Pocahontas BOE Still Has a Number of Vacancies to Fill Before School Starts

Part one of this story about the July 20^th Pocahontas County Board of Education meeting covered the lack of air conditioning at Marlinton Elementary School, and the funding of school facility improvements. This second will describe other discussions and actions that took place at that meeting.

In addition to his discussion about funding the school Improvements, School Superintendent Terrence Beam talked about there being about eight positions that still need to be filled, including a Principal at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School; an ELA teacher, a Vo Ag teacher, an Academic Interventionist and two After School teachers at PCHS; and two additional After School Interventionists -one at Marlinton Elementary School and one at Hillsboro Elementary School.

Beam also said that offering CTE classes at both of the middle schools is a possibility for this coming school year. He said that so far it appears there will be twenty-one
(21) 3^rd grade students at Green Bank this fall. Additionally, Beam provided a summary of the hiring processes for both Service Personnel and Professional Personnel. He said that there will shortly be a Superintendents’ conference call at which he hopes to learn if face coverings and social distancing will again be required in the schools this coming school year.

Director of Special Education, Student Services, Transportation, Technology and Testing, Ruth Bland gave a report on several of her departments.

In Transportation, Bland reported that bus driver Donald McNeel is one of 10 finalists for the Service Personnel of the Year award for West Virginia. She added that there are three candidates to become substitute bus drivers and two new buses have been ordered and will be added to the fleet this fall.

In Technology, Bland said she is applying for Emergency Connectivity Funds from E-Rate which will help purchase devices for students. The funding will also help provide Internet service for families that have no Internet at home. She has been talking with Shantel and Frontier about assisting those families to get broadband services.

Bland also gave a report on the multicultural committee and its work in creating a curriculum for multicultural studies at Pocahontas County High School. She explained the areas that the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee is concerned about that they want to include in the curriculum – the drug culture, human trafficking and diversity.

Bland said the committee has created a survey which will be sent to parents concerning the curriculum and the committee will review the results when working on materials to add to what will be taught.

The board approved the following 2021-2022 sports gender classifications, per West Virginia Department of Education:

• The all-Boys sports are baseball, basketball, soccer and track and field:
• The all- Girls sports are basketball, soccer, softball and track and field:
• And the Co-ed sports are band, cheerleading and football.

The board also approved selling through public auction the 96.4 acres, more or less, Tract A, Green Bank [Slaven] Property, with a minimum bid of $250,000 which includes fees.

The next board meeting will be Tuesday, August 10, at 6 p.m. at the board of education conference room.

Personnel Actions Approved at this Meeting 

• Resignation of Angela D. Vandevender as teacher of multi-subjects at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effective August 1.

• Resignation of Sarah C. Brown as teacher of multi-subjects at Marlinton Elementary School, effective August 1.

• Employment of Michelle R. Murphy as teacher of multi-subject at Marlinton Elementary School, at state basic salary based on degree and experience, effective for the 2021-2022 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.

• Employment of Diane L. Arbogast as cafeteria manager at Hillsboro Elementary School at state basic pay, effective for the 2021-2022 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.

• Requested transfer of Dottie Chestnut as itinerant special education classroom aide/bus aide at Pocahontas County High School to itinerant special education classroom aide/bus aide at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School at state basic pay, effective for the 2021-2022 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.