Incoming USD 251 Superintendent Robert Blair doesn’t officially start his new job until July, but he tells KVOE News he can’t wait to jump in and get rolling.
Blair comes to North Lyon County with 30 years of experience as a teacher, principal and district administrator under his belt, most recently the last nine years as principal, assistant superintendent or superintendent at USD 114 Riverside near St. Joseph, Missouri. He says several things impressed him about North Lyon County.
While Blair was superintendent, Riverside passed a capital outlay levy for facilities, transportation and technology and a separate measure for a new track and football stadium bleachers. Facilities are a touchy topic for USD 251, which had three bond measures for either a new K-12 or K-8 campus all hotly contested and ultimately defeated last decade — leading to the departure of former superintendent Aron Dody and the hire of current Interim Superintendent Mike Mathes. North Lyon County Board Chair Matt Horton says the district needs somebody who can build bridges, in a manner of speaking, and move forward.
Horton says patrons recognize the need for improvements and the district will keep researching the best path forward for its facilities, but a final plan and funding mechanism are off in the future for now.
Board members approved a two-year contract as part of a special meeting Wednesday night.
