Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Education news and issues in the Ozarks.

Missouri Education Commissioner Visits Wilson's Creek Intermediate On First Day Of Class

Stephen Hall/SPS

Missouri’s education commissioner, Margie Vandeven, said, in all her years in education, she’s never seen people so excited about the school year as they are this year.

Vandeven spoke Monday at Springfield’s Wilson’s Creek Intermediate as the school celebrated its new status as a 2021 Gold Star School.

According to Vandeven, to her knowledge, all Missouri public schools have opened or plan to open school in person.

Masking rules are very mixed throughout the state, she said, with some districts requiring them and some not.

According to Vandeven, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will be monitoring COVID-19 cases in schools closely.

"I know that all of the local leaders will be watching that closely.  The local health officials will be watching that closely," she said.  "The safety of our students and our staff is always the priority but, again, just really eager to be back in the classroom."

There are a lot of things people disagree about right now, according to Vandeven, but the one thing most agree on is that kids need to be back in school in person.

She said DESE will continue to advise schools on the best mitigation strategies and to talk about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Michele Skalicky has worked at KSMU since the station occupied the old white house at National and Grand. She enjoys working on both the announcing side and in news and has been the recipient of statewide and national awards for news reporting. She likes to tell stories that make a difference. Michele enjoys outdoor activities, including hiking, camping and leisurely kayaking.