Niobrara County School District had its first day of school on Monday,
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LUSK – Niobrara County School District had its first day of school on Monday, August 23. This school year began much as years past. Students exchanging hi-fives and fist bumps with each other and staff helping those unsure of where to go.
At the NCHS building, now Niobrara Junior/Senior High, seventh and eight graders eagerly made their way to their lockers and worked at navigating the new building but with familiar faces from their sixth grade year still there to reassure them that while the building may have changed, their friends, teachers and education experience won’t.
In a move that created controversy and trepidation within the community last spring, the Niobrara County School Board decided to relocate seventh and eight grade from the “LEMS” (Lusk Elementary and Middle School) building up to the NCHS building. Discussions and two public meetings were held to discuss logistics, and the reasoning behind the move including potential budget cuts, ultimately many parents and even some educators were left wondering how the transition would work and what the new school year would look like.
While even now, some of the details have yet to be worked out, this new move was of less concern to most students than their schedule was. Many met with home room teachers, prime time teachers and guidance counselors to iron out electives, math classes and more.
Students were also greeted at the high school by several new faces including new music long-term subs, and a new English teacher. Student Council members from last year encouraged anyone interested to attend the first StuCo meeting and reminded students that Homecoming festivities would be early this year, beginning the following Monday, August 30.
No matter where the classes were held, most students and teachers were glad to be “normal” again with only a few strategically placed hand sanitizer stations to indicate the continuing awareness of the impact COVID-19 has had on these students and the district. With no masks in sight and more students filling the auditorium for the first day of school assembly, it was business as usual.
