Curtis Simons is retiring, but not until the end of the school year.
Simons’ upcoming retirement was approved by the USD 253 Emporia Board of Education as part of its regular meeting consent agenda Wednesday night.
Simons, who has served as assistant principal and athletics director at Emporia High School for nearly a decade, originally had planned to retire this past June and the board hired Corey Wiltz as Simons’s replacement in late January. However, that decision was rescinded in late May, shortly after a Kansas Association of School Boards report cited Wiltz — then the principal for North Lyon County Elementary — for a delayed response to family members of a student who was suspended from riding a bus to and from school for saying she was a lesbian, along with his stated belief “lesbian” is a vulgar and inappropriate word, as part of a report saying the student was sexually harassed early this year.
Simons agreed to stay in his current roles for an additional year once the Wiltz hire was rescinded. His retirement is now effective June 30, 2022.
