As we wrap up another great school year at West Liberty Community School District, we want to thank all of our staff members for their service and dedication! We are so fortunate to have such fabulous people working for us, touching the lives of students each and every day.
Following our end-of-year staff breakfast, we recognize staff members for their years of service to the district and announce WLCSD Foundation grant recipients.
Years of Service Recognition
1st Year of Service
Cynthia Castellon, Mary Huston, Almari Irizarry Rivera, Caitlin Keiper, Austin Knapp, Kaleena Macias, Katelyn Macias, Gloria Martinez, Madison McIntosh, Laura Meyers, Nicole Nebergall, Grace Ortiz, Matthew Pitts, Molly Quinn, Madeline Rivera, Vanessa Santos Mendez, Brianna Sawyer, Brad Weidenaar, Chloe Wells, and Kobe West.
5 Years of Service
Sheena Aber, Heather Birkhofer, Kandice Blick, Kelsey Boone, Vaneza Bueno, Dawn Emery, Morgan Forbes, Kathy Garrido, Annie Gerstbrein, Katie Hochstetler, Aimee Kirkpatrick, Shaun Kruger, Blanca Martinez, Evelyn Martinez, Marjorie Polman, and Stephanie Polman.
10 Years of Service
Alfredo Esquivel, Erica Jennings, Laura Loya, Briana Simon, and Nancy Torres.
15 Years of Service
Alex Birkhofer, Gabrielle Bugenhagen, Tracey Carter, Christine Guerra, Alicia Herman, Gloribel Martinez Palma, Zachary Morris, and Marta Rodriguez.
20 Years of Service
James Laughlin, Emily Reed, and Wendy Sanchez.
25 Years of Service
Marciana Tharp
We thank all of you for your dedication to the West Liberty Community School District! Your work touches the lives of many students and families, and we appreciate all that you do!
2026 Grants Awarded
Fund For Educational Excellence (FEE) mini-grants are supported by earnings from the Alberta Metcalf Kelly Estate each year. Up to 5 grants at a maximum total of $600 per grant can be awarded each year, or a max total of $3,000. The grants will enhance instructional methods, encourage creativity in the classroom, involve parents and other volunteers, and foster imaginative teaching. Annually, teachers will have the opportunity to apply for funding to support innovative projects that will enhance classroom learning. Two grants were approved for the 2026-27 school year!
Recipients are:
Emily Reed - Multi-Sensory Letter Sound Learning
Gabrielle Bugenhagen and Sheila Polman - Fostering a Schoolwide Culture of Literacy
Ryan Grants - The Ryan Memorial Trust supports programs in the West Liberty School District and will be awarded based on the general areas identified: educational, musical, medical, artistic, historic, and civic improvements. The Foundation will select applicant requests consistent with these guidelines while being mindful of how the funding impacts student achievement and funding that can have the greatest impact on the most kids. Nine grants were approved for the 2026-27 school year!
Recipients are:
Emily Reed - Boomwhacker Fun
Gabrielle Bugenhagen - Book Binding Tool and Supplies to Bind the Books
Kayla Morrison - Guiding Hands
Andrea Martinez and Paul Mortensen - Hands-on Science Lab Equipment Microscopes
Middle School Social Studies Department - Mapping Our Students' Futures
Preschool/Begindergarten Teachers - Messy Masterpieces
Russ Hughes, Kelsie Garcia, and Kendra Hartsock - Sensory Suite
Morgan Forbes - Expanding Creativity: Integrating 3D Printing into the High School Art Curriculum
Nancy Hayes Gardner Scholarship - This year, the recipient of the $500 teacher scholarship that was set up by former principal Nancy Hayes Gardner goes to:
Skyler Appler
The Foundation would like to thank everyone who took the time to submit grants!
2026 Retirees
Congratulations again to our retirees, and thank you for your dedication to our students.
Tonya Gingerich
Beth Bryce