School Board approves early retirement packages

On Wednesday night the Interim Decorah Community School Board approved early retirement packages for seven teaching staff:

• Silvia Berrios-Merritt (High School)
• Randy Iverson (Middle School)
• Kerry Johnson (Carrie Lee Elementary)
• Judy Moen (John Cline Elementary)
• Barbara Wettach (John Cline Elementary)
• Dale Wilharm (Middle School)
• Birgitta Meade (North Winneshiek)

Generally, the package provides one half year of the teacher's annual salary to be divided over 3 years, and up to 8 years of health insurance benefits valued at approximately $7500 per year.

The early retirement incentive, in part, was intended to ease the transition of North Winneshiek teachers into the newly formed district. That appears to have happened. Superintendent Mike Haluska says he is very optimistic that all North Winneshiek staff can be absorbed into the new district without any reductions in force of either teacher pool. Haluska and the Administrative Team will be working in the near future to assess staffing plans.  They hope to have them finalized by March.