Wakefield Community School Board will be looking for a new superintendent after accepting current superintendent, Mark Bejot’s, letter of resignation effective Dec. 31 of this year.
During the meeting, Bejot offered his letter of resignation for the board to vote to accept. Board member Jeff Keagle moved to accept and fellow member Arianne Conley seconded. All members except board president Mark Victor voted to accept the resignation. Bejot told the board they would need to begin a search for an interim superintendent to finish out the year.
During reports, secondary principal Matt Farup said that Allen Consolidated Schools declined Wakefield’s offer to continue their co-operative agreement for activities for the 2020-2021 school year. That agreement means volleyball, girls basketball, wrestling and junior high sports will be affected. He told the board that both wrestling and volleyball would need new coaches to be hired as well, while practice time and space would need to be figured out for junior high activities.
“We’re looking at possible candidates,” Farup said. “Junior High athletics is a little more complicated.”
During the meeting, board member Bree Brown reported that contract negotiations had been approved. The base salary for the 2020-2021 school year will be $37,490. There will also be a 6.71 percent increase in healthcare and dental and 4.13 percent increase in extra duty payment.
The board approved the purchase of 40 iPads for the elementary school at a cost of $11,760. Farup requested lowering the credit requirement for health and physical education from 15 credits to 10 and requested requiring five credits of Technology course work for every Wakefield graduate. Those requests will be discussed during a special meeting at 3:45 on Monday, Jan. 6. That meeting will also serve as one of the district’s American Civics curriculum meetings.
The next regularly scheduled Wakefield Community Schools Board of Education meeting will be Monday, Jan. 13 at 5:30 p.m.
For full coverage of Wednesday’s meeting pick up a copy of the Dec. 19 edition Wayne Herald.
