Wayland Union Board of Education

Wayland Union Schools Board of Education held a Work Session on Monday, October 25 in the WUS Administration building. After hearing public comments regarding mask wearing, the board listened to a presentation from Plante Moran on the financial audit for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

Overall, the district received an “Unmodified Opinion” which provides the auditor was satisfied with the financial statements audited. This is the highest rating available for an audit. According to the auditors, the district’s financial health is in good shape. WUS has a good fund balance and is above average when compared to other districts across the state. The district also received federal funds through ESSER (Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief) with remaining dollars to be used through 2024.

Other items on the agenda included an update on the State Aid which is not completely settled. Our fall pupil count has not yet been finalized. Dr. Hinds presented the board with a detailed look at class sizes across the district. With enrollment down from last year and fewer pupils in the classrooms, a discussion on staffing for the 2022-2023 will be reviewed in the spring.

The board also reviewed the current COVID-19 mitigation strategies with two items requiring clarification: 1) who shall determine when to quarantine, and 2) what is the decision-making process when there is an outbreak and/or ongoing transmission within a specific building. The board agreed that quarantine decisions should be made by the health department and not the school district. The ACHD is planning to add staffing with a Health Resource Advocate to assist in contacting families in a timely manner after receiving close contact notification to determine if that student needs to be quarantined. In regards to outbreaks, the school board decided to continue the recommendation of mask wearing but will not mandate it for a designated period of time.

A new swim scoreboard was approved for purchase due to the non-repair of the current scoreboard which has suffered due to high humidity levels in the pool.

*Please note: This is a summary of the meeting. Official board minutes will be approved at the next regular board meeting on Monday, November 8, 2021.

Website: waylandunion.org
Location: 850 East Superior Street, Wayland, MI, USA
Phone: (269) 792-2181