CVSD teacher Rik Austing retires after 38 years

After almost 38 years teaching in the Central Valley School District, Rik Austing retired this week.

Former students may remember him for his stories that would help them remember math facts, such as “Pies aren’t round, pies are square,” or for singing loudly as he walked through the halls.

To celebrate his long career with students, Austing’s wife, Rhonda, also a teacher in the district, is inviting former students, family and friends to stop by Browns Park, 3019 S. Pines Road, from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Austing taught elementary school for his first 17 years at Chester, Adams and Sunrise and finished out his career at Bowdish and Horizon middle schools. He was a volleyball coach at University High School and coached at the middle school level. Austing taught everything from home economics to math.

Rhonda Austing said her husband started every school year by telling each new class the “real true” story about how he lost his left index finger. By the time those students got to lunch, they’d hear from other students another outlandish way he lost the finger.