N-O School Board Approves Three Resignations, 2019-20 Calendar

The Neligh-Oakdale School board accepted three staff resignations and approved the 2019-20 school calendar during Monday's meeting.

Board members unanimously voted to accept resignations from teachers Molly Burbach, Hunter Vanness and DeAnna Clifton. 

Burbach was hired to teach instrumental music in January after the death of band director Nate Metschke. Supt. Scott Gregory said she "has some family down by the Scribner area and I believe that's where she intends to be." 

"We were very fortunate to have her," Gregory said. "She was a student teacher at Norfolk Catholic and stepped in during a very tough circumstance. When someone steps in on a circumstance like that and does a marvelous job, I think that really says something about a person's professionalism and ability to be an excellent instructor."

Vanness is in his first year as an informational technology instructor and assistant boys basketball coach at Neligh-Oakdale.

"Mr. Vanness has signed a contract with Omaha North High School," the superintendent said. "He has done some really good work with our kids and done a really good job with our website and is really good instructor."

Clifton has been an elementary special education teacher at Neligh-Oakdale for 15 years, Gregory said.

"Mrs. Clifton has signed a contract with another educational entity, I don't know if that's entirely known yet, so I'll just leave it at that." he said. "She has done a wonderful job the last 15 years in elementary special education, working with the kids at West Ward. This is one that is definitely going to be missed and the kids that she serves were definitely blessed and lucky to have her."  

The board also approved the calendar for the 2019-20 school year on a 6-0 vote. The first day of school for students will be Wednesday, August 14, with a 1:30 p.m. dismissal and the last day is set for May 14, 2020, with a noon dismissal. (The full calendar is pictured below.)

In other matters, the board:
•Voted 6-0 to take sealed bids for a 1984 Ford pickup;
​•Appointed board members Ryan Koinzan and Cory Furstenau to attend graduation; and
•Voted 6-0 to approve a 3 percent wage increase "across the board" for all non-classified staff.