School district honors retiring employees

Thirteen retiring employees, with a combined 254 years of service, were honored by the Sonoma Valley Unified School District board at its June 10 meeting.

The employees included:

Adele Harrison Middle School: Laura Losk, counselor, 29 years.

Prestwood Elementary School: Suzanne Bolli, instructional assistant, 14 years; Nancy Haber, teacher, eight years; Nancy Heil, library media specialist, 24 years; and Jacqueline Phillips, library media specialist, 24 years.

Sonoma Valley High School: Barbara Ciapponi, special education teacher, 17 years; JoAnn Merritt, administrative secretary, 28 years; and Leslie Santogrossi, instructional assistant, 15 years.

District office; Claudia Kelly, administrative assistant, 24 years; Diana Lawrence, student welfare specialist, 19 years; and Nanci Mathison, director of student services, 29 years.

Food services: Donna Luzzi, program manager, 18 years.

Transportation: Gary Rossi, bus driver, five years.

There were three other employees who retired and asked the school district to keep their intentions private.

The employees were honored May 22, at a reception at Gundlach Bundschu Winery.

The board also recognized the classified employees of the year. The five employees included Laura Hernandez from Flowery in the para-educator and instructional assistance category; Terri Hernandez from Creekside, Kimberly Smith from Altimira and Regina Webb from Prestwood in the office and technical category; and Linda Patterson from Sonoma Valley High in the support services and security category.

In other business, the board:

• Received a presentation on the Dual-Immersion Master Plan.

• Held a public hearing and received a plan update on the Local Control and Accountability Plan.

• Approved the alternative credit policy for high school students.

• Eliminated a three-quarter-time instructional assistant position and a one-quarter-time instructional assistant, exceptional child.

• Received the annual report from SELPA (Special Education Local Plan Area).

• And approved the Education Protection Account

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