An English teacher position was filled and the process of putting forth a bond election for the district were among the items on the agenda when the Wayne Community Schools Board of Education met Monday.
Grace Lindsay, a Wayne High alum, was hired for the high school English position for the 2023-2024 school year.
Superintendent Dr. Mark Lenihan explained the timeline for a special election for a bond issue that would allow for the building of a Pre-K through second grade facility west of the Wayne Community Activity Center.
Dr. Lenihan told the board that the school's facility committee was scheduled to meet again with city officials to discuss the school's acquisition of the property. He said that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) could be created for the property and this document would be considered by the school board at its January meeting.
Dr. Lenihan also shared information on when the necessary documents for an election needed to be turned in to the election commissioner.
These include — for a Feb. 14, 2023 election, the deadline is Dec. 26; for a March 14, 2023 election, the deadline is Jan. 23; for an April 11, 2023 election, the deadline is Feb. 20, 2023 and for a May 9, 2023 election, the deadline is March 20.
Board members felt the March 14 election date was the most reasonable.
During the old business portion of the meeting, board members approved the second reading of Policy 3520, dealing with transportation to district, state and national competitions, and how much the district is willing to compensate the group or organization,
Policy 5402 also received second reading approval. It includes changes recommended by the Perry Law Firm in regard to reporting of child abuse and neglect.
In new business, the Superintendent Evaluation and contract were discussed and approved.
Board President Jodi Pulfer shared highlights to the board's evaluation of Dr. Lenihan and said in January she, Dr. Lenihan and Board Vice President Jaime Manz will work together to set goals for the coming year.
Board members voted in favor of extending the contract for Dr. Lenihan from 2023 to 2026. Total compensation for the 2023-2024 school year is $210,926.
First reading of an Agenda Item Management (AIM) Document for an Elementary Art position.
Elementary Principal Russ Plager explained to the board that someone is willing to take on the position with funding provided by the Wayne Education Booster (WEB). This would mean the funding for the position would not come out of the district's General Fund.
Board members felt there is a need for an elementary art program, but had questions on how the actual funding would be handled and who would be responsible for payroll taxes.
Approval was given to move forward with installation of LED lights in the elementary gym. Beiermann Electric was awarded the bid for the project. Cost for the work will be $10,872. The new lights will be more energy efficient.
A first draft of the 2023-2024 school calendar was presented.
Dr. Lenihan said the calendar was similar to this year's with the first day of classes for students being Aug. 17. Additional work will be done to confirm dates before the calendar is brought back to the board at a future meeting.
An update was presented on the district's Strategic Plan. Information was given on what has been completed and what areas the district is on track to complete.
The Nebraska Education Profile Report is now available on the district's website. It contains information on the district and other comparable schools.
Dr. Lenihan noted that, based on the data contained in the report, Wayne Community Schools is above average.
Board members went into executive session to discuss negotiations.
The Wayne Community Schools' Board of Education will next meet in regular session on Monday, Jan. 9 at 5 p.m. in the junior-senior high school library.
