DETROIT LAKES (KDLM) – The Detroit Lakes School District voted to terminate the contracts of 14 teachers during their April School Board meeting, Monday.
On November 24, 2020 KDLM reported that the District had been contemplating a reduction in staff and programs due to the economic impacts of COVID-19. The District had lost around 200 students district wide compared to last year, most choosing to homeschool. That loss equated to around $1.5 million in revenue for the school from the State.
During Monday’s School Board meeting, Superintendent Mark Jenson indicated the District enrollment was holding steady, but the district was budgeting for the return of only about 75% of the students the district had lost due to the pandemic.
The Detroit Lakes Tribune reports that, “Jenson cited smaller class sizes and budgetary concerns as the main reasons” for the termination of the 14 teachers.
In comparison, in 2020, the District terminated 4 teachers during their April school board meeting and just 1 in 2019.
Teachers that will not have their Contracts renewed for the 2021-22 School Year:
- Callie Brorby, Roosevelt Elementary Kindergarten teacher
- Roberta Chatham, Roosevelt Music Teacher
- Peyton Foertsch, Rossman Elementary Special Education Teacher
- Aaron Gastecki, Detroit Lakes High School Industrial Technology Teacher
- Sadie Herman, Roosevelt Special Education Teacher
- Laura Hunt, Detroit Lakes Middle School Special Education Teacher
- Melissa Ostlie, Detroit Lakes Middle School Special Education Teacher
- Morgan Patrow, Detroit Lakes High School English Teacher
- Austin Richter, Detroit Lakes High School Math Teacher;
- Ellie Rutten, Rossman 3rd Grade Teacher
- Valerie Schultz, Roosevelt 5th Grade Teacher
- Dannielle Solberg, Roosevelt Special Education Teacher
- Karrie Taylor, Roosevelt and Detroit Lakes Public Schools Special Education Coordinator
- Madyson Webber, Roosevelt 4th Grade Teacher
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