The first day of class in Kentucky’s second-largest district found the superintendent traveling from school to school. Dr. Demetrus Liggins also visited schools with new principals. Liggins said 14 new principals is higher than usual at the start of school. Many of them he noted come to replace retiring educators.
“It’s been a rough couple of years here lately and many of them have said if I can and I’m eligible to retire and get some rest, a lot of them have decided to do that. And that’s happening all across the nation,” said Liggins.
Many students certainly noticed that the start of school in Fayette County was about a week earlier than in previous years. Liggins said by the end of the school year, students will have still been in school the same number of required days. While wearing a mask in school is optional, Liggins said it is recommended.
“We’re highly encouraging masking for everyone. We are in red and that is the recommendation of the CDC and the local health department, but a lot of families are choosing on their own and I’m comfortable with that and I think the vast majority of our families and students and staff are comfortable with that as well,” said Liggins.
The need for school bus drivers has been an ongoing issue in many school systems. Fayette Public Schools Spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall said the district is always hiring bus drivers, but the fleet is fully staffed for the start of school.