Six CCS staff members resign; board hires student teacher

    Six resignations were approved by the CCS board of education Tuesday, and a current student teacher here was hired for the 2020-21 year.
    Two of the teachers resigning, Brandi Dannatt and Carolina Ramos, qualified for the $1,000 stipend given to certificated staff that submit their letter before the Jan. 31 deadline.
    Dannatt, completing her fifth year, is a fourth grade teacher this year, while Ramos, in her fourth year, teaches art.
    Among the other resignations are second year teachers Lori Klooz and Samantha Kennedy. First year teachers Beth Bonne and Michelle Williams also submitted resignations.
    Kennedy, a K-6 literature teacher, also has two high school coaching positions. She is completing her first year as head volleyball coach and as an assistant high school girls’ basketball coach. Kennedy has accepted a sixth grade teaching position at Hershey, and will be head volleyball coach.
    Klooz is the school’s technology coordinator, Bonne is a 7-12 English Language Learners (ELL) teacher and Williams is the school’s curriculum coordinator.
    The latest resignations are added to last month’s from Mark and Renae Bottom, both high school teachers who plan to retire.
    All six resignations were approved on 8-0 votes Tuesday night.
Language arts teacher hired
    Mikaela Stephenson, currently a student teacher at CCS, was hired Tuesday to teach language arts for the 2020-21 school year.
    Stephenson of Chadron will graduate in May from Chadron State College with a degree in second English education. Her husband is an art teacher at Perkins County Schools in Grant.
    More on Tuesday’s board meeting will follow in a story next week.