New Seaman superintendent Brad Willson focuses on making sure students are learning and safe
One of the first things Brad Willson learned when he took the USD 345 job is that he wouldn't be moving to Topeka.
He'd be coming to Seaman.
"It's a very tight-knit community," he said. "We're north of Topeka, but that's not what this community is built on. This community is built around its schools and considers itself a small town even in the larger metropolitan area."
As he starts the job, Willson says one of his priorities is building a reputation for communication. He's modeling that by taking the first few months on the job to meet with families, parents, teachers, staff and anyone else with a stake in the district's mission to educate and develop kids.
"With that comes the things around learning — making sure our kids are safe, that they're getting along with each other and that they're well-taken care of," he said. "Our teachers do a phenomenal job of that. Learning is No. 1, and then everything else that makes that learning possible is important as well."
What Brad Willson has learned about Seaman USD 345 so far
Coming off of the past two years of pandemic-era learning, one of the district's pressing concerns is a high rate of chronically absent students, a problem many districts in Kansas have also observed.
State law requires districts to track chronic absenteeism, the number of students who miss more than 10% of school time for any reason.
In Seaman USD 345, that rate doubled from about 12% in the 2018-19, 19-20 and 20-21 school years to 25.75% last school year.
Much of that is likely because of COVID, Willson said, and he's confident some of that will clear up naturally this next school year.
But he said the high absenteeism rates point to an opportunity for the district to rethink how it engages kids and families.
"We want our parents in our buildings, seeing the great things that our teachers are doing with their kids," he said. "Getting kids to school is the first priority always — it's hard to teach them if they're not there. But once they're there, we also have differences in the kind of learning students need, so we'll work on both of those."
Compared to his previous district, Spring Hill USD 230 in the bedroom community in southern Johnson County, Seaman hasn't seen the same explosive growth.
In fact, enrollment has stagnated and may be gradually declining — down 110 students last year from a 2017-18 headcount peak of 3,980 — although Willson said this fall may see a slight uptick. He said the district's relatively steady enrollment has made planning easier, in that a few students of difference each year doesn't change the programs its school can provide.
From families, Willson said he's gotten a sense that families' first priority is making sure their kids are taken care of.
"They want to know that when they send their kids to school, they're not only physically safe, but that they're loved and cared for when they walk into their classrooms, and that they know that there's a caring adult there who has their students' best interest in mind," he said.
And while he had gotten a hint of this during his interview day back in the spring, Willson said he's become even more impressed with the community he's found in Seaman.
"I couldn't have known how great the people would be," he said. "I've gotten to know the people and leaders and understand the talent we have in the district."
Rafael Garcia is an education reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at rgarcia@cjonline.com or by phone at 785-289-5325. Follow him on Twitter at @byRafaelGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Seaman superintendent Brad Willson emphasizes student learning, safety
