At its Dec. 8 meeting, the school board learned about the resignation of the swim coach, explored the possibility of not replacing soon-to-retire teachers and discussed several current issues. The Athletic Director, Mr. John Rosa, received an e-mail of resignation from Swim Team Coach Bill Layton on Thursday, Dec. 8. At the board meeting that night, Layton’s wife, Mrs. Barb Layton, spoke to the board on behalf of her husband. “[Layton] is not a quitter,” his wife said. According to Mrs. Layton, Layton was deeply concerned about whether starting block anchors would be purchased for the team. She said that not purchasing the anchors could jeopardize the safety of the swimmers because they have yet to practice using blocks to begin races. However, Mr. Rosa said as soon as the anchors arrive, Sunrise Pool will begin installing them. “[Getting starting blocks installed] is a process,” Mr. Rosa said. Mrs. Layton told the board that her husband did not wish to resign from his coaching position. However, the school board has officially accepted Layton’s letter of resignation. Within days of Layton’s resignation, Freedom did manage to find a new swim coach. Ms. Carrie Cooper— who has helped with the team in the past—began practices Dec.12 and will continue to coach the swim team for the rest of the year. The swim meet scheduled for Dec. 9 was cancelled, but practices began again Dec. 12. The board also addressed several different measures that have been taken or proposed to reduce district spending. One of these potential proposals involves not replacing teachers retiring after or during this year. After administrators meet tonight, a more solid consensus will possibly be reached concerning the replacement of retiring teachers. The decision will be influenced by not only the district budget, but projected enrollment of next school year. “It’s hard to tell at this time,” Dr. Robert Staub said. However, it is “certainly a possibility [that retired teachers will not be replaced].” The board was also presented with a report from Chad Yopp, the Building and Grounds Supervisor, concerning the Conway Elementary School security system. The system is, according to Yopp, outdated. As a result, he has been receiving false alarm calls multiple times a week during the night. Consequently, the security system has been shut off. The board is searching for a temporary fix until a more definitedecision can be reached concerning Conway Elementary’s fate. In previous board meetings, the possibility of closing the elementary school has been discussed. The December meeting was the first after November elections, so the school board also welcomed a new member, Dennis Sharpless.