Wayland Union Board of Education

The Wayland Union Board of Education met on Monday, July 14th, at the Administration Office for their regular meeting.

All consent agenda items were approved.

Report from Finance/Personnel/Joint Committee Meeting

• Jeff Koon shared that topics included the 24-25 budget recap, the 25-26 budget forecast, and changing the way Gun Lake Casino Revenue Sharing funds are handled internally. We will treat these the same as we treat grant funds going forward.

Report from Curriculum & Technology Committee Meeting

• Theresa Dobry shared that they discussed the new K-5 ELA programs, including the grant funding and PD training. The group also looked at NWEA results with a majority of our scores being at or above the national average. Lastly, future technology upgrade plans were shared by Scott Getter.

Governance Team Good News

• Becky Hohnke completed her back to school shopping. Jeff Koon's son got engaged. Pete Zondervan's wife had the opportunity to work with Golden Apple, an organization that focuses on learning opportunities for future educators.

Nine public comments were made regarding cuts to coaching staff, cuts to Dorr Elementary staff, and transparency in the district.

Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations

• Leslie Wagner shared the year to date revenue in comparison to the 2024 year. The district is currently waiting for the state budget to be released before finalizing the budget for the 2025-2026 school year. The facilities crew is busy completing work orders and painting projects. The new safety crosswalk signs were delivered for the high school and middle school campuses, those will be installed prior to the start of the school year. The free summer meal program is running during summer school. Last week, the transportation department received two new buses which were purchased using funds from the Gun Lake Tribe Revenue Sharing program.

Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services

• Leslie Wagner shared the update on behalf of Teresa Fulk. PD has been arranged to educate our staff on how to implement the new reading curriculums. Our summer learning program kicked off last week.This summer, the district is offering Experiential Learning Programs through Community Education which include trips to Potter Park Zoo, the Ebersole Center, and Saugatuck.

Superintendent

• Tim Reeves shared that our district utilized Woolpert to create a predicted enrollment report, this report will be analyzed and summarized in August. Mr. Reeves encourages parents to complete the OLR to provide the district with accurate enrollment information to address the concerns of the Dorr Elementary parents. An official staffing decision regarding the third grade teaching position will be made in early August. Tim Reeves shared an update on the bond series II projects: the current pool will be turned into a multi-use athletics facility (similar to a fieldhouse) and a band room will be built onto the FAC near the dance studio. Mr. Reeves shared that the district will be attending a Gun Lake Tribe revenue sharing event later this week. Lastly, he encouraged board members to schedule an individual meeting with him this summer.

School Resource Officer Agreement - Year 3

• Leslie Wagner shared that this is the third and final year for this particular grant, the agreement has not changed.

Wayland Union Schools Official Brand Guide

• Erin Stepek asked for clarification regarding the policy of only allowing black to be used as an accent (less then 25% of athletic uniforms). Becky Hohnke shared that the policy is meant to keep groups accountable as new uniforms are purchased, but would support allowing black for up to 50% of the uniform. Multiple people brought up concerns with enforcing this guide on nonaffiliated groups (such as PTOs). Ended with the concessions that it should be encouraged but not enforced for those groups.

Revised Emergency Operations Plans

• Tim Reeves shared that the updated EOP now reflects the state's laws. This plan is confidential as it relates to the safety of our staff and students. Mr. Zondervan would like to consider updating the office phone numbers to be listed under job titles (i.e. HS Principal) instead of the specific people who hold that job. Mr. Koon pointed out that the document will live digitally now so it will be easier to keep individualized information accurate and up to date.

A motion to reference the school district's legal status and proposed organization of the BOE

• Approved

Designation of Depositories for School Funds (Bylaw 0154A)

• Approved

Designation of Signature Authorizations (Bylaw 0154B)

• Approved

Adoption of Schedule of Regular Board Meeting Dates/Times/Places for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 (Bylaw 0154C)

• Approved

Designation of Person to Assume Specified Responsibilities of the Treasurer (Bylaw 0154F)

• Approved

Designation of Person to be Electronic Transfer Officer (ETO) (Bylaw 0154G)

• Approved

Designation of Person for Posting Public Notice of Meetings

• Approved

Approval of Annual Retainer Agreements

• Approved

Designation of Person to Approve Free/Reduced Lunch Forms

• Approved

Memberships

• Approved

Student Handbooks for the 2025-2026 School Year

• Approved

Filter First Purchase

• Approved

Bus Driver Contract

• Approved

Paraprofessional Contract

• Approved

Organizational Considerations Moving Forward

• Erin Stepek would like all questions asked by a board member to the administration team to be placed in the board weekly update with the answer. More considerations will be discussed during the upcoming work session meeting.

Gun Safety Resolution Discussion

• Tim Reeves shared that the board received seven draft resolutions along with a letter from our state legislator. A resolution is a formal statement on behalf of the board, not a law or policy. Becky Hohnke shared that she feels we've done a good job allowing this group to attend our events. Jeff Koon shared a house bill that is in the progress regarding allowing gun safety classes back on school grounds. Stephanie Tromp doesn't feel the need to create a resolution when a law will be enforced in October that will cover the same topics of the resolution.

Board Member Comments

• Tim Reeves encourages individuals or groups to schedule a meeting with him if they have any questions or concerns with anything involving the district.
• Norman Taylor appreciates the construction progress on the bond this summer.
• Leslie Wagner shared the importance of sharing bond progress updates and thanked the people involved with making that possible.
• Stephanie Tromp thanked everyone who voiced their concerns during the public comment portion of the meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 7:46 pm.

*Please note: This is a summary of the meeting. Official board minutes will be approved at the next regular board meeting being held on August 11th, 2025 at 6pm. The meeting will be held at the Administration Office.