MITCHELL – During Monday’s meeting of the Mitchell Community Schools board, members approved personnel changes, including the retirements of four long-term staff members.
These retiring staff members, combined with two announced during last month’s meeting, equal 242 combined years of service in education, 190 of which were completed in MCS.
Those are Mitchell High School Health and PE teacher and former boys and girls basketball coach Tim Haworth, former athletic director and current MCS transportation director Danny Reynolds, MHS special education teacher Ada Reynolds, former boys soccer coach and MHS CTE teacher Jeff Selby, MHS French and English teacher Kevin Giggy and Burris Elementary third grade teacher Onalee Giggy.
The board also approved new hires, including the addition of Jansen Keynon to the Burris’ food service team.
According to MCS assistant superintendent Jessica Jones, Keynon, who is a former student of hers, graduated from MHS in 2019, where he completed the school’s Lifeskills course.
From there, Keynon wanted to give back to the district. He recently began training for his role as a dishwasher at Burris, as well as joining some of the student athletes in conditioning exercises. Jones said many of these athletes and students had taken a liking to Keynon, which would be apparent to anyone who saw the crowd in attendance at Monday’s meeting to show their support.
MCS Superintendent is thankful for Keynon’s desire to help the district, stepping in to fill as the position that had long been empty at Burris.
“This young man wanted to be a part of our district,” Comer said. “We had a three hour a day dishwashing job open in one of our elementary schools, we had zero applicants for that position at least since the four years I’ve been here. And this young man wanted a chance to do that job.”
Comer went on to describe how impactful even a seemingly small role like this can be for MCS.
“People may say well, the corporation’s really helping out that young man and that may be true to a degree. The biggest help is coming from Jansen to this corporation because he is now filling a need that no one else wanted to do. That was absolutely a necessary job,” Comer said.
“He earned that job. He is a vital part of that job, a vital part of that school now and I think the really cool thing is, is that it’s not only it’s also teaching our kids in that building, that everyone in Mitchell has a place. That everyone and every job needs to be filled. It’s showing that, don’t just don’t limit someone because you give them a look and think of things they probably can’t do. Look past that and find things they can do. All of us have things we can do,” he continued.
Full list of personnel changes
Resignations/Retirements:
- Tim Haworth – Mitchell High School Health and Physical Education Teacher – Retirement effective
May 22, 2023. - Danny Reynolds – Mitchell Community Schools Transportation Director – Retirement effective May
31, 2023 - Ada Reynolds – Mitchell High School Special Education Teacher – Retirement effective June 30,
2023 - Jacob Riley – MJHS/MHS Music and Choir Teacher – Resignation effective May 22, 2023
- David Crockett – Mitchell High School Special Education Aide – Resignation effective May 19, 2023
- Daniel Taylor – Mitchell High School Day Shift Class “B” Custodian/Maintenance – Resignation effective March 3, 2023
- Jeffery Selby – Varsity Soccer – Resignation effective February 14, 2023
- Michelle Zehr – MHS Dance Team – Resignation effective end of 2022-2023 season
- Kristen McDonald – Assistant Varsity Volleyball Coach – Resignation effective end of 2022-2023
season - Debbie Pemberton – Food Services – Resignation effective March 17, 2023
- Shannon Terrell – Route 3 Bus Driver – Resignation effective March 10, 2023
- Jeff Selby – Mitchell High School CTE Design Teacher – Resignation effective May 22, 2023
Employment:
Macy Robbins – Hatfield Elementary Fresh Start Paraprofessional – Effective March 13, 2023
- Debbie Pemberton – Burris Elementary Special Education Aide – Effective March 27, 2023
- Jansen Keynon – Burris Food Services Employee – Effective March 13, 2023
- Jackie Emberton and Jessica Lee – Burris Elementary Summer School Instructors – May 30 – June 9, 2023
- Leland Ames, Alyssa Bohnenkamp, Jessica Downey, Sarah Reynolds – Mitchell Junior High Summer School Instructors – May 30 – June 23, 2023
- Crystal Goins, Luke LaFevor, Amy Glassco – Mitchell High School Summer School Instructors –
May 30 – June 23, 2023 - Patty Phelps – Mitchell High School Summer School Paraprofessional – May 30 – June 23, 2023
Extra- Curricular Employment:
- Matt Sowders – Varsity Boys Golf, 2022-23
- Scott Saunders – 5th/6th Grade Volleyball, 2022-23
Transfers/Other:
- Darren Smith from Night Shift BES Class “C” Custodian to Night Shift Emerson Class “B”
Custodian/Maintenance – Effective March 13, 2023 - Nathan Bultman from Night Shift Emerson Class “B” Custodial/Maintenance to Night Shift BES
Class “B” Custodial/Maintenance – Effective March 13, 2023 - Cheyenne McKnight from HES Fresh Start Paraprofessional to HES KG Classroom Aide –
Effective February 13, 2023
