Good news at WACO ? school enrollment shows an increase

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

WAYLAND ? WACO School Board members received some good news during their regular monthly meeting Monday night in the junior/senior high school media center.

After years of declining enrollment at the rate of about 10 students per year, enrollment is up by 13.4 students for the 2016-17 term at the school. The enrollment figure is the school?s budgeted enrollment, which accounts for the fraction because some students have different weighting as others. For example, special educational students have additional weighting.

With each student representing approximately $6,600 in state aid, the school district will receive approximately $90,000 in additional funding during the 2017-18 school year (school enrollment funding always comes one year later). The official count day for school enrollment was Oct. 3 this year.

WACO Superintendent Jeff Dicks, in explaining the reasons for the increase, said residents attending WACO are up by 3.70; resident students open enrolling out (even though the students open enrolled out, WACO is able to count the students on its census) increased by 8.90; and dual-enrolled weighting increased by .80. Adding the three numbers reflects the 13.4 student increase.

Students open enrolling into the district increased by 15. WACO does not get to include these students in its census but does bill the sending district for state student aid.

Dicks noted that a key statistic is that WACO?s open-enrolled student deficit decreased from -19.3 to a -13.2. The deficit is figured by subtracting the open enrolled students in from the open enrolled students out.

Board members approved an increase in hourly pay for non-certified substitutes from $7.25 to $8.10 per hour. Non-certified employees include clerical, teacher associates (para-professionals), hot lunch employees and custodians.

The district compiled a survey of 30 area school districts and learned that its pay was on the low end of the scale. With the increase, WACO now compares favorably with area school districts of comparable size.

Directors gave the school architect permission to seek bids on roof work at the junior/senior and elementary attendance centers. The district began a five-year roof repair project in 2016 and repair costs for 2017 are estimated at $92,000 at the elementary school and $98,000 at the secondary building. In 2016, the district spent $188,000 for roof work.

In the lone personnel matter, Ruchel Hiller?s contract as drama coach was approved. Hiller will be paid $1,680.

Six open enrollments were approved. Of the six, two students will be open enrolling in and four open enrolling out.

WACO board members will meet in regular session again on Monday, Nov. 21, at 6:30 p.m., at the secondary building in Wayland.