Board of Education approves Superintendent resignation

Superintendent John Dignan

By Sarah Shurge – On Tuesday, August 20th, the Board of Education formally approved a Resignation and Resolution Agreement with Superintendent John Dignan. Dignan has been the superintendent at Wayne-Westland Community Schools (WWCS) since July 2020, according to his contract. His three-year contract was renewed in June 2023.
Over the summer of 2023, WWCS learned about significant issues related to the district finances. The WWCS was in a closed budget review following the annual fiscal audit. Dignan shared the facts about a “budgetary shortfall” and “budget discrepancies” through letters to parents in the community on October 24th, December 7th, and December 8th. According to CBS News, the budget shortfall reached almost $30 million.
In March, the district’s head of finance warned that they were barreling toward a financial crisis. During the board of education meeting on May 20th, Jennifer Owens, Wayne Memorial High School parent, requested an official investigation into Dignan and asked for him to be placed on administrative leave. Owens started a petition requesting an investigation into Dignan for mismanagement. 651 people have signed the petition since it was created on May 24th.
On Tuesday, June 4th, the WWCS Board of Education voted during a special meeting to put Dignan on administrative leave “pending the outcome of further discussions.” Bradley Gray, school board president, sent a letter to families on Wednesday, June 5th announcing the decision.
“The district’s leadership team will continue to work with the faculty and staff to ensure the positive completion of the school year for all our students, while remaining focused on the strategic priorities of our school district,” said Gray.
The Board named Jennifer Curry, assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment, as the interim superintendent. “We want to express our appreciation to Jennifer Curry, our acting Superintendent. She and her leadership team have been hard at work preparing for another successful school year,” said Gray.
Dignan was on administrative leave until the Board of Education approved a Resignation and Resolution Agreement. The terms outlined in the Agreement have been mutually-agreed-upon by all parties.
The Board wishes to express its appreciation for Dr. Dignan’s service to the District and community.