by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Weighted courses will no longer be used when determining the valedictorian and salutatorians the Wellington School Board announced at its June meeting last week.

In years past, the class rank was based on a formula in which students were rewarded for taking honors and college classes at WHS, by getting extra points placed on their GPA. Thus if a student had straight A’s and took an Honors English course then his/her GPA would be tallied higher than a 4.0.

However, now that the school is switching to an eight-period schedule, the GPA will be based on the core curriculum of English, Math and Social Science to determine class rank.

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Parking lot: 

The school board voted to make repairs and resurface the Wellington High School parking lot for $14,403.

But as far as the middle school parking lot is concerned, the board voted to wait. It would take $145,000 to “touch up” the WMS in similar fashion. As everyone knows, the WMS parking lot is a mess.

The conventional wisdom of the board was to do what can be afforded and to prevent the WHS parking lot from becoming a future WMS parking lot.

“With the expenses toward technology from the Capital Outlay Budget, I don’t think we can afford to address the conditions of the middle school or what I like to call the ‘Burma trail,'” said Rick Weiss, Wellington Superintendent.

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Employment changes: 

USD 353 approved the following employment changes for the 2013-14 school year:

Resignations: 

•Kelly Nance: WHS English Teacher & WHS Assistant Girls Basketball Coach (Effective end of the 2012-13 school year);

•Rachel Graybill: USD 353 School Psychologist;

•Linda Knight: USD 353 Board Clerk, Effective June 30, 2013.

Transfers:

•Anne Biles: From Para to Washington Elementary Secretary (3/5) Title 1 Math (2/5).

•Katy Renn: From fourth grade teacher to first grade teacher at Eisenhower Elementary.

Recommendation to Hire:

•Sammie Brown: WMS Academic Counselor;

•Kimberly Harriger: WMS Special Education Teacher;

•Timothy Green: WHS Social Science Teacher;

•Charles Parks: WHS English Teacher;

•Joy Tubbs: WHS English Teacher;

•Candy Crawford: USD 353 School Psychologist;

•Brandy Wyckoff: fourth grade teacher, Eisenhower Elementary;

•Lori Stinson: Title 1 reading aid Washington Elementary.

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In other news, the board approved:

•An Internet Acceptable Use policy;

•the purchase of a food service steamer;

•a plan to synchronize times for the school enrollment for August 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. and on August 8 – 9 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.