School in Wisconsin begins in less than three weeks.

The Platteville School Board Monday night approved hiring several new teachers and staff members, but others remain to be hired.

Jan Merfeld, who holds an accounting degree from the University of Northern Iowa and is a master’s student at UW–Whitewater, was hired as 33-percent business/marketing education teacher. Merfeld replaces Tom Caccia, who is leaving to coach swimming at Simpson College in Iowa.

Bethany Fredericks will take Caccia’s 50-percent position as PHS publications advisor. Liz Peters was hired as girls swimming coach to replace Caccia.

The school board also voted to increase occupational therapist Emily Christensen’s contract from 85 percent of full time to completely full time, because of Christensen’s workload.

The board approved four cocurricular hires — Jessica Jentz as high school assistant volleyball coach, Alison Jaacks as football and basketball cheer advisor, and Aaron Cullen and Matt Withrow as high school assistant football coaches.

The school board also approved two part-time hires because of enrollment increases in early grades. The board approved hiring a half-time teacher to teach an additional section of kindergarten and math at Neal Wilkins Early Learning Center. The board also approved hiring a 3.5-hour-per-day food service staffer at Westview Elementary School.

The board will have to replace three staffers due to resignations — high school special education teacher Jamie Stangel, who is moving out of state; special education teaching assistant Kim Nolan, who is now working at UW–Platteville; and part-time Title I teacher Joyce Marr, who will be working in Madison.