Each of the four strategic planning com
mittees gave reports on their findings to the Wayland Board of Education Monday evening.
Perhaps the most striking was the special committee on finance, represented by David Rose of United Bank. The other committees included facilities with Jennifer Antel and Maintenance Director John Huyck, student achievement with Curriculum Director Deanna Hays and Janis Kemper, and communications with Laurie Zywiczynski and Burrell Stein.
Rose gave the board information about how the public sees school district spending and presented three strategic goals:
• Increase the budget fund balance by one-half to one percent each year until it reaches 12%. The fund balance, which essentially is how much money the schools have after subtracting expenses from revenue, right now is at about 7.5%.
• Have an annual public forum on how to spend money from the Gun Lake Casino to increase a sense of transparency.
• Establish a strategic plan to develop district priorities.
Rose told the board public forums and surveys could help “make more ways to get a feel about what’s out there… We felt there has been an undercurrent in the community that they didn’t understand what was happening.”
Rose added that he sensed the community is worried about where the casino dollars are going, whether they are meeting critical needs and “people don’t want to be stuck with contractual obligations we can’t pay for if the casino dollars fall off.”
The United Bank representative wasn’t all gloom and doom, however. He said he learned a great deal working with other committee members and thought the process was worthwhile.
“I came into this very leery, but came out very excited,” he said.
Antel said most of the talk on the facilities committee was about:
• Safety on buses and with lighting in the pool and parking lots.
• Dealing with classroom overcrowding by perhaps moving all fourth-graders (Dorr included) to the fifth and sixth grade Pine Street Elementary and Pine Street’s sixth-graders to the middle school.
• Finding ways to fund a new pool and community center. The 31-year-old current pool is showing its age and has been in need of costly repairs.
• Finding effective ways to combat bullying, particularly on playgrounds.
Hays and Kemper said the goals of preparing college or career ready students can be increased by academic achievement adjustments, promoting life skills and job skils development, and better involvement from faculty, staff and parents.
Zywiczynskisaid the school district very well in measurements of communication, but there is room for improvements. She said efforts in marketing and public relations and involvements with parents and community businesses are crucial elements.
After the conclusion of the four presentations, board members took notes and President Nancy Thelen said of the strategic planning process, “It’s been a long, but worthwhile journey. We appreciate your efforts.”
