By Dr. Ferrell Miller
Junction City Breakfast Optimist Club
Dr. Deb Gustafson, Associate Superintendent of Geary County USD 475 Schools, spoke to the JC Breakfast Optimist Club members Wednesday in Jim Clark’s Chevrolet showroom. She attended USD 475 schools for 12 years and graduated from Junction City High School. Dr. Gustafson has worked in the school district as a secretary, custodian, paraprofessional, teacher, principal and now is the Associate Superintendent.
“Education continually evolves and changes”, she said. “Nineteen seventy-seven was the first time computerized enrollment was used in the district. There was a large computer in the old Deever building at the corner of 8th and Eisenhower, in which punch cards had to be run to enroll students and make a schedule of classes. It is now possible to enroll students using a cellphone. There were no official enrollment days this year. Enrollment was done online. Counselors at the high school still checked student’s enrollment to be sure requirements for graduation were being met.
There are currently 7,300 students enrolled in USD 475, which is 50 students below the official count last year. However, there have been no cuts in staff and there are still challenges in trying to meet the needs of special needs students on Individualized Education Plans as well as those without a learning disability”, Dr. Gustafson said.
COVID changed education. Deb continued to share that “There was a mass exodus of teachers nationwide during that time period, but the numbers of teachers are starting to build back up again.” However, she believes it may take a decade.
At the beginning of COVID-19 schools were shut down for two weeks, but after the second week USD 475 students were taught online for the rest of the school year. Buildings were opened back up the following August in the district, but only 20% of Kansas schools were opened. Parents were given the option to have their child return to the school building assigned for that child after one additional year of continuing to learn online. There were 1,400 of 7,000 students who stayed home, but by January 600 returned to school. During the second year of COVID all students were to return. “I don’t believe students learn best at home. Students need interactions with their peers and teachers. Relationships are important and relationships are void online”, she stated.
“We find there are so many gaps in student learning (from having experienced the online learning process) during the COVID period. Parents recognize the gaps in their child’s learning and want them tested for Special Education services, but the student does not have a disability. Our strategy was (and continues to be) to improve the curriculum and replicate services provided special needs students for regular education students in a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS). We have also hired teachers to implement this “catch up” process for students.”