COVER PHOTO: WHS junior Kylee Boomsma (second from right) and her crew members were personally thanked by Supt. Tim Reeves for supplying the schools witjh 438 cookies last Thanksgiving. She apparently is a budding businesswoman.

Theresa Dobry was elected president of the Wayland Board of Education Monday night.

Dobry, the longest serving current school board member, succeeds Dan Cassini, who had served as president for the past three years. First elected in May 2011, she has been board secretary, treasurer and vice president in previous years. Her current term expires at the end of this year.

Originally from Scottville and a 1990 graduate of Mason County Central High School, she holds a bachelor of science degree in office systems from Northern Michigan University. Her husband, Steve, is a 1988 graduate of Wayland High School.

In the formality of nominating and electing the other officers of the board, Cassini was chosen vice president, Becky Hohnke secretary and Jeff Koon treasurer.

In other business at Monday night’s meeting, the board:

• Congratulated WHS sophomore Elisa Sieurin for winning the annual Christmas card contest and expressed appreciation to junior Kynlee Boomsma and her crew for donating 438 cookies to the schools for Thanksgiving.
• Fielded comments from Bob Pickard of Wyoming, who is advocating implementation of armed guards in schools, particularly in the wake of the shooting earlier this month in Perry, Iowa. He said Texas and Lansing public schools have gone to that system. “I think we need to be proactive with our security in schools,” he said.
• Was told by Baker Elementary Principal Rachel Cimek that student proficiency scores from fall to spring last year rose from 69% to 75% in reading and from 63% to 69% in math. Assistant Supt. for Instruction Theresa Fulk commented, “Baker not only met the growth goal, it exceeded it.”
  
• Was reminded by Supt. Tim Reeves that a community-school forum will be held Monday evening, Jan. 29, at the Lumberyard Events Center.
• Approved a request for an overnight trip next May to Northern Michigan University for the high school Futures program.
• Was told by representatives from Triangle Construction that work will begin when school gets out in June on new windows at the middle school. Other work halted for later this year will include lighting at the middle school and repairs in the bathrooms at Pine Street Elementary. It was said that 43 percent of the work force in the project will be staffed by local residents.