THE RETIREMENT of teachers and other staff members from the Emporia school district this year can hardly be described as a mad rush for the exit. In all, 17 employees of the district retired, only 1.4 percent of the 1,200 school employees, a small number that represents a big difference in children’s lives.
Among them, the retirees averaged more than 27 years of hard labor in the groves of academe — more than 22 years in the Emporia schools. That qualifies as a full career.
All of the 17 — teachers, janitors, cooks, secretaries — have provided valuable service to the community and its children.
But for all their hard work and longevity, the retirees pictured in the May 25 Gazette showed a remarkably youthful group. None of them looked ready for a nursing home or even a rocking chair. They looked like a group of people who had just finished one job and were ready to start on the next. This is an era of multiple careers, and these folks are likely to be visible around Emporia for years to come.
That’s good. Their experience and their dedication to the community’s future will continue to be a valuable resource to the city.
Thank you, all.
We can’t wait to see what comes next for you.