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Octorara Area SD posts multiple resignations, hires and supplemental contracts in agenda packet
Summary
The board packet listed retirements and resignations effective mid‑2025 and late‑2024, several new hires and homebound instructor appointments, a salary change due to graduate credits, and supplemental coaching contracts for the 2024‑25 school year.
The Octorara Area School District’s Jan. 13 agenda packet listed multiple personnel items the board is scheduled to consider on Jan. 21, including retirements, resignations, new hires, salary adjustments and supplemental contracts for the 2024‑25 school year.
The packet asked the board to accept with regret the resignations for the purpose of retirement of Marsha Kaskin, a first‑grade teacher at the Octorara Primary Learning Center, and Dr. Sandy Evans, a gifted support teacher at the Octorara Primary Learning Center and Octorara Elementary School; both retirements were listed effective June 6, 2025. The packet also listed the resignation for retirement of Phil Rudasil as a math teacher at Octorara High School effective June 6, 2025, and additional earlier resignations and separations with dates in October and December 2024.
The packet proposed hiring Mia Lowen as an English teacher at Octorara High School effective Jan. 2, 2025, pending completion of employment paperwork, with a prorated salary of $58,248 (step 17 to max of the bachelor scale). It also sought approval to appoint Donna Jensen and Michelle Lofgren as homebound instructors from Dec. 9, 2024, through Jan. 2, 2025, at $42.33 per hour for up to 3.5 hours per week.
The packet asked the board to approve a change in salary for Christina Ruth from a master’s, step 65 ($71,338 read as $71,338 earlier in packet) to master’s plus 15 ($70,375 step 13 to max) due to additional graduate credits, and a list of supplemental coaching contracts for the 2024‑25 year that included Jason Ralston (varsity assistant boys basketball), Philip Woodward (junior high assistant boys basketball), Eric McCutchen (varsity assistant girls basketball), George Constantanu (junior high assistant boys wrestling) and Lisonbee Hickey (head winter cheer coach). Athletic workers Theresa Ruddock and Tessa Harkins were also listed in the packet.
Why it matters: these personnel changes include retirements of long‑time teachers and multiple coaching/supplemental positions that affect classroom staffing and extracurricular programs. The board packet indicates these items will be on the Jan. 21 consent/regular agenda for approval; the Jan. 13 meeting recorded the packet items but did not show final board votes on them.
Clarifications in the packet: several effective dates and salary step notations were included in the packet text. The packet presented some names with inconsistent spellings across remarks in the meeting; the packet items themselves were read into the record by the board secretary as presented.
