Those who will receive diplomas during this year's graduation ceremony and the final day of classes for students at Wayne Community Schools were among the items approved during Monday's meeting of the Wayne Community Schools' Board of Education.
Board members approved the 2025 graduation list which includes a total of 61 students - 30 boys and 31 girls. It does include the five students who were mid-term graduates.
Graduation ceremonies will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 17 in the high school gym. The last day of classes for these students will Monday, May 12 with a breakfast, video and graduation practice taking place on Tuesday, May 13.
For the students in kindergarten through 11th grade, the final day of school will be Tuesday, May 20 with a noon dismissal. Teachers will have the remainder of that week as work days.
Graduation ceremonies for the two pre-school classes will take place on Friday, May 9. The first will be at 5:30 p.m. and the second at 7:30 p.m.
Sarah Oltjenbruns, Elementary Library Director, presented information to the board on activities at the library. She noted that 19,000 books have been circulated this year.
In addition, she has classes with each grade level throughout the week, focusing on items such as how to use a Chrome book, parts of a book, use of an on-line encyclopedia and on-line digital citizenship.
She also talked about the changes that will take place for the next school year as the library will be split between the Early Learning Center and the Elementary School.
In new business, the board approved a payment of $469,073.34 to Hausmann Construction. This amount represents the 5% retainange the district has had for the remainder of the work to be done at the high school.
Also approved was payment application No. 21 to Hausmann Construction for $657,066.57.
Superintendent Dr. Mark Lenihan told the board the project is "coming along great" and that there has been a lot of work done in recent weeks. He also shared with the board some of the positive comments he received during the recent high school musical production in the renovated auditorium.
He presented deadlines for work in the coming weeks and noted that teachers will not likely be able to move into the new classrooms until later in the summer.
An open house will be scheduled and kindergarten students will have an opportunity to meet with their teachers in the new building before the start of the 2025-2026 school year.
Board members approved a bid of $39,360.91 from McGraw Hill, LLC for new high school math textbooks and curriculum resources.
High School Principal Russ Plager outlined the process the district has gone through to determine which book series best matches the school curriculum and state standards.
A 4% increase in base pay was approved for classified staff for the 2025-2026 year. Dr. Lenihan asked to board for approval to have the rate increases take effect in May and noted that the district has "bumped up the pay for paraprofessionals to help retain them."
A technology purchase in the amount of $38,275 was approved for 16 interactive screens for the Early Learning Center. The screens, which are being purchased from Pine Cove Consulting, will be installed in July and ready for the start of the new school year.
During administrator reports, Dr. Lenihan told the board he had visited with the city of Wayne officials and Wayne Police Chief Marlen Chinn in regard to adding hours that the school district would be able to have a school resource officer in the buildings. He said that at the present time, this will not work for the police department.
Special Education Director Misty Beair presented a review of the English Language (EL) program at Wayne Community Schools.
She said there are currently 21 students in the program at the high school; nine in the junior high; 71 at the elementary school and 5 at the Early Learning Center.
She told the board that the Newcomers Program, which was added this year, "is a wonderful addition and were are seeing lots of growth in the accomplishments of our students."
The Wayne Community Schools' Board of Education will next meet in regular session on Monday, May 12 at 5 p.m. in the junior-senior high school library.
