WHS ‘walkout’ Wednesday was entirely student-led

Wayland Union school officials had to reassure a district parent Monday night that last Wednesday’s national walkout of students was observed without any interference or encouragement from adults.

Pat Noyes told the school board he wasn’t pleased by the student walkouts that took place March 14 in observance of the Feb. 14 shooting deaths of 17 students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla. There were student observances held all over the United States.

Superintendent Norm Taylor said administrators and teachers allowed students who wished to gather in the Fine Arts Center for the ceremony, insisting the kids not have to endure the cold weather in the football stadium. He stressed that the student-led activity was entirely elective and no one was forced to participate.

Note expressed his suspicions that some adults with political agendas were driving the developments.

Not far away, about 50 students Wednesday gathered for a walkout ceremony at the Allegan County Vocational Technical Center and at Allegan High School. State Senator Tonya Schuitmaker told WZZM-TV afterward she was disappointed the observances took place. A group of students responded in writing that they were disappointed in her when learning she took campaign contributions from the National Rifle Association (NRA).

Taylor’s explanations apparently were satisfactory to Noyes.

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

• Agreed to purchase two new school buses from Capital City of Lansing for a total of $170,850, which Finance Director Pay Velie said was $30 less than last year.

• Decided to purchase four state-of-the-art video cameras for school buses from Safety Vision at a cost of $58,266.

• Approved the addition of two new courses next year at the high school — an advanced placement (AP) computer class and a store management business class. For the latter, a school store will be established with business students running the business under supervision of faculty.

• Approved expending about $65,000 for a lawn mowing contract with Pro-Mow Lawn Care to take care of all lawns in the district and athletic fields.

• Approved extending the snow plowing contract with USA Earthworks at the same cost as last year. Velie commented, “I think it’s a really good deal for us because gas prices are inching upward.”