Board Approves 22 Additional Preliminary Layoff Notices

The Menomonee Falls School Board Monday approved 22 additional preliminary layoff notices  and four retirements or resignations of district teachers and administrators.

The 22 layoff notices approved Tuesday are in addition to the approved at the last School Board meeting.

“The 22 additional layoff notices are really designed to protect the district in this time of a great deal of unknowns with the budget and what is going on in Madison,” said Superintendent Keith Marty.

Marty said Patti Keller, the district's human resources director, will examine staffing implications and distribution of notices over the next few weeks. The district has until March 31 to issue final notices to the teachers.

The district is facing a . Administrators will need to crunch numbers once a state budget is passed to determine a more accurate projection of the district's deficit. The district is expected to layoff about 12 to 25 full-time equivalent positions.

The district will issue final layoff notices no later than May 15.

The School Board initially was slated to give a presentation on district budget projections Monday, but cancelled that meeting until more is learned about the state budget.

“We hope that by the next board meeting, on the 28th, that we would be able to have such a meeting and present that,” Marty said.

The retirements or resignations approved Monday: 

• North Middle School Associate Principal Michael Lewandowski, who will resign at the end of the year to pursue administrative opportunities at the high school level.
• Kevin Johnikin, a special education teacher at Menomonee Falls High School, who will resign at the end of the year to pursue new opportunities, and perhaps return to Milwaukee to teach.
• Ruth Ann Petroff, a high school social studies teacher, who will retire at the end of the year. She has been a teacher and senior class advisor for 20 years at MFHS.
• Reathy Hackbarth, a world language teacher at North Middle School, who retires after serving the district for 21 years. She taught both German and Spanish.

Patch.com asked Marty if the retirements were prompted by developments in Madison over the past weeks.

“The teachers, I think, are investigating their retirement options,” Marty said. “Everyone has to look at their own situations and see if it is better to wait or retire given the situation. ... Everyone is weighing in on their own situations”

Marty said the district has extended the retirement deadline for teachers to April 15, to give staff enough time to weigh their options.