New teachers are hard to find right now for many school districts and Geary USD 475 is no exception. Dr. Deb Gustafson, Associate Superintendent of Schools, reported to the school board last week that the District is getting creative and have been reaching out to the community for people they know. "Especially like the foreign languages, music, band, and orchestra, people that may have had a degree and never utilized it. " Gustafson added they've been in the music world and had a degree, but never sought to be a teacher. "We're actually reaching out to some of those individuals to see if they'd like to try it for a year."
Also on the hiring topic, Fort Riley Garrison Commander Col. William McKannay reported that the installation has started their in-person victory welcomes again where new Soldiers and families on post attend a series of briefings. They have started information fairs. He informed school officials that may be a way to reach that military population.
The 1st Brigade deployment might mean less students in the school district this year, but also might mean that there may not be a need for quite as many teachers.