PCHS VICA Team To Compete In Nationals This Summer

Marlinton, WV – The Pocahontas County HS VICA business team is headed to Kansas City this summer for national competition. Student representative Nathan Hammons gave the PC Board of Education an update on this and other student activities during the board meeting Monday night. The six students on the team recently placed first at the state VICA convention held in Beckley. VICA stands for Vocational Industrial Clubs of America and is also known as SkillsUSA.

Hammons told board members that a new Warriors Above the Influence poster is in the works. The poster, featuring 10 students on various PCHS sports teams is part of an anti-drug and alcohol campaign sponsored by the Pocahontas County Prevention Coalition.

In other business, Superintendent Patrick Law says that he, Board President Kenny Vance and school Treasurer Alice Irvine will make a presentation to the WV School Building Authority in Charleston this week. Pocahontas is one of several WV Counties making their case for state funding to make upgrades and repairs to schools. Law will argue on behalf of Hillsboro Elementary School for a new cafeteria, bathrooms and other upgrades.

Board member Leslie Cain says she’s received complaints from parents saying their children aren’t allowed to use the playground equipment at Marlinton Elementary School. Law admits there is a problem, saying the Pocahontas County Health Dept has asked the school to replace the ground cover under the playground equipment. Law says it would mean replacing about 8 thousand dollars worth of gravel. He says they are continuing to search for an alternative solution.

Other actions by the board include:
Approval of the Local Education Agency plan for PCHS for the 2010-11 school year
Approval of an agreement between county schools and the Pocahontas County Prevention Coalition
They heard a proposal by Superintendent Law to increase the number of days for interventionist teachers to work with county students for the remainder of this school year
They urged Law to pursue summer school funding for middle and high school students
And approval of Tony Minter as a volunteer assistant baseball coach at the high school.

The next regular meeting of the Pocahontas County Board of Education is Monday, April 12th.