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Mary Ihrig, Derek Kuch, Lindsey Moon, and Scott Herdzik were granted tenured positions at a recent Fredonia Board of Education meeting.
The last Fredonia Board of Education meeting while school is in session for the year ended on a positive note, as the district granted four teachers tenure and sent its retirees off with well wishes.
The Board of Education granted tenure to Mary Ihrig, Derek Kuch, Lindsey Moon, and Scott Herdzik, all effective Sept. 3.
“Congratulations to this exceptional group of educators! We believe tenure is earned, not given, and these individuals have certainly worked hard to make an impression on our school community in the short time they have been with us,” the district said in a social media post. “Please join us in congratulating Mary, Derek, Lindsey, and Scott!”
Herdzik is a middle school teacher with Childhood Education certification for grades 1-6; Ihrig is a middle school teacher with Math certification for grades 7-12; Kuch is a middle school teacher with English Language Arts certification for grades 7-12; and Moon is a high school teacher with Social Studies certification.
The district also said goodbye to its 15 retirees, which total 280 years of service to Fredonia Central School District. On social media, the district offered “a sincere thank you” to the retirees for their “dedication and impact over the years.”
Darrell Waag, a Middle School Science teacher, led all 15 retirees with 32 years of service. He was followed closely by Kate Sommer, a High School English teacher with 30 years of service, and Andrew Pingitore, a Computers/Mathematics teacher with 29 years of service.
Also retiring with 20 or more years of service to the district includes Sharon Rosplock (26), Sylvia Rowe (24), Christy Szocki (24), Geri Workoff (22), and Jerry Bradigan (20).
Additionally, Physical Education teacher Lisa Johnston retires after 19 years with the district; John Crane departs after 15 years; Tammy Nocek and Cindy Gloff each retire after 11 years with the district; and the IT Department loses Doug Rector and Doug Prince. Diane Snyder retires after three years at Fredonia.
The district also approved two new teachers, Steven Swart and Daniel Bittinger, to probationary positions to progress toward tenure of their own.
Swart, who holds certification in Childhood Education grades one to six, was hired as an elementary teacher, with a probationary end date of Aug. 29, 2027.
Bittinger, who holds certification in Physics grades 7-12, General Science grades 7-12, and Students with Disabilities grades 7-12, was officially hired as a probationary teacher in the Science tenure area. Because Bittinger has been serving in the district already as a long-term substitute, his probationary term expires June 30, 2025.
Also at the recent Board of Education meeting, Summer Klug was appointed as a full-time long-term substitute School Psychologist through next school year. Kitty Pencek was also hired as a food service helper.
The district also accepted four resignations: Joanne Lotter as School Health Coordinator; Monica Perez-Robles as a teacher aide; Sue Lanning as a food service helper; and Sarah Graham as a Special Education teacher.