thornton, who transferred to the preschool associate teacher position at Washington school.

The 2011-12 school year in the Fairfield Community School District begins Wednesday. Students will have an early start and early dismissal the first three days of school. Class will be held from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Visit the website www.fairfieldsfuture.org for information.