There have been a few speed bumps along the way, however, USD 251 Superintendent Bob Blair is very pleased with the current journey through the 2021-22 school year to this point.
During an interview on KVOE’s Morning Show Tuesday, Blair stated that district administration did have a bit of a scare in the early half of September due to a sudden increase in student COVID-19 positive tests and quarantines. Thankfully, Blair says that trend has reversed significantly in recent weeks with little to no positive tests or quarantines needed over the past two weeks.
When it comes to quarantines or students needing to be out of the classroom due to a COVID-19 exposure, Blair says 251 is continuing to take a “blended approach” to education.
One area where the district has not needed to be concerned so far this year is staffing.
This is a big relief after staffing shortages were made very apparent over the past summer with the district working diligently to fill several open teaching and coaching positions prior to the start of the fall semester.
On top of being fully staffed, Blair also says the district has an impressive vaccination rate amongst staff members of more than 50 percent at this time.
The impressive trends come as the district’s enrollment was slightly down between the fall of 2020 and 2021. Blair stated on a recent interview with KVOE News the district saw a decline of roughly 20 students which Blair says is a “significant” number for a district their size.
Blair says that they were expecting the decrease as many students from USD 253 Emporia came to the district to continue in-person learning at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last year and then returned to Emporia once in-person learning recommenced. Blair says he is confident the enrollment numbers will improve in the coming years due to a few factors, but namely the planned opening of the district’s new preschool building in the fall of 2022.
Blair’s interview Tuesday morning, was the latest in a series of interviews with other area school administrators over the past two weeks which also included USD 253 Emporia Superintendent Allison Anderson-Harder, Emporia Christian School Principal Sally Kaiser and Sacred Heart Principal Darb O’Neil.
