Cassopolis Superintendent Tracy Hertsel honors Felomina Patton for her 30 years of teaching Monday. (Leader photo/RACHEL BREDEN)

The Cassopolis Public Schools Board of Education honored retiree Felomina Patton at its regular meeting Monday night.

Patton came to Cassopolis Public Schools in 1984 and has since taught all subjects to many grade levels including special education. She served as assistant principal from 1987-1991 and was also the special education’s child study coordinator.

“This is my family,” Patton said after receiving a clock engraved with her name on it from Superintendent Tracy Hertsel. “It has been a beautiful 30 years. It’s hard to think what to do because this was my life. Teaching was my life. We’ve had a beautiful relationship, the parents work well together. What more could you ask for? It was perfect. Thank you so much.”

Also at the meeting, the board approved the hiring of Austin Francis as boys varsity soccer coach, Paul Chapman as summer school math teacher at Ross Beatty and Kristine Widerquist as summer school English teacher at Ross Beatty.

The board discussed the 2014-2015 budget, but is still waiting for certain figures to come in to get final amounts.

As estimated Monday night, the school system predicts a general fund revenue of $8,374,647 million and expenditures of the same amount. This proposed budget plans for an estimated 85-student loss in the next school year, a slight increase in property taxes, a state-mandated one percent increase in retirement rates and security modifications to the high school.