That participation extends from the basketball court to the auditorium, according to Superintendent Jim Murray.

“I just am so impressed with how students engage themselves in activities,” Murray said. “We have had outstanding participation at middle school and high school.”

The high school’s fall musical “The Addams Family” was a highlight, Murray said.

“We had 60 students participate in that,” Murray said. “Our community supports our schools, whether through donations or speaking positively about our schools or coming to support our student activities.”

-Photo courtesy of Rick Thompson
Tiffany Wurth, Humboldt High School band director, works with students during a performance in the school’s gym. Superintendent Jim Murray said the school has had great participation numbers in its activities.

That support is being rewarded with a $1 million project to beef up classroom and athletic space in Humboldt schools.

According to Murray, an indoor turf area will be added for students to train on. Wrestling space for both girls and boys will increase at the middle school and high school.

“We have actually got a growing program with girls wrestling at the middle school and high school,” Murray said. “We are very excited about that.”

Additionally, classroom space will be added at Taft Elementary School and the middle school.

One other change being planned is the addition of a safe and secure entrance at the high school. Currently, the school’s administration office is in the middle of the building. Future plans would place the office at the entrance.

“We think that could be a good safety improvement for our kids,” Murray said.

Murray said construction should begin on those projects in 2023.

About 1,400 students are enrolled in the Humboldt Community School District. Murray said that number has stayed relatively steady in the last few years.

One of the biggest changes during the 2021-22 school year has been professional development.

“Our elementary school has a K-8 reading series,” he said. “The collaboration has been outstanding and we are seeing a change in instruction and we hope to see that reflected on assessments.”

Meanwhile, secondary teachers have been focused on visible learning.

“We want to strengthen that instruction by clearly stating those learning intentions, giving students a chance to assess their own progress,” Murray said. “Increase that student engagement to achieve those instructional objectives.”

One area that has plagued Humboldt schools is staffing.

“We are short staffed in special ed, in our kitchens and custodial,” Murray said.

However, Murray said current employees have stepped up in a big way to help fill the void. Employees like Joleen Schulze, who primarily works in the kitchen, have raised the bar.

“She does her shift in the evenings but comes in the morning and noon hour to help,” Murray said. “She has gone above and beyond for us in our areas of need.”

To help with the shortages, Murray said the district has focused on advertising more frequently and offering internships.

“Once they are here, we can keep them because we have a great culture in our district,” he said.