Wayland Union Board of Education

The Wayland Union Board of Education met on Monday, March 9th at the Administration Office for their regular meeting.

Meeting Presentation

All consent agenda items were approved.

Wayland Union Middle School's Presentation

• WUMS Principal, Rachel Cimek, began her presentation by sharing a video that featured student responses to prompts with a hot mic. Topics included giving shoutouts to their favorite staff members, recognizing their peers, and sharing what they have learned about themselves as a middle schooler.
• NWEA ELA and Math scores show an increase from Fall 24-25 to Winter 25-26 across all grade levels.
• The Spring 24-25 M-Step and PSAT scores showed that 6th and 8th grade students were performing above state average for ELA. For math, all grade levels performed above the state average. Science and Social Studies scores also show that students are performing above state averages.
• In regards to academic and behavioral supports, the middle school is focusing on 3 tiers of support which start with Whole Group Instruction, then shift to Reteach Opportunities, and finally to Intense Support.
• This year the middle school is offering a Leadworthy class with focuses on the skills and applications of leaders, including how to interact with people from all walks of life.
• Students ended the presentation with their daily launch: "And let's not forget - be your best, do your best, and bring out the best in others."

WUMS - Wayland Union Middle School

NWEA - Northwest Evaluation Association

M-Step - Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress

PSAT - Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test

ELA - English Language Arts

Report from February 23, 2026 Curriculum and Technology Committee Meeting

• Erin Stepek shared that the committee learned about the student device proposal, had a progress report on the new elementary ELA curriculum, received an update on grant funding, and looked at data regarding the average amount of time elementary students are spending on their devices during the school day.

Student Board Members Report

• Macy Schwartz and Teagan Robinson shared that student council is planning several spring events, NHS is reading with elementary students during the month of March, Robotics is preparing for their upcoming competition, and SADD is hosting the "Save a Life" tour at the end of March. Winter athletics are coming to an end with many district and state competitions occurring over the last few weeks, and spring sports started on Monday.

Governance Team Good News

• Tim Reeves is enjoying the warmer weather. Pete Zondervan shared that this week is parent teacher conferences, and he encourages families to utilize this opportunity to engage with their student's teachers. Norman Taylor shared that March is reading month and he is getting to read in a few classes. Erin Stepek celebrated a 13th birthday in her family with a roller skating party over the weekend.

No public comment.

Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations

• Leslie Wagner shared the year to date for revenue versus expenditures report. Food service served over 50,000 meals in the month of February. Matt Miller hosted a District Safety Coalition Meeting with local law enforcement and is working with students to create safety videos. The Transportation Department is looking for more bus drivers and is in the process of providing more safety trainings to current drivers. Bond work is progressing with series II construction projects kicking off near spring break. The Facilities Department is busy wrapping up winter projects and shifting into the spring season. The Business Office is working through the final budget, negotiations/handbooks, financial preparation, and is continuing to update their processes.

Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services

• Teresa Fulk shared that there is a new course and tech proposal which will be discussed later in the meeting. March is reading month, and Mrs. Fulk has enjoyed getting into classes to read. The last professional development day of the school year is on Monday, March 16th, which will include PLC time and the opportunity for staff members to visit the Anne Frank exhibit. The Technology Department has been working on replacing cameras throughout the district, and they are making a world of difference. The district is hosting two community nights for the Anne Frank exhibit on March 12th and 25th from 7pm-9pm at the WUS Administration building. Lastly, Mrs. Fulk is starting to plan a unique summer learning program due to grant funding.

Superintendent

• Tim Reeves shared that the long winter has impacted our community, but he has noticed a positive shift as the weather has started to improve. March is reading month, and he wants to emphasize the value of early literacy for our students. He also wanted to bring to the board's attention several hot topics within our community such as data centers and solar farms.

PLC - Professional Learning Community

Annual SLRF Borrowing for Debt Payments

• Leslie Wagner shared that this is a letter the district receives annually. For the third year, the district will not have to borrow, but brings the option to the board's attention in case it is needed.

Student Device Proposal

• Teresa Fulk shared that after extensive conversations with three different district committees, the proposal is to purchase two grade levels of iPads with keyboard cases and 150 Chromebooks to pilot during the 26-27 school year.

Course Proposal for 2026-27 School Year

• Teresa Fulk shared a course proposal for Digital Design and Technology at the high school, which would allow students the opportunity to use a laser cutter to create district awards.

Disposition of Surplus Property

• Leslie Wagner shared that the district would like to participate in the Wayland City Garage sale to help increase available storage space.

SLRF - School Loan Revolving Fund

Revised Board Operating Procedures

• Approved.

MASB Board of Directors - Region 6

• Voting for Elizabeth O'Dell. Approved.

2025-2026 General Fund Budget Amendment

• Approved.

MASB - Michigan Association of School Boards

Board Member Comments

• Norman Taylor inquired about an update on the spring supplemental count that was mentioned during the last meeting. Teresa Fulk explained that the district has not finalized the count yet, so no new information is available at this point in time.
• Pete Zondervan thanked students for attending the meeting.
• Jeff Koon thanked Rachel Cimek for the presentation and the middle school students who spoke during the meeting.

Becky Hohnke was absent from the meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 7:25pm.

*Please note: This is a summary of the meeting. Official board minutes will be approved at the next regular board meeting being held on April 13th at 6pm. The meeting will be held at the Administration Office.