Libertyville High School wouldn’t be the same without its esteemed teachers and staff who improve the everyday learning experiences of all students. However, the end of the 2024-2025 school year, which is right around the corner, also means the inevitable retirement of 11 staff members. While their leave is sad for many students who will miss seeing those familiar staff members around the school, it’s still good to look back on all the impacts these teachers have had in their years of teaching. Retirement is also a big milestone that many staff members look forward to, as it’s finally time for them to take a well-deserved leave.

This year, retiring staff includes:

Mr. Buesing

Mr. Buesing has been teaching science, more specifically, physics, at LHS for a total of 30 years. LHS was also his first full-time job. Although originally he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering, he eventually found his calling in teaching, which he also says he will miss a lot when he retires. “I think what’s been notable are the number of brilliant kids that come through here every year,” Mr. Buesing said. “I am amazed at how bright, how curious, how hard working students are.”

Mr. Bush

Mr. Bush has been working at LHS for a total of 34 years. He has dedicated his entire career to LHS, and has taught all levels of physics. For Mr. Bush, one of the most notable parts of his teaching experience has been his interactions with the students he has worked with. “Over the years, all the different types of interactions I’ve had meant the most to me and have helped me grow the most as a teacher,” Mr. Bush said.

Mrs. Hubbard

This year marks Mrs. Hubbard’s 31st year of teaching. She specializes in teaching math. “Math was my favorite subject in school. So, I just thought that’s what I would want to teach,” Mrs. Hubbard said. For her, LHS has many amazing people who’ve helped her in numerous ways. “I’ve learned a lot… I feel like I’ve grown a lot as a teacher with strategies and learning technology and learning how to be a better person.”

Mr. Jones

Mr. Jones has been teaching for 22 years. He currently teaches pre-calculus and advanced algebra. “What I really like about math, [is that] it’s not really subjective, in terms of, there’s not a lot of interpretation,” Mr. Jones said. “There’s an answer. Oftentimes [there are] many ways to get to that answer, but there’s an answer.” Like other retiring teachers have mentioned, Mr. Jones also feels supported by other LHS staff members. “There are a lot of good people here,” Mr. Jones said. “They’re going to help you, no matter whether you’re a younger teacher, an older teacher. They’re not protective of their materials. They’re willing to share. And I think that’s huge.”

Mr. Mansell

Mr. Mansell has been working at LHS since 2001. “My specialty is in special education, learning, disabilities, social, emotional [and] behavioral,” Mr. Mansell said. “But I have taught English and social studies and just about everything except for foreign languages and PEs.” Mr. Mansell has adopted sarcasm as a way to better connect and teach his students. He also connects with fellow staff members through practical pranks. “We have [always] played practical jokes on each other,” Mr. Mansell said.

Mr. Maroscher

Mr. Maroscher has spent 3 decades in education and 22 of those years were dedicated to LHS. He currently serves as an assistant principal. For Mr. Maroscher, LHS is a destination school. “What stands out to me most is the people,” Mr. Marsocher said. “The resilience of our students, the exceptional dedication of our teaching staff, the profound impact of our ESPs, the tireless work of our buildings and grounds crews and the support of our school board and community. It’s all of these pieces coming together that make LHS extraordinary.”

Ms. Naslund

Ms. Naslund has been teaching for 32 years and she’s been at LHS for 31 of them. Ms. Naslund specializes in the literature department, and this year, is teaching AP Seminar. “I think the most important thing I’ve learned has nothing to do with academics and it’s just that teenagers are seriously some of the coolest people,” Ms. Naslund said. “I just feel like there’s so much potential and so much care for the world and energy that’s inside teenagers that I just feed off of that. I’ve looked forward to coming to school every single day, because I love being around students.”

Non-featured retiring staff members include Mr. Ferrel, Ms. Gratz, Mr. Kelly and Mr. Reichert.