Wayland School Board still considering a new pool

It may be only an inkling, it may be only speculation, but members of the Wayland Board of Education Monday night were hinting that the next bond issue for the district will involve a renovated or new swimming pool.

Prompting discussion about a pool was a report from Patricia Velie, assistant superintendent for finance and operations, noting that everything for the previous bond, including the middle school addition, new tennis courts and artificial turf for the football stadium, has been concluded.

Trustee Theresa Dobry then asked Velie how much it would cost for a new pool. Velie told her about $21 million, and it could be accomplished through “a series of bonds.”

“We’ve upgraded a lot of facilities lately,” Dobry said, noting that the pool, which was installed in 1974, the year the high school opened, has fallen into disrepair because it is aged and it doesn’t comply with MHSAA specifications for swimming and diving meets.

Board Vice President Pete Zondervan asked if there could be some kind of recreation millage from the City of Wayland and Dorr and Wayland townships to help pay for a pool, but Supt. Dr. Christine Hinds said, “That’s not likely to happen.”

There was no action taken, nor was there a proposal floated, but board members seemed interested in attempting to persuade the public to support a new pool.

The pool was part of a proposed bond package several years ago that also included razing Pine Street Elementary, but its high price tag cause it to go down in flames. A pared down request was approved shortly afterward.

Otherwise, the school board spent a lot of time dealing with policies and the strategic plan.

Jack Temsey, a consultant representing the Michigan Association of School Boards, outlined the key features of a public survey and noted there were 1,735 public responses. It gave the board information about goals and objectives for the next year and the next five years.

Hinds said it’s her understanding that the greatest challenges facing the board in the near future are “trust, respect and transparency,” all connected to the last 18 months of dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic.

Nonetheless, the board approved the 30-page MASB report.

Other lengthy discussions were held on NEOLA policies, which some board members noted were not particularly interesting for students attending and members of the public, but they are necessary.

One policy proposal was for all public meetings to limit public comment to a combined 30 minutes, which drew criticism from citizen Jeff Koon. Hinds noted that the limits could be extended if needed, at the discretion of the board president.

In other business Monday, the board:

• Learned that Wayland is being asked to be a host for a semifinal post-season playoff football game.
• Was told that Greenville has asked to swap with South Christian in membership in the O-K White and O-K Gold Conferences. If it is approved, it will be implemented next year. South Christian and Wayland are the only schools to have remained in the Gold since the division was created nearly 40 years ago.
• Was told by Velie that despite the customary need to borrow against state aid, the district has an 18% fund balance.
• Was told by Hinds there is nothing new or revealing on the test results from the Homecoming Dance drinks that led to several reports of illnesses.
• Noted there will be a public forum on the issue of how to spend funds from the Gun Lake Casino at 6 p.m. Dec. 6.
• Heard a complaint from a district parent, Doni Lenhart, about the lack of timeliness with quarantines and testing for Covid-19. She said the board should “leave the (health care) decisions in the hands of parents, where it belongs.”
• Approved field trips next spring for the WHS Orchestra to New York City April 20-24 and for the middle school choir to Cedar Point May 27.
• Approved the purchase of a new Ford maintenance truck for $29,000.