New hires were a lengthy discussion at the Tuesday meeting of the Park County School District 1 Board of Trustees.

The district has been working to fully staff a virtual school it will launch in the fall. The costs of starting the programs can be funded from federal dollars while the majority of the students will be recaptures from families that sought virtual education at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. The district will also reach out to homeschool families. Plans are based on an enrollment of 30 students. 

A counselor and program coordinator, DeAnne Jensen from Basin, has committed, as has Hanson Jordan, a math teacher. This leaves only an English teacher to acquire. A person who was originally interested in the virtual position decided instead to teach at Powell High School, leaving the district with the virtual opening.

Other new hires include: Christa Buhler as a social worker for Westside Elementary, replacing a retiring employee; Cheryl Porter, a special education teacher for upper elementary levels; and Melanie Wantulok, a special education teacher at Powell Middle School. The addition of a special education teacher was necessary because of the increase in demand for services from students with an individual educational plan, or IEP.

Shannon Ragan, a UW graduate from Colorado, has been hired as the high school agriculture teacher and FFA adviser, taking over the positon left open when Bryce Meyer transferred to industrial arts. Meanwhile, Jill Thompson has transferred from her position as elementary coordinator to become a Parkside Elementary teacher, filling the position left vacant by Jennifer Rohrer’s transfer to Title 1 teacher.