South Range board suspends contracts for 3 teachers

NORTH LIMA — South Range Board of Education unanimously suspended the contract of two full-time teachers and one-part time teacher tonight.

Those moves are the first phase of cost-reduction measures the South Range school district is implementing.

These changes can be reversed if voters approve a levy on the May 5 ballot as the district is projecting a deficit of more than $400,000 for the 2016-17 school year.

The teachers were recently given a verbal notice by Superintendent Dennis Dunham.

They are Dana Veneskey, an elementary-school music teacher; Mark Giesy, a middle-school industrial technology, or Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), teacher; and Christine Yukech, a part-time science teacher.

These are effective for the 2015-16 school year.

When asked if Giesy’s departure means the end to a middle-school STEM program, Dunham said, “It’s nonexistent.” He said he and the board would look at trying to keep the STEM program with current staff, but didn’t know how that would look.

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com