Gunn will lose several veteran staff members this fall, and preparations have been underway to find their replacements.

 The social studies department will lose Robert Kelly, Anne Thomas and Sam Picture. Thomas will be teaching at Foothill High School in Pleasanton and Kelly in either Merced or Mariposa. Kelly will be replaced by Christopher Johnson who has taught U.S. history for eight years at Pioneer High School in San Jose.

Even with these teachers leaving, Fredrich believes that the department will manage to cope. “We’ve had so much turnover,” Fredrich said. “It’s not desirable, but we’re getting used to it.”

In addition, two English teachers—Carol Kuiper and Karen Oppenheim —will say goodbye to Gunn. Kuiper is retiring and Oppenheim is moving to Fresno. The rest of the English schedule, however, will undergo little change. “Everyone teaches freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors,” Dunlap said. Nonetheless, the English department is in the process of finding replacements for departing teachers..

The guidance department will lose two counselors—Susy Drake and Dennis Tinsley. Two final replacement candidates have been chosen by Principal Noreen Likins, guidance counselor Jovi Johnston and Assistant Principal Anne-Marie Balzano.

In addition to teachers leaving Gunn for good, various teachers plan to take a temporary leave of absence.

English teacher Matt Struckmeyer will be teaching at Dunn School, a boarding school near Santa Barbara. Struckmeyer had planned to teach the Bible as Literature English elective next year, but it has been suspended. “It’s not necessarily gone for good, but I’m afraid there isn’t anyone to teach it next year,” English Instructional Supervisor Paul Dunlap said.

Math teachers Rachel Dion and Sarah Kastelic, Spanish teacher Norma Barba-Medina, English teacher Ginny Moyer, social studies teacher Alice McCraley and art teacher Allison Rockwell will be on maternity leave, while theater director Jim Shelby will be taking a year off in Italy with his family.