West Fork teacher retires after 30 years in community

As the school year came to an end last week, so did the teaching career of one of the West Fork School District's longest serving teachers. Toni Eckenrod has retired from teaching after 30 years of educating area elementary students.

Eckenrod began her teaching career in 1986 as a first-grade instructor at CWL and taught there for two years before her position was cut. In 1989, after spending some time subbing and coaching in Mason City, she was hired at the Meservey-Thornton school district and has been with the district in its various incarnations ever since.

Starting as a second-grade teacher at M-T, Eckenrod gradually covered the entire elementary range, teaching third, fourth, and fifth grade at various times.

"I just kept moving up," said Eckenrod.

Eckenrod didn't just move from classroom to classroom either. As M-T transitioned into SCMT and eventually West Fork, she taught in all three school buildings at various points in her career, from fifth-grade science in Rockwell back to elementary in Sheffield.

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