Duneland Director of Media and Technology Randall Eckley and Chesterton High School Speech and Debate Director Robert Kelly are among the latest to announce their retirements from the Duneland School Corporation this year.

The number of teachers and administrators retiring totals 30.

Eckley, who has been with Duneland for 38 years, attended Monday’s school board meeting and was given a round of applause. He publicly thanked the Duneland community for giving him “such a wonderful career.” While there have been good times and bad, “most of the time has been very good,” he said.

After the board meeting, Eckley pointed out that the Duneland School Corporation has had only four superintendents in its history, a mark of stability that he said is a major factor for the success of the schools and the students. “It was a great school corporation when I first came, and it is a great school corporation when I leave,” he said.

In response to an estimated $1.6 million in state funding costs, Duneland has offered veteran teachers an incentive to retire by making a one-time payment of $22,500 in their health accounts. Along with Eckley, other adminsitrators who have announced their retirements are Chesterton Middle School Principal James Ton and Director of Music Tom Kennedy.

Duneland Assistant Superinten-dent Monte Moffett said that collectively, the 14 people whose retirements were accepted Monday and the 16 whose retirements were announced at the last meeting have provided 1,033 years in education, the vast majority of which -- 932 years -- have been at the Duneland Schools.

The list of retirements accepted Monday is as follows:

Peggy Balta has been with the Duneland Schools since 1972. She has taught home economics at Westchester Middle and Chesterton Middle schools.

Judy Coffer began teaching at Duneland in 1971, having taught one additional year in Mishawaka. She has taught at both Liberty and Jackson elementary schools.

Randall Eckley began his teaching career at Duneland in 1972. He worked at Liberty Middle School until 2000, when he became director of media and technology.

Peggy “Sue” Hyle taught one year in Pennsylvania and three and a half years with the Porter County Schools before coming to Duneland in 1986. She has taught first and second grade at Jackson Elementary in addition to working as a Duneland substitute teacher.

Harold “Hal” Johnson has taught at Duneland since 1970. He also taught a year in East Chicago Heights in Illinois. He has taught English at Chesterton High School.

Robert Kelly began teaching at Duneland in 1975. He has taught English at CHS and has served as CHS Speech and Debate Director since 1991.

Jane Lahne began teaching at Duneland in 1971. After leaving in 1977, she returned in 1993. She has taught at Yost and Brummitt, teaching kindergarten and first and second grades.

Michael Lahne has been a Duneland teacher since 1972. He has also taught in the Hammond Schools. He taught industrial arts at CHS, WMS, and CMS.

Rachel Manweiler has been teaching at Duneland since 1994. She also taught one year in Topeka, Kansas and three years at Pennsylvania. She has taught math at CHS.

Jane Pearson began teaching at Duneland in 1973. She has worked as a kindergarten teacher at Brummitt Elementary during her entire teaching career.

Nancy Alexis Reed began teaching in Duneland in 1995. She also taught in Wyoming for eight years. She has taught second grade at Brummitt Elementary and also worked as a media secretary at CHS.

Janet Riggers has been with Duneland since 1990. She has worked as an elementary media specialist at Jackson Elementary. She also worked at the Hobart Township Schools for seven years.

Glenn Swanson began working at Duneland in 1992. He has been a guidance counselor at CHS and at Westchester and Liberty intermediate schools He has also served as head basketball coach. He previously worked one year at Penn-Harris-Madison Schools, 15 years in Elkhart, and five years at Fairfield Community Schools.

Tom Trzeciak taught four years in Middletown, Ind., before coming to Duneland in 1973. He has taught industrial arts at WMS and CMS.

Posted 3/2/2010