By Clara Osten,
clara@wayneherald.com
The hiring of two elementary principals was among the items on the agenda when the Wayne Community Schools' Board of Education met on Monday.
Courtney Maas, current first grade teacher, was hired to serve as the district's K-2 Elementary Principal. She will move to the new Early Learning Center when the building is completed. Maas has been a teacher in the district for 19 years.
Andi Diediker, current fifth grade teacher, was hired to serve as the district's 3-6 Elementary Principal. He has been employed with the district for five years
The board also approved the hiring of several teachers for the district, as well as a shift in the duties of a current teacher.
Micaela Hight was hired as a third grade teacher and Savanah Leseberg will teach one section of third grade students and move with the class as they go through the elementary school. Candace Peterson will move into the position of first grade teacher. She is currently a Resource/Special Education teacher.
Derek Jueden will join the district as a Skilled and Technical Sciences (STS) teacher and Suzy Hasenkamp will become a high school science teacher for the district.
Brian Flansburg, Bret Glover and Amanda Glassmeyer, representatives of First Student Bus Company, were present at the meeting to discuss the proposed contract the firm is offering to the school.
Flansburg told the district that the company has added a technology package to the list of options for the contract. This would allow the district and parents to track the bus so students would know when the bus is picking them up. In addition, computerized routing software is available to allow bus drivers to "write up" students for both good and bad actions.
Flansburg also talked about the age and reliability of the buses in the fleet currently being used by Wayne Community Schools. He also presented several package options to the district in regard to the upcoming contract.
During the new business portion of the meeting, the board voted unanimously to approve the contract with First Student for the three-year time frame from Aug. 1, 2025 through July 31, 2028 and authorize Superintendent Dr. Mark Lenihan to negotiate a four-year contract and bring back to the board at a future meeting.
A change order in the amount of $93,736 to Hausmann Construction was approved. It will allow for the addition of telescoping bleachers and basketball backstops at the Early Learning Center.
Dr. Lenihan explained how the cost of this change order would be paid for and said that due to the way the bonds for project were issued and current interest rates, "we have enough to cover this change."
A monthly payment to Hausmann Construction was approved in the amount of $1,390,916.70 for work completed on the construction/renovation project.
Information shared with the board indicated that the project is 23% complete and going well. Additional trusses will be delivered in two weeks and demolition work has begun on the former wrestling room.
A Swimming Cooperative agreement with Norfolk Public Schools was approved at the meeting and appropriate forms will be submitted to the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA). The agenda item was also scheduled to be discussed at the Norfolk Public School Board meeting Monday.
The agreement is for one year and for boys only. It will be re-evaluated next year and could include girls should there be an interest. The cost of the agreement is $250 per student taking part in the activity.
Considerable time was spent by the board discussing the school's part in the upcoming city sales tax vote for the possible relocation of the Community Activity Center.
Board members felt the community needs to have information before the vote, but had differing opinions on whether or not to be involved with a community meeting.
Additional discussion will take place at the next meeting with the possibility of school representatives attending a city-sponsored informational meeting in regard to the sales tax.
•Information provided during administration and board committee reports included the following:
•Juniors will take the ACT on Wednesday, March 27 with no school for students in grades 7-10 and 12th grade;
•The four-year old preschool is full and there is a waiting list. The three-year old program is nearly full;
•The district will be submitting a grant application to the Nebraska Department of Education for a Safety and Security Grant. Should the school receive funding, it will be used for bullet-resistant film on the windows and additional security cameras;
•The Wayne Community Schools Foundation will be looking to identify needs for the district, which could include funding needs for the new STS department and a portion of the playground at the new Early Learning Center.
The Wayne Community Schools' Board of Education will next meet in regular session on Monday, April 8 at 5 p.m. in the junior-senior high school.
