Eight longtime teachers in the Bradford Area School District –
with a combined 279 years of teaching experience – are set to
retire from the district.

“I looked back to see what we had last year,” said Sam Johnson,
director of human resources for the district, on Monday. “Last year
we had 10, this year we have 13.”

A total of nine retirements were approved at the Board of
Directors meeting Monday.

Those retiring include Janice Geisler, speech/ language support
teacher at George G. Blaisdell Elementary School, after 32 years;
John Marsh, social studies teacher at the Floyd C. Fretz Middle
School, after 29 years; James Alex Nuzzo, reading teacher at Fretz,
after 34 years; Deanna Peters, English teacher at Bradford Area
High School, after 34 years; Carol Wurster, librarian at GGB, after
35 years; William Hawthorne, math teacher at Fretz, after 23 years;
Ann Pfaff, librarian at BAHS, after 21 years; and Mary Kay Roesch,
family and consumer science teacher at BAHS, after 33 years; and
Dorothy Sturm, French teacher at BAHS, after 38 years.

With the exception of Marsh, who will retire effective Dec. 3,
the teachers’ retirements are effective this month.

Earlier this year, the board approved the retirements of two
other long-time teachers – Nancy Fire, an elementary teacher with
34 years; and Peter Peckyno, an elementary teacher with 35
years.

“We might have a few more in August,” Johnson said, “we don’t
have a July meeting.”

He explained the number of retirements so far this year has been
about average. The only exceptional times – when larger than normal
numbers are seen – seem to be when retirement incentives are
offered, he noted.

In 2004, as a result of an incentive in the teachers’ contract,
about two dozen longtime teachers retired.

“I wouldn’t expect that large of a number,” Johnson said.
However, he explained, there is a retirement incentive for the
2008-2009 school year in the current contract.

“That’s the only year of this contract that has an incentive,”
he said. “The following year, we might have a large number (of
retirements).”

Johnson explained that each year, the district anticipates a
certain number of openings and prepares accordingly.

“We hear what positions may be available,” he said, explaining
some teachers tell the administration that a retirement is planned.
“We post positions that may be vacant. There are always ones that
surprise us.

“We try to fill them over the summer time,” he added. “The
summer is always busy for the human resources department.”