Submitted by Jeremy Burright,
Fairfax R-3 Superintendent
The 2020-2021 school year was one of the most unusual years of education that communities have ever experienced. While public educators wrestled with all of the normal issues that arise in education, we also modified almost all of our procedures. We did this in order to ensure that our students, families, and staff could experience a learning environment insulated from the pandemic. At this time, it appears that we may be looking at another year of potential pandemic threats and we need to be prepared to modify what school life looks like in order to, once again, create insulation.
In the 2021-2022 school year, Fairfax R-3 does not have plans to begin the school year with masks, formal physical distancing, nor screening. We will, however, keep a close watch on infection rates within our community and work with our local DHSS officials to take safety steps when necessary. Additionally, while many debate the idea of mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations, our district does not plan to mandate vaccination for COVID-19 for our students nor staff. Our full plan, updated for the 2021-2022 school year, can be found on our school website at Fairfaxk12mo.us.
Our district is consistently blessed by a community that always desires good things for our students and school. Last fall, the Fairfax community made it possible to install new bleachers and resurface the track at our football field. This year, the community is continuing that trend with donations to pay for new chain-link fencing in front of our bleachers. Our community volunteers also help care for landscaping, painting, and general improvements whenever they can. We are thankful and continue to ask that our community takes an active and positive role in the welfare of our district students and facilities. Whether that support takes the form of helping with our landscaping, lending a hand with work around our facility, or just using our facilities properly, we will always need a strong, positive, community to be successful. We always ask that no wheeled vehicles be used on any of our property without permission from the administration.
The 2020-2021 school year was another good year for our district financially and we contributed over $200,000 to our reserves. This contribution puts us in a financial position to, again, address deferred maintenance needs for our district. We are currently in the process of soliciting bids for a playground remodel, resurfacing of our parking lot and hard surface on our playground, comprehensive window replacement, and water mitigation. All of this work is planned for the 2021-2022 school year. This summer, we were able to have a new cafeteria floor installed, purchase new cafeteria tables, update fixtures in our elementary bathrooms, and do some much-needed painting throughout the building. The only item remaining from our 2017 levy campaign upgrade list is the replacement of the district windows. All work of this kind exemplifies how our board consistently makes wise financial decisions while wrestling with priorities within our district.
The 2021-2022 school year will be another year in which districts will receive COVID-19 relief funds from the federal government. We will utilize these funds to offset the cost of personnel and, as required, pay for professional development and student resources related to pandemic learning loss. Fairfax R-3 will primarily use these funds to expand our standards-referenced grading system, which is already being used in kindergarten, into first through fourth grades, and to refine assessment practices in our high school. We hope that work in these two areas will help clarify learning targets and increase the effectiveness of classroom instruction.
The Fairfax R-3 School District is honored to be the appointed stewards of our community’s children and resources. We deeply understand the significance of caring for someone else’s family and for the dreams that follow each child through our district doors. While the 2021-2022 school year will bring its own set of unique challenges, we know that with the help of our community, together we will be successful and persevere.
Important Dates To Remember:
8/17/21 – Staff reports to work
8/19/21 – Open House
8/23/21 – First day of classes
