Conneaut schools say good-bye to employees

By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

July 19, 2008 10:11 am

— CONNEAUT — Conneaut’s Board of Education, at Thursday’s regular meeting, said good-bye to some key employees and hello to a memorial fund that will finance author lectures for young students.
Members accepted resignations from a handful of employees, including Conneaut High School Principal Douglas Wetherholt, who is leaving after one year to accept the same position with the Geneva district.
Also departing is Sarah Baumgardner, a Bridges to Success instructor for several years. She also served as president of the Conneaut Education Association, which represents the district’s certified employees.
Other resignations include Betsy Johnson, CHS cafeteria employee and David Sharpe, an educator at Gateway Elementary School.
In other business, members created the Theresa Wahonick Memorial Reading Fund that will finance visits from authors to GES and Lakeshore Primary. Each school will receive $500 annually for author lectures.
Relatives of the late reading educator put $7,000 into the fund. Authors have been visiting Lakeshore for the past three years, said Principal Ruth Farr.
Members also hired several teachers for the upcoming school year, including Jeff Bickel, Elizabeth Ellis, Sean Smith, Shelley Furmage, Amanda Van Slyke and Christine Frisbie.
Smith will serve as high school marching band director, vocal director and drama orchestra leader. Bickel will be the CHS band’s assistant director.