Geneva D-304 dismisses 23 teachers, support staff

GENEVA – The Geneva District 304 School Board on April 11 approved the dismissal of teachers and support staff by May 31 for the 2022-23 school year based on the district’s projected staffing needs, officials said.

School districts routinely dismiss staff at the end of one school year in preparation for the needs of the next school year, according to an agenda memo from Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Adam Law.

“Taking such action at this time in the school year protects the school district from employing individuals whose services may not be required next school year,” Law’s memo stated. “Taking this action also provides our administrators with greater flexibility in creating a staffing plan that is responsive to changes in student enrollment and/or student course selection patterns.”

When staffing requirements for the new school year are more fully known, the district could potentially re-employ those dismissed, according to Law’s memo.

Seven educational support employees were dismissed – Gabriela Escamilla, a classroom assistant at Geneva Middle School North; Christine Todd, a classroom assistant at Harrison Street School; kindergarten assistants Kari Bracey, Alexandra Pease and Jane Runyan at Heartland, Western and Harrison elementary schools, respectively; and special education assistants Colleen Krohe and Amy Romero at Fabyan and Harrison elementary schools, respectively.

Two part-time Geneva High School teachers, Jean Corkery of Project Lead the Way and Jessica Lehan, a Spanish teacher, also were dismissed. Their names inadvertently were left off a previous meeting’s action to dismiss part-time teachers, Law said.

At the March 14 school board meeting, two full-time non-tenured teachers, James Perrone, a Geneva High School physics teacher, and Caitlyn Smith, a music teacher at Geneva Middle School North, were dismissed.

Also dismissed at the March 14 meeting were 12 part-time teachers.

Those teachers were two speech/language pathologists, Brienna Arges and Laura Krueger in the Geneva Early Learning Program and Geneva Middle School psychologist Lindsey Brill, German teacher Karen Kosog and French teacher Courtenay Shroff. Part-time high school teachers dismissed were French teacher Pamela Cabeen, science teacher Erin Cosky, English teacher Zenna Daker and math teacher Shannon Madden.

Pamela Cabeen, a retired French teacher, is the wife of board member Larry Cabeen. She was hired late last year when the previous high school French teacher resigned.

Also dismissed were Fabyan Elementary art teacher Jennifer Elsebaie and student assistance coordinator Linda Zulkowski and Harrison Street School psychologist Jade Magiera.