Game of 'tag' begins today in WACO Community School District

By BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

WAYLAND ? ?Tomorrow is like playing tag,? referenced WACO Superintendent to Tuesday?s first day of school in the district. ?You don?t know if you are ready or not, but bring on the kids.?

?I have met with the staff, we have some great additions to the staff. Everybody is excited and ready to get back to the classroom. Both buildings look good,? Coen continued in his remarks to WACO directors during their regular monthly meeting Monday night. ?WACO is a great school, we have a good staff and good students.?

Directors breezed through a slim agenda in 30 minutes, filling a couple of staff slots, approving a 28E agreement with the Washington Community School District and approving board policies.

Wendy Leichty was reinstated as part-time secondary school nurse. Leichty?s job was part of the budget cuts last spring, but Coen felt the position was needed. ?The needs of the school require that level of care,? the superintendent said.

Leichty will work two days a week and some of her time will be non-student contact. ?I think it is important that we give her some non-contact hours (for record-keeping purposes),? Coen said.

Board member Jarod Graber, who made the motion to recall Leichty, said student safety is paramount. ?Our number one priority is the safety of our students. We have to reinstate her and move on.?

Charity Schadt was hired as a coach at the secondary school and will be paid $8.40 per hour. Carrie Coble was hired as the junior high volleyball coach.

Directors approved the resignation of Connie Freyenberger, an elementary school special education para-educator. Freyenberger will be replaced.

Finally, the board approved a 28E agreement with the Washington Community School District to share cross-country and golf during the 2012-13 school year. WACO will send four girls to run cross-country at Washington but does not have any male runners. WACO will share both boys? and girls? golf with Washington next spring.

WACO board members meet again in regular session Monday, Sept. 17, at 6:30 p.m. in the high school media center.