The Western Wayne Schools board breezed through a 20-minute meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 12, held just before the Fourth Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner in the Lincoln/Middle High School cafeteria.
Superintendent Kelly Plank said the Indiana Department of Education required the school to acknowledge during its meeting that it had not complied with certain state requirements. The two statements listed on the agenda were “Board acknowledgment that Western Wayne Schools did not meet the requirement to spend at least 62% of state tuition support on teacher compensation” and “Board acknowledgment that Western Wayne Schools did not meet the requirement to maintain the same level of spending on full-time teacher salaries when state tuition support increased.”
Plank, who became superintendent at the beginning of this school year, did not offer any details on the statements or how the district had fallen out of compliance.
Without discussion, the board approved a number of consent agenda items, including ratifying an agreement with the Western Wayne Education Association for 2025-26, approving its board meeting calendar for the coming year, approving administrative contract salary and term increases, approving a 3% pay increase for noncertified staff, and approving the first reading of board policy updates that touch on topics such as internal controls, employee benefits and purchasing procedures.
It was the first school board meeting since the Oct. 9 resignation of former Lincoln High School Principal Renée Lakes and since WWN first reported the state investigation into Lakes for altering employee time records without their knowledge. No mention was made of Lakes’ departure or the investigation, beyond identifying Melissa Zimmerman as interim principal of the high school.
School administrators and board members have still not issued a statement on the investigation or responded to WWN’s multiple requests for comment.
During her comments, Plank said that she was feeling positive about how things are going at the district. “We’re getting on the same page in both buildings. The expectations, we’re setting them very high. We’re working together better now,” Plank said. “I’m really starting to see change in teachers and culture.”
The board’s next regular meeting is Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. at LHMS. The public may attend.
A version of this article appeared in the November 19 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.