St. Joseph-Ogden High School is moving swiftly to return a sense of normalcy to its students.

Retired St. Joseph Grade School teacher John McDannald will coach track through the end of this school year.

“He’s very graciously agreed to get us through this. That’s huge,” said Superintendent Jim Acklin.

Acklin said he approached McDannald about coaching, who Acklin described as a “great guy, who has spent his entire adult life in the community.”

Acklin said McDannald had his first teaching job at St. Joseph Grade School more than 30 years ago and continues to coach cross country there.

“I told him you’d be the perfect person to help the healing process begin,” Acklin said.

Acklin said that the majority of the track team had McDannald as a coach at St. Joseph Grade School.
“He’s the perfect person to get us through a very difficult situation,” Acklin said.

McDannald has already met with the assistant coaches and is anxious to start coaching the team.

“He told me, these seniors are 7/8ths done with their career, we are not going to reinvent the wheel,” Acklin said. “We are just going to keep them on the same track.”

McDannald’s coaching position is a part-time post for which he will be paid.

Acklin said the district has hired a long-term substitute to cover special education classes at the high school for the remainder of the school year. The substitute has worked within the district before and will be responsible for day-to -day teaching of classes.  
“Once the dust settles we will most likely place an ad for the opening for next year,” Acklin said.
Acklin said he hopes to have a candidate to present to the Board of Education by summer.

Leonard Winchester is fulfilling the vacant bus driver role.  Acklin said Winchester has coached softball and driven buses for the district.

“He has agreed to do it until the end of the year,” Acklin said. “He is a great guy.”