The Mancos school district board of trustees faced crunch time as school was scheduled to begin the next day. Superintendent Brian Hanson told the board how he and K-12 principal Jeanette Allen made dozens of phone calls last week and on Monday, looking for coaches and teachers to fill in at the last minute.
There seems to be a shortage of elementary teachers in this area, Hanson said, citing that the Cortez, Dolores, Durango, Bayfield and Ignacio school districts are still looking for teachers, even as school is beginning.
The board approved, by a 2 to 1 vote, the hiring of Melodie Mitchell as kindergarten teacher. She has been a substitute for us for the last four years, Hanson said. And she was a classroom teacher at one time. We just didnt want to start the school year without a kindergarten teacher. There are 42 kids in this years class. Trustree Beverly Humiston was the dissenting vote.
The board approved the hiring of the following people:
Jenny Joyes as middle school math teacher;
Judy Stone as K-5 music teacher;
Lyman Bayles and Leonard Maestas as bus drivers;
Chip Tuthill as middle school and high school band instructor;
Teresa Jennings as middle and high school Title 1 paraprofessional.
They also approved Chris Babbs as a member of the library board, the resignation of Ramona Shepherd as high school head volleyball coach, the preschool director job description and salary schedule, the 2012/2013 coaching recommendations, and the mill levy override ballot wording.