The Wayland Board of Education did a little bit of musical chairs Monday night in a pseudo election of officers for the 2022-23 academic year.
Vice President Peter Zondervan vacated his position on the board to take the treasurer’s post left vacant by the resignation last month of Toni Ordway. Succeeding Zondervan as VP is Cinnamon Mellema, who served as president for two years.
Otherwise, the board spent a lot of time wrapping up things, bidding good-bye to Supt. Dr. Christina Hinds and welcoming new Supt. Tim Reeves, whose first meeting will be June 26 at a work session.
Hinds, in a brief retrospective of her tenure at Wayland before she goes to work next month at Grand Rapids Northview, told board members, “Despite our second year of Covid, we were able to show accomplishments… even though this year was anything but normal.”
She also provided the board with a synapsis of year-end activities at each school.
Assistant Supt. for Instruction Theresa Fulk said during this second year of Covid, particulary from winter to spring, the district performed close to normal again in academic testing.
In other business at Monday night’s meeting, the board:
• Learned from Assistant Supt. of Finance and Operations Patricia Velie that the district’s balanced budget for 2021-22 will be for $36,852,342. Estimates for next year are pegged at $36,857,599.
Velie said the food service program run by Chartwells created a budget surplus of just over a million dollars.
“Food service has done an amazing job,” she said, adding that it was able to get the job done despite problems associated with Covid. “They said all they want to do was feed the kids.”
Next year’s food service budget will reflect a 4 percent increase because of recent high rate of inflation.
• Approved the purchase from Buist Electric of Hopkins of a new public address system for both Steeby and Dorr elementaries at a total of $32,170.
• Established the same local annual tax rate at 8.4 mills and Velie once again asserted that rate will continue, even if the $48.5 million bond issue is approved on Aug. 2.
• Was told the school system received a grant of $378,392 for psychological and nursing services for the next three years, but local share will increase in years one and two.
• Was presented with a new 100-page student handbook.
COVER PHOTO: The changing of the guard — New Supt. Tim Neeves (left) wishes outgoing Supt. Dr. Christine Hinds well while her husband Kevin and son Andy look on.
