Among the nine new teachers at Luverne Public Schools are seasoned educators, first-time teachers and, in some instances, LHS graduates returning to work at their alma mater.
Each is excited for the 2022-23 school year starting Tuesday, Sept. 6.
Traci Davis returned to college after spending 15 years in the classroom as a paraprofessional in Luverne.
A lifelong Luverne native, Davis (maiden name Siebenahler) graduated from LHS in 1995. She pursued a K-12 behavioral strategies licensure and educational studies degree from Southwestern Minnesota State University in Marshall.
Davis will teach special education at Luverne Elementary.
“This is my first year teaching,” she said. “I have subbed for the Luverne School District when needed the past couple of years.”
Davis and her husband, Mike, have three boys, Trae, Carson and Carter.
“I am looking forward to working with my colleagues and meeting my students,” Davis said.
Peyten Elbers also recently changed careers and will teach fourth-graders at Luverne Elementary.
“Prior to teaching, I was a licensed day care provider in Rock County for five years,” she said.
The Pipestone native and her husband, Derek, have lived in Luverne for the past 10 years. He works for the City of Luverne Public Works Department. They have three children: Hayden will be a second-grader, Luke is in junior kindergarten and Emersyn is 2.
Elbers graduated from the Grand Canyon University in Arizona in 2022. She student taught in Luverne, finishing in December 2021, and worked as a substitute teacher for Luverne and Pipestone school districts this spring.
“What I’m looking forward to is officially becoming a part of the Luverne Cardinal family,” Elbers said. “The staff was so helpful and welcoming last year while I student taught and subbed. I’m excited to officially be part of this team and meet all my students.”
Rylie Hokeness is starting her teaching career at Luverne Elementary in a first-grade classroom.
The Adrian High School graduate attended South Dakota State University in Brookings, achieving a degree in early childhood education.
While in college, she taught one semester of preschool in Brookings before student teaching in a Luverne first-grade classroom in the fall of 2021.
This spring, Hokeness was a kindergarten through fifth-grade substitute teacher, later becoming a long-term substitute in a first-grade classroom for Luverne Schools.
“During my student teaching and substituting experiences, I have thoroughly enjoyed the environment, students and staff,” she said. “I look forward to being a part of an incredible team and making a positive impact on my students.”
Hokeness is planning a June 2023 wedding to Luverne High School graduate Jake Haugen.
They plan to live in Luverne.
Matt Fodness is adding “ag teacher” to his resume that includes farmer and former lab analyst, since graduating from LHS in 2009 and South Dakota State University, Brookings, with a biology degree.
“I worked as a lab analyst at Newport Labs in Worthington for a few years after graduating from college,” he said. “I left Newport in 2018 when my dad had some health issues with the intention to be around the farm more. Since then I have been managing the farm and working several part-time gigs.”
Fodness lives north of Kenneth with his wife, Lara, and children Milo, 5, Ellie, 2, and Clint, 6 months. His parents, Gary and Brenda Fodness, live nearby.
“Teaching was something I had considered when I was younger but never pursued. I was looking to replace a few of my part-time jobs with something more meaningful and consistent,” he said.
“When I saw the opportunity with Dennis (Moritz) retiring, I thought I should give it a shot.”
In Luverne, Fodness will teach the introductory ag classes, welding and mechanics and will advise the FFA Chapter members.
Fodness was a substitute teacher in Worthington for a year after college graduation and recently was a substitute teacher in Edgerton and Luverne.
“I look forward to teaching students the importance of learning, developing and seeking new skills for the future,” he said.
Sandee “Sam” Goldsmith joins the Luverne High School social studies department with nearly 30 years of classroom experience in Worthington.
“I enjoy the small-town feeling in Luverne,” Goldsmith said. “I also like that Worthington and Luverne compete against each other all year long, but that won’t impact the support for all Luverne Cardinals.”
Her husband, Ken Scroggs, is a veteran and an active member of the Minnesota National Guard and is a carpenter at the VA hospital in Sioux Falls
“I appreciate the support of the military that I see in Luverne,” she said.
The Twin Cities native graduated from Wayzata High School and attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth and graduated with degrees in social studies and psychology.
After a year of teaching Montessori School in Minneapolis, Goldsmith began teaching at Worthington High School in 1994.
Goldsmith has master’s degrees in K-12 school counseling and in American history and is working on a doctorate in curriculum and instruction.
In Luverne, Goldsmith will teach American government, economics, geography and a dual-enrollment course through Minnesota West Community and Technical College.
“It’s going to be a great year, and I am really looking forward to meeting my students, their families and members of the community,” she said.
Jacqueline Johnson is coming to Luverne Elementary School after spending 15 years with the Southwest/West Central Service Cooperative in Marshall.
She will be the speech-language pathologist for Luverne School District.
The South Dakota native has a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion and a master’s degree from Purdue University.
Johnson and her husband, Travis, have lived in Luverne for 15 years and have five children. Lexi, 22, is currently in college at the University of Minnesota. Gabi, 21, is an enlisted Navy linguist. Elise, 18, is attending college in North Dakota State University, Fargo. Jude, 13, and Joss, 10, are students at Luverne Public Schools.
Johnson said what she is looking forward to the most in Luverne is “connecting with families and students — sharing my soup recipes.”
Katie Kopp, a 2003 LHS grad, returns to Luverne Public School as the middle school computer and high school business teacher.
She will also be the adviser for Business Professionals of America (BPA) for the upcoming school year.
“I have worked in the Luverne community before pursuing education and am excited to return to Luverne Public Schools as an educator,” she said.
“Luverne has many opportunities for families and students. It’s a great place to raise a family and we feel so fortunate to have our families nearby.”
She and Jordan have three children, Ellianna, a second-grader, and Hudson and Logan, both in day care.
Kopp’s parents are Doug and Pam Dooyema of Luverne, and Jordan’s parents are Jon and Peggy Kopp, Kenneth.
“Previously I worked in the business world primarily in human resources the past 13 years,” she said. “I was employed with Gold’n Plump Poultry before its operations moved out of Luverne.”
Kopp has a master’s degree in business administration from Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall and earned her teaching license through Winona State University.
She completed her student teaching requirement at Luverne Public Schools.
Kopp’s first year of teaching was last year in Adrian High School where she taught computer, business, personal finance, accounting and economics.
“I enjoyed working in Luverne and am excited to be back full-time in my own classroom,” Kopp said. “I love taking my previous work experiences and include it in what I teach. Born and raised in Luverne, it’s pretty exciting to be back.”
Lindsey Schomacker is one of the seasoned educators returning to Luverne. She’s a 2008 LHS graduate.
Schomacker (maiden name Richters) attended college at Minnesota State University-Mankato after high school, majoring in special education and development cognitive disabilities.
She will teach special education for grades 6 through 12 in Luverne.
She said she looks forward to “a two-minute commute instead of 30 minutes,” after nine years of teaching special education in Worthington.
Schomacker moved to Luverne after her college graduation with her husband, Tony, a local business owner. They have two children, Hattie and Liam. Her parents are Rick and Lynn Richters, Luverne, and her husband’s parents are Randy and Sharon Schomacker, Luverne.
Sara Weber will teach kindergarten through 12th-grade English as a Second Language at Luverne along with a foundations of writing class.
Weber grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, and attended the University of Minnesota her freshman year. She transferred home to the University of Nebraska, where she received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
“Fun fact: My bachelor’s degree is actually in business administration and I worked in the banking software industry for a couple years before returning to school to obtain my teaching degree,” she said.
Weber married LHS Class of 1999 graduate Brian Weber, and the couple make their home in rural Luverne on Brian’s fifth-generation family farm. They have two sons, who will be first- and third-graders at Luverne Elementary.
For the past decade, Weber taught at the Brandon middle school, with the first two years of her teaching career in Lincoln, Nebraska.
“I am looking forward to getting to know people in Luverne and being more involved in the community where I live,” she said.
“I am excited to teach a wide range of ages. A shorter commute and being on the same schedule as my boys is always a huge bonus.”