Lake Central honors teachers of the year and a roster of retiring staff as superintendent is celebrated

The Lake Central School Corporation board on May 4 honored classroom teachers and school employees and paid tribute to retiring Superintendent Dr. Larry Verco, while the board continued routine business.

Dr. Barco, speaking early in the meeting, introduced finalists for the district's teacher-of-the-year recognition before announcing the two recipients for 2026. Joela Freckleton, a third-grade teacher at Piper, and Jackie Holden, a special-education English teacher at Lake Central High School, were named teachers of the year. The board read peer nomination comments praising both teachers for long service, classroom impact and advocacy for students and colleagues.

"If you get nominated at all, that's a pretty darn big win," Dr. Barco said as he described the nomination process and the value the district places on peer recognition.

The board also read tributes for a large group of retiring staff members from across the district's operations, including bus drivers, food-service workers, paraprofessionals, classroom teachers and support staff. The meeting recognized staff such as Patricia Alexander (21 years in transportation), Andrea Berk (26 years in food service), Lucy Bertosi (occupational therapy assistant), Scott Graber (32 years at the district), Melody Wolf (40 years in education, including 30 with Lake Central), and many others. Each honoree received short remarks and applause; the board invited retirees to join for a group photo.

The district presented an extended tribute to Dr. Larry Verco, who the board described as having spent 34 years in education and 16 years as superintendent of Lake Central. Board members highlighted his work on inclusion and community engagement and quoted a maxim he modeled for staff: "All students are Lake Central students first." Board members praised his accessibility, transparency and leadership through referendums and facility projects during his tenure.

Board members and audience members applauded the honorees; the meeting then moved on to routine business including personnel approvals and budget-related presentations. The board scheduled remaining calendar items and noted one more board meeting in May before June.

The meeting record shows the recognitions were ceremonial: no policy changes or formal actions affecting contracts or programs were taken as part of the honors.

What's next: the board will continue regular meetings; personnel items and tax-rate matters were addressed separately on the agenda.