The school board recently approved a proposal for a property tax referendum to generate an additional $10 million for the township. Soon after, superintendent Dr. Jeff Butts announced a series of “State of Wayne” meetings to discuss the proposal and other information regarding funding. The first of four community meetings was held last week on Tuesday, February 12th at Lakeview Church.

An estimated 50 people showed up. Among those present were community members unaffiliated with the school, concerned parents of students, and administrators of Wayne township schools such as Bridgeport and Lynhurst. One couple, parents of a student at BDU say that they had attended a meeting intended for BDU parents, but wanted to be present again at this meeting in order to get more information.

Many people present felt that there was not adequate coverage to promote the meetings. Some found out about it through neighborhood forums, others from the last, more specialized meetings for BDU parents or for staff members.

The superintendent started off by leading with a message of community; reaffirming that what distinguishes Wayne, more than any programs or schools, is the people.

He then explained many details regarding the Pre K program, school safety, and counselors. In addition, Dr. Butts highlighted the expansion of AP classes, and the decrease in the achievement gap in Wayne. He also explained how state and federal funding have changed over the years, resulting in a net loss for the district, especially when adjusted for inflation by using the Cost of Living Index. He followed by detailing what the needs of the district are and how the money would be used if the referendum passes, and he ended with an open Q&A.

For more information, you can attend one of the remaining 3 meetings. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, February 20 at Chapel Rock Christian Church, 2020 N. Girls School Road.

You can find the full presentation here: https://tinyurl.com/StateofWayne