By Desiree Williams
It was a packed house at the May 8 Zionsville school board meeting. The room was full of students, friends and family who wanted to celebrate their teachers.
Five ZCS teachers will retire this year. The principal from each school introduced the retirees, who spoke about their experience in the district. Each will receive a brick engraved with “honored teacher” and a brick will also sit outside the school.
Blair Williams was chosen as the District Teacher of the Year. She will represent ZCS at the Indiana Teacher of the Year competition in June.
The board approved a course addition to the catalog at ZCHS. Career and Technical Student Organization Leadership Development in Action encourages students to use higher-level thinking, management processes and leadership to complete projects at the local, state and national level. It is open for juniors and seniors.
ZCS will begin providing an incentive to transportation department employees to attract and retain employees, which has been an issue. ZCS Chief Operations Officer Rebecca Coffman said nine employees have left since winter break. The incentive would entice employees to stay in the district for multiple years and include an increase in field trip pay from $11 to $14 per hour.
The board also approved an increase in lunch prices by 10 cents.
The next scheduled meeting is at 6 p.m. June 12.
RETIRING TEACHERS
- Jane Green, fifth grade at Zionsville West Middle School
- Vince Flecker, health and physical education at Zionsville Middle School
- Cathy Daughtery, first grade at Pleasant View Elementary
- Lori Overdorf, administrative assistant at Eagle Elementary
- Mary Hightshue, French at Zionsville Community High School
TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
- Jonann Lamaster, first grade at Boone Meadow Elementary
- Marissa Grant, third grade at Eagle Elementary
- Kristen Stratton, Resource at PVE
- Renee Beckner, third grade at Stonegate Elementary
- Emily Zucker, fourth grade at Union Elementary
- Blair Williams, seventh grade science at ZMS
- Andy Knueven, fifth grade math and science at ZWMS
- Danielle Wilson, 11th grade U.S. history and 12th grade economics at ZCHS
