Six Fargo Public Schools teachers will retire

Fargo, North Dakota – The Fargo Public School District is experiencing some staff turnover as a result of retirements and resignations.

According to the district, three teachers have submitted resignation papers, and three more are scheduled to retire at the conclusion of the academic year.

Fargo South will lose two teachers as a result of the resignations. Sebastian Tackling, a band instructor, and Kailyn Allen, a professor of language arts, are included. The latter had been placed on administrative leave due to allegations of having an unsuitable relationship with a student. Another teacher to quit at Clara Barton Elementary School was Louisa Pugh, who taught second grade.

Tackling had been employed with the district for more than 12 years, whereas Pugh had attended Fargo schools for four years. Allen had just moved to the district the previous academic year.

At the same time, three tenured instructors have declared their intention to retire and leave the teaching profession at the conclusion of the academic year. Karen Derby, a kindergarten teacher at McKinley Elementary School, Julie Feske, a math instructor at Ben Franklin Middle School, and Karen Henrickson, a second-grade instructor at Centennial Elementary School, have all declared that this will be their final stints behind the desk. Feske has taught in Fargo public schools for 36 years, whereas Derby has worked for the system for 21 years. Feske is closely followed by Henrickson, who has 34 years of service.

On June 2, 2023, the retiring teachers’ final day will occur. On Tuesday, December 13th, the Fargo School Board will discuss and approve the resignations and retirements.

End-of-year retirements are typical, but the Fargo Public School District is facing a dilemma because of the persistent teacher shortage in the region, the intense competition for employees, and the growing difficulty in recruiting educators to replace tenured workers.