“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this many students in one place,” principal Ed West said. “I kind of got an adrenaline rush at the start of the year.”

West is proof that the student body is not the only one having to make adjustments because of the seemingly countless changes accompanying the new school year. Because his last two schools had student bodies mere fractions of Free State’s 1200, it’s not hard to see why the atmosphere is unfamiliar to him.

West’s previous school, Jeff West, is one of only 350 students, the one before that having a meager 150. According to West, even 20 minutes after classes have been dismissed there are more students in the commons than there were in Jeff West’s entire building during a school day.

In addition to a change in atmosphere, West is also dealing with a change in his family life. When he was offered the position in Lawrence, he discussed all aspects of the opportunity with his family before making any decisions.

“While the timing may not have been perfect, we all realized that the opportunity…was too good to pass up,” West said.

West’s family, his wife Cheryl and their three children Kaitlin, Brent and Lauren, made a decision together to remain living to Topeka.

“The biggest impact on my family life will be lost time with them,” West said.

When working closer to home, balancing family life and his work was an easier task. Now, however, he is making his best effort to compensate for lost time.

“My family…can see how excited I am about being a Firebird. We work hard to make our time together quality time.”