NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- New Albany-Floyd County School students return to class Tuesday, and Superintendent Dr. Travis Madison also starts his first day with the district.
He joined WDRB Mornings on Monday to give parents an idea of what to expect. Madison said his biggest focus as the district's new superintendent "is trying to engage myself into the culture of the schools, get to know as many people as I possibly can."
Madison said he has been meeting with administrators and central office staff to get to know them. He said parents can expect some changes this year, thanks to state lawmakers.
"There's been some major shifts from a legislative standpoint that have come down into our public school system, not only in NAFC but all school systems in the state of Indiana," Madison said. "One major thing our parents are going to see just right off the bat at the start of the school year is students are not going to pay for textbooks or curricular fees in the state of Indiana."
We spoke with some teachers who were eagerly anticipating seeing students again on the first day of school.
"It's a mixture of nerves and excitement," said Autumn Grasty, who teaches sixth-grade math at Hazlewood Middle School.
Pictured: a sign at Hazelwood Middle School anticipating the first day of class.
Laurie Skaggs, anther sixth-grade math teacher at Hazelwood, is feeling that excitement.
"I swear I don't sleep for a week, but I love it," she said.
Skaggs said she wants "everybody to leave school on the very first day going home and telling their parents it was the best day of their life -- and if they say that my job is done."
They're looking forward to a new year with a new superintendent and a new principal: Kelly Nigro.
Nigro said the middle school is near full-staff, with only one teaching position currently open.
"We are ready to go," she said.
At Floyd Central High School, after months with no one in the top post, Madison said an interim principal will be named at the NAFCS Board meeting Monday night.
"We will be naming an interim this evening," Madison said. "We have been able to locate a person that just retired recently and is going to be able to come in with a load of experience, not only in the middle school setting but in a high school setting as a principal. We hope that that will ensure a smooth transition as we move into the school year and give us an opportunity to restart that search after the first of the year."
It's a time of transition that many teachers are ready to tackle.
"Everybody's just ready for a new year," said Skaggs. "It's going to be great."
To see the NAFCS calendar for the 2023-24 school year, click here.
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