EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – The first few days of classes in the Excelsior Springs School District were “like a normal school year,” Superintendent Travis Hux stated. Hux praised students, teachers and parents for complying with the district’s COVID protocol to start the school year and the district has received praise in turn, he stated in an Aug. 27 email. “We have received numerous communications of appreciation for keeping our students and staff safe,” Hux wrote. “These feelings go along with a recent survey we conducted where stakeholders were asked, ‘What is your greatest level of concern when returning to school in the fall?’ In the survey, the number one response was, ‘I feel comfortable that our district will do their best to mitigate risks.’” Hux stated the district received 2,027 survey responses – “by far, the largest response we have ever seen on a survey.” Deputy Superintendent Jaret Tomlinson,...