Opening days for Wayland Union Schools will be Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 24 and 25, as alternating groups will be asked to attend half-day sessions.

The Wayland Board of Education met for a work session Monday evening, and Trustee Janelle Hott’s remark, “None of us were trained in Pandemic 101 before we became board members,” may have spoken for all her colleagues.

School board members last week opted for a hybrid model for starting the academic year. Half of the students will be in session Mondays and Thursdays, the other half will attend Tuesdays and Fridays. Wednesdays will be set aside for virtual on-line learning.

The hybrid model is regarded as a compromise between virtual sessions entirely and face-to-face classroom sessions all five days. The goal is to keep classroom size to a maximum of 15 students.

Board President Cinnamon Mellema said, “This has been rough and it’s going to continue to be rough. It’s OK to be afraid and nervous. but we can do this. We can get through this together.”

Superintendent Dr. Christina Hinds said all students will be greeted with a health check to start the day, and “There will be lots of people to assist.”

She added that, “If a student is not feeling well the (health department) guidance is to have them stay at home.”

Her comment was made in response to come concerns raised by parents of children who actually may be suffering from a cold or allergies.

She agreed there is risk, but it would be present even there was no threat of COVID-19.

Pat Velie, assistant superintendent for finance and operations, outlined for board members some of the financial consequences of the Coronavirus.

She indicated Wayland Union Schools received a Corona relief check for $1,068,154.50, but then exactly half that amount was reduced as part of state aid. The district received $37,604 in surprise Covid aid.

In other business at the work session Monday, the board:

• Approved paying the final bills for the construction projects as part of the November 2017 bond passage, including tennis courts, roofs, media centers and the football stadium turf.

“I think Triangle Construction has done a good job (as project contractor),” she told the board.

• Agreed to continue to the 80-20 percentage agreement with teachers’ insurance rather than the “hard cap” approach through the 2020-21 academic year.
• Heard Dr. Hinds stress again that anyone who signs up for virtual learning through the Virtual Academy in Allegan will not be restricted to using it for the entire academic year.