Byron board approves specific staff cuts

Budget reductions approved last week by the Byron school board, became more personal Monday night as the board cut specific individuals

The first resolution approved by the board affected 10 probationary, Tier 1 or Tier 2 staff.

The affected probationary staff at the high school included Grant Elsbernd, a counselor, and Sydney Koppelman, a math teacher. Affected probationary staff at the middle school included Samantha Botz, communications/art literature; at the intermediate school Jazmine Arentz-Fredrickson, Alexis Helget and Madeline Sorum and at the primary school Ryuanne Baker, Bailey Berge and Molly McCool.

At the Tier 1 and 2 level the affected staff member was Alana Milde, academic and behavioral strategist and school counselor.

In a separate action, the board also proposed placing a continuing contract/tenured teacher on unrequested leave of absence. Jason Buvala, a high school Spanish teacher was placed on unrequested leave as of the end of the 2024-2025 school year because of financial limitations. Supt. Mike Neubeck said that for the next school year there will not be enough sections to continue his full-time position as a Spanish teacher. As such he will be put on unrequested leave for two years for the 1.0 position. He can choose to remain teaching the fewer number of sections and for a two-year period, if the position once again becomes full time, he has the option to return to that level.

Because he is a tenured teacher, Neubeck said he has 14 days to request a hearing. If he does not request a hearing the action will be made final at the next board meeting.

Neubeck said that there would have been one more action on a tenured staff member, a licensed school nurse, but that was made unnecessary because of a resignation last week.