As the search for a new special services teacher continues, Special Services Director Courtney Szucs is working to make sure the position is temporarily filled. The Special Services department has had six substitute teachers fill in for Samantha Buttman who took a leave of absence. Szucs is looking for a teacher with the qualifications that it take to be a special services teacher. The teacher will be filling the absence of Buttman and Hasse.

“Leaves are approved year to year,” Szucs said. “I don’t know if she’ll be coming back, or if she’ll be staying with her little one. That will be totally up to her. Right now we have a substitute teacher who is filling in,” Szucs said. “She’s somebody who is very familiar with the district and high school. Basically that’s to give us time to make sure we find somebody as highly qualified and wonderful as the last teacher.”

Principal Mark Suchowski has the same mindset as Szucs about finding the right person for the job.

“We want to make sure, like with every position here, we find the best person for the job. We owe it to all the students to hire good staff, and good teachers,” Suchowski said. “It can make a big impact on students and their learning, so we have to get it right.”

One month into the school year, special services is without a teacher.