Otsego’s food service director leaves

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TONTOGANY – Otsego Local Schools has lost its food service director, and administrators will be sharing
her job for the unforeseen future.
The board of education accepted the resignation of Jeanne Jeffers, effective immediately, at its May
meeting.
“I can’t thank her enough with what she has done with our food service department,” said Superintendent
Adam Koch. “She’s a phenomenal leader and we’re absolutely going to miss her.”
Koch, Treasurer Steve Carroll and Eva Vasher, director of transportation, will fill her role. They will
continue doing so for an undetermined amount of time.
Jeffers has helped serve almost 13,000 meals since March 24, Koch said, adding that breakfast and lunch
will be served all summer once every two weeks.
Jeffers reminded her replacements there are guidelines they must follow that don’t include a deep fryer
or ice cream.
“It wasn’t an easy decision,” she said about her departure, “but it was one I needed to make.”
She will start driving a dump truck for Gerken Companies in Napoleon. She said that she has been
penalized through Social Security by being in the school retirement system.
“If you see a big green dump truck on the road, it may be me in there,” Jeffers said.
“I have a brand-new respect for everything she did,” Carroll said about learning one third of her job.

If the pandemic hadn’t closed school, Jeffers’ cafeteria fund was on track to balance for the first time
in years, he said.
“I’ve been on this board a few years, and that’s never happened,” said Jamie Harter.
Jeffers started a Second Chance Breakfast in October for high school students to grab when they came into
the school. A breakfast cart was brought to the main hallway with food for students to buy.
It helped with federal reimbursement and sales, and gave another opportunity for students to eat before
lunch, she said.
The plan was to start it in the junior high after spring break, but she never got the chance.
Also at the meeting, a number of retirements were accepted, including music teacher Richard Dubler,
classroom aide Deb Fox, math teacher Richard Hotz, science teacher Chris Heban and health/phys ed
instructor Cheryl Jones, all effective at the end of this school year; and Don Smith, intervention
specialist, effective May 31.
An additional resignation was accepted, from Tyler Martin, classroom aide, effective Aug. 19.

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