Some teachers will not return for the school year, prompting changes

When students walk through the doors on the first day of school this year, the freshmen won’t be the only new faces they will see.

As six teachers leave to broaden their teaching experiences, nine more will replace and supplement them. Jamie Schnack, Chris Lutso, Amanda Forsberg, Lois Butwin, Charles “Skip” Chell, and Julie Koepke will all be leaving for various reasons such as retirement, other work and teaching opportunities.

To accommodate the staff departures, Okan, Opara and Yetzer will be replacing Schnack, Lusto and Forsberg, respectively, in the math department. Butwin and Chell were former special education teachers who are being replaced by Schmitz and Johnson. Klein is replacing Koepke in the English department, and Walsh and Inwards are new additions to the world language department.

Junior Quynh-vy Do said she feels unsure of the large amount of shifting in the staff.

“I’m pretty nervous because they’re not part of an environment that I’m used to,” Do said.

However new teacher, Amy Okan, is delighted and ready to begin a new year at Park.

“Just getting to know the students is the most exciting thing,” Okan said.