The Plum School District is preparing to bid farewell to nearly two dozen employees with more than 550 years of combined service to the district.

The district plans to honor its 22 retirees with a reception beginning at 6:30 p.m. May 28 at the high school library. It will be held before the school board meeting, which begins at 7 p.m.

The retirees include 11 teachers, five food service employees, three paraprofessionals, two custodians and a bus aide, assistant Superintendent Denise Sedlacek said.

“We feel that it’s extremely important to recognize the countless lives they have touched,” she said. “The custodians, the cafeteria workers, they’re just equally as important as the teachers. They’re the ones that clean the buildings. They’re the ones that feed our students breakfast and lunch. Our paraprofessionals work with students with special needs. Everyone contributes. They’re all equally valued.”

Most of them have worked for the district between 20 and 30 years. The longest tenured is Martha Freese, who has taught since 1987, 33 years at Plum, including kindergarten, third and fifth grades, and was a substitute principal at Regency Park Elementary.

Of the 22, 18 are retiring at the end of the school year, Sedlacek said. The other four retired earlier during the year.

Superintendent Rick Walsh said the reception honoring the retirees is something new that he wants to make a tradition.

“It is a bittersweet moment for Plum Borough School District as we bid farewell to our retiring teachers, cafeteria workers, food services managers, paraprofessionals, bus aides and custodians who have served our district with enthusiasm and dedication for many years,” Walsh said.

“Their hard work, talent, and commitment to our students and community have made the Plum Borough School District a more special place for all,” he said. “We wish them all the best in their well-deserved retirement and are confident that their legacy will continue to inspire us all for years to come.”

As a parent of three Plum students, including one graduate, school board President Angela Anderson said she can speak to many firsthand experiences her children have had with several of the retirees.

“My kids have great memories of so many of them,” she said. “Mr. (Richard) Bernardi taught my son how to play football and made his first season in the sport an amazing one. My older two had many of the retiring high school teachers in class.

“Both of them have enjoyed their time in the cafeteria that Mrs. (Donna) Grasinger managed so well,” she said. “It is awesome to not only celebrate them as a board member, but also to be so very thankful for their influence on my kids’ educational experience in Plum.”

The retiring employees will be replaced, as needed, so the district is appropriately staffed for the start of the 2024-25 school year, Walsh said.

Plum retirees

Teachers

Richard Bernardi, 30 years; Melissa Bradfield, 30 years; Doran Check, 31½ years; Bob Chickerella, 30 years; Shelly Dunn, 29 years; Lynda Frazetta, 30 years; Martha Freese, 33 years; Lisa Gallippei, 27½ years; Joe Miller, 30 years; Amy Pickard, 20 years; and David Vitula, 25 years.

Food service

Tammy Bellovich, 26 years; Donna Grasinger, 29 years; Maria Ioannou, 20 years; Kathy Riggs, 29 years; and Pablita Rozewicz, 22 years.

Paraprofessionals

Karen Chickerella, 20 years; Judy Grassi, 29 years; and Pamela Hockenberry, 16 years.

Custodians

William Houtz, 4 years; and John Milos, 22 years.

Bus aide

Nancy May, 24 years.

Source: Plum School District

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