Supt. Lefdal resigns effective June 2018; two teachers hired

Five other resignations, including two teachers, accepted by board
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    Supt. Joey Lefdal will be leaving Chase County Schools (CCS) as its top administrator in June 2018.
    His was one of six resignations addressed by the CCS board of education at its monthly meeting Tuesday night.
    Now in his second year as CCS’s top administrator, Lefdal said family played a big part in his decision to resign.
    His wife Becky’s parents, who live in Yankton, S.D., are getting older, he said, and being closer to them was something his entire family wanted.
    He said he decided to resign now, a year ahead of time, to give the board ample time to find a replacement.
    “By posting the job this early, you should get some good applicants,” he said.
    Lefdal said he’d help in the process as much as he can.
    His job search after he leaves CCS next year will possibly include other school superintendent positions or possible college teaching, he said.
    Other resignations approved Tuesday came from first grade teacher Michelle Martinez and grade 7-8 science teacher Neal Dodge. While Dodge is teaching junior high science this year, he was going to teach the alternative education program CCS is taking over in the 2017-18 school year.
    Martinez has accepted a position in Bayard, while Dodge is moving to Wynot, where he has accepted a 7-12 science position, Supt. Lefdal said.
    Other resignations accepted included Ginny Zuege, CCS bus dispatcher; Bonnie Weiss, elementary aide; and Fred Shriver, maintenance.
    Three new teachers will join the ranks of the Chase County Schools (CCS) staff this fall, after action by the board Tuesday night.
    Two of them were formally hired Tuesday, and include Brian Strand and Michaela (Ketter) Cochran, both CCS graduates.
    Strand will teach middle school math, while Cochran will teach in the elementary grades.
    The other, Teran Hendricks, lives in Grant and currently is substitute teaching. Her hiring will be formally acted on next month.
Music program changes
    About 40 people were at Tuesday’s meeting, most there about the teaching changes in the band and vocal music programs for 2017-18.
    The administration is altering Randy Hayes’ and Agnes Strand’s music teaching assignments for next year.
    Supt. Lefdal said Hayes has been assigned both vocal and band classes for grades 9-12. This year, he teaches grade 7-12 vocal music.
    For 2017-18, Strand will be teaching grade 5-8 band and grade 7-8 vocal music according to Supt. Lefdal. She now teaches band in grades 5-12.
    More on that topic and other school board agenda items will be covered in next week’s issue.

 

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