A pair of familiar faces at Clay Central/Everly will head off into the sunset once the school year comes to a close.

The school board on Jan. 27 approved the early retirement applications of Mary Ann Jobst and Kim Harken. Jobst, the Title 1 Reading/Math/ESL instructor, has served the district for 33 years, while Harken, a special education teacher, has served for 21 years.

According to CC/E human resource manager Diane White, Jobst and Harken were the only two teachers to apply for early retirement this year. Six individuals were eligible.

Early retirement applicants had to complete a total of 15 years of continuous service in the district as a licensed teacher or administrator, or a combination of both, and they needed to be 55 years of age on June 30, 2021. They also had to be 55 on the date of the receipt of the first benefit.

Jobst got her start with the district in 1987. She added the ESL endorsement to her title five years ago to serve Spanish-speaking students in the district. In a previous interview with the Sentinel-News, she said she's enjoyed the small town atmosphere at CC/E and close relationships with students.

"My work each year at CC/E is different and challenging," she said in November. "I like that this career continues to give me opportunities to learn. I love the relationships that you build with families and students in a small school."

Harken began her career with CC/E in 1999. She'll miss her students the most after she retires.

"Working with students is the best part!" she said in a December interview with the newspaper. "I love to take a student who feels like it is impossible to do or learn something and build their confidence with success after success. We can all do great things when someone believes in us. CC/E has always had some of the best teachers around. They truly care about their students' academics as well as their emotional and physical well-being."

• Playground equipment upgrade proposed

In other business, teachers Lori Larson and Tayla Coady suggested the board purchase new playground equipment for elementary students at the Royal building. The current playground equipment consists of two slides and swings, and there are also balls that students can take outdoors.

The pair suggested using money from the Elementary Pop Fund and Athletic Booster Club, as well as PPEL or SAVE monies, to help with the project. Larson and Coady said the need for new equipment is high and students would benefit from an upgrade. They suggested adding more climbing equipment or an obstacle course setup.

The board requested the two teachers get an estimate for the upgrades and report back at the February meeting.