Longtime Rocori Educators Retire After Decades Of Dedication

COLD SPRING (WJON News) -- An area school district will need to replace a lot of experience come fall. The Rocori School Board recently accepted the retirement notice for five long-standing teachers.

Elementary teacher of 16 years, Sandy Asfeld, Elementary Counselor of 34 years, Kathy Van Der Hagen, 31-year Elementary teacher Mona Torborg, 31-year Elementary teacher and High School Dance Team Coach Joyce Baumann, and Brenda Vierzba, English/Language Arts Teacher for 28-years, will all be calling it a career at the end of this school year.

Superintendent Kevin Enerson says with over 100 years of combined experience, it will be some big shoes to fill:

"Schools have been in operation for a long time, and people come and go, and they make great connections with people, but we can't have them stay forever, and making that decision to retire is a big one. It's a big challenge; these people give their heart and soul to teaching and to their kids."

He says the district couldn't be happier for all of them, and appreciates all their hard work over the years:

"It's a hard thing to kind of end your career and say I'm going to go into something else or do something else because we do give our heart to a lot of this stuff, so giving it up sometimes isn't the easiest decision."

Enerson says all the teachers will be missed, and it is just time for their next group of great teachers to grab the reins.

Will Baumann keep coaching?

Baumann does plan to stay on as the head coach for the Dance Team. She says:

"It is so rare to get to do something with your adult child that you both love doing so much. So as long as Hannah wants to coach, I will continue!"

Her daughter, Hannah, is an assistant coach on the dance team.

READ MORE FROM AUTHOR PAUL HABSTRITT