By Clara Osten,
clara@wayneherald.com
From listening to an audit report for the district, to the need for an ag facility for those enrolled in ag classes to property insurance and the need for an additional Special Education instructor, the Wayne Community Schools Board of Education had a full agenda for Monday's meeting.
Lori Olson with Dana Cole presented information, via Zoom, about the recently completed audit for the district.
She said the audit was an "unmodified audit" which is the highest level of audit. She explained the auditor's responsibilities and the district's responsibilities during the process.
In addition, she shared a summarized list of tax funds received by the district and said most of the numbers on the audit were "pretty consistent. Wayne does not receive a lot of state aid."
One area of discussion during the presentation was the district's cash reserves and Olson told the board she was pleased the cash reserves were going back up.
She concluded her presentation by stating she had good cooperation from the district's staff.
Wayne FFA Adivsor Toni Rasmussen and FFA members Mia Nelsen and Ellie Jech spoke to the Board of Education on the benefits of having an ag facility for the students.
The students shared information about the number of students enrolled in the ag classes and said there is not enough room in the current classroom. A number of students wishing to take ag-related classes are not able because of this.
They showed pictures of the ag facilities in other schools and explained what they would like to see in an ag facility.
In addition, a number of sources of funding were discussed.
Board President Jeryl Nelson said he was excited about how quickly the program has grown in the five years it has been in existence.
Board member Jodi Pulfer said she feels "there is tons of support for the program."
In other action, the board approved a quote for the district's property and casualty insurance package.
Cap Peterson with Northeast Nebraska Insurance presented information on several parts of the package, including the cost of the Workers' Compensation portion. The cost for this will be slightly less due to fewer claims in the previous year.
Coverage has been provided by EMC Insurance Company for a number of years.
The school's deductible on property incidents will be raised to $10,000 per incident.
Total cost for the package is $116,449. This includes coverage on the district's property, vehicles, Workers' Compensation and an increase in coverage for cyber liability.
Board members also approved a position for a 7-12 Special Education position for the district. This will begin with the second semester of the 2021-2022 school year.
Approval was given to move forward with the installation of new lights for the high school gym. Cost for the new LED lights is $9,850. These will be more energy efficient and save the district in energy costs. The project will be paid for with funds from the building fund.
In addition, approval was given to have Sports Facility Maintenance repair the east bleachers at the high school and the bleachers at the elementary school. It was noted that during the annual inspection, several areas need to be addressed.
The cost for the work is $9,653.39 and will also be paid for with funds from the building fund.
During Administrator reports, Superintendent Dr. Mark Lenihan told the board that the scores from the NSCAS/NWEA -MAP Assessments are still embargoed and will be discussed at a future board meeting. He also gave an update on COVID-19 cases and said there has been an increase in the number of infections in the area. District staff will continue to monitor the situation.
Special Education Director Misty Beair told the board that the Unified Bowling season is underway and the Wayne teams are doing well. She also said that there is still a need for paraprofessionals for the district.
During a report from the Curriculum and Committee on American Civics, information was shared on having a Community ELL Night on Thursday, Dec. 2 at the Early Learning Center. This will begin at 5:30 p.m. and allow those attending the opportunity to comment on district needs.
The Wayne Community Schools Board of Education will next meet in regular session on Monday, Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. at the junior-senior high school.
