Pocahontas County Board of Education Makes Selection to Fill Vacant Board Member Position

Prior to their September 10^th regular meeting, the Pocahontas County Board of Education interviewed candidates to fill the vacant Board Member position.

Following the interviews, the Board Members voted to appoint Jarrett McLaughlin to fill the position on the Board effective from September 10^th, 2019 through June 30, 2020.

School Superintendent Terrence Beam offered special recognition to Teacher of the Year Teresa Rhea who is being honored in Charleston.

Beam also announced that they are still seeking to fill the vacant Math position at Marlinton Middle School because they need to find a certified math teacher to fill it.

He also said that parents at the previous Friday night home football game complained that they cannot hear the public address system, and this will be looked into, although the problem seems to be the wired buried under the field, which could require digging up part of the field to fix

Beam also announced the official receipt of the Major Improvement Project (MIP) Award of $571,652 from the West Virginia School Building Authority (SBA) to complete roofing and furnace replacements at the Green Bank Elementary/Middle School

The new Student Representative to the Board, Emmit Doolittle delivered a sports team update to the Board.

Stephanie Burns, the English/Language Arts (ELA) Coach for the Pocahontas County Schools told the Board that her goals include holding an early literature workshop to better prepare ELA teachers teach younger students; and also, to help establish a guided reading program where the students set their own reading goals and books.

Kristie Tritapoe, the Vice Principal of PCHS addressed the concerns expressed at a prior Board meeting about students having to pay to park at the high school. Tritapoe pointed out that most high schools in the state charge students to park. She also said that money received from these parking fees are used to improve the school, including paying for a new fence at the school.

Tritapoe also talked about the new security system in place at PCHS, including the installation of fifty new cameras and code-entry locked doors, with student codes changing every week.

They also approved the following:

• The contract with the SBA for the new MIP project at Green Bank Elementary/Middle School.
• Routine financial matters
• Travel requests for the 8^th grade students at Green Bank Elementary/Middle School to travel by charter bus to Virginia Beach next May and for FFA students to travel by school bus to Morgantown to compete in judging competitions on September 10 and 11.
• Authorization for the Marlinton Elementary School Local School Improvement Council to construct a bus stop shelter near the Wellness Center.
• Victoria Warner as a volunteer cheerleading coach at PCHS.
• Nevin Lucabaugh as a volunteer basketball coach at Marlinton Middle school.
• Authorizing the Marlinton Fire and Rescue to use the former Board of Education building as a training facility until it is demolished.
• A professional and Service Personnel list which can be found with this story on our website alleghenymountainradio.org.

During the matters of the Board, Joe Walker said that the work at the bus garage has been completed. He also said that a decision will soon need to be made about whether or not to repair the roof on the old cafeteria at Hillsboro Elementary School.

Employment Personnel Agenda for 9/10/19

• Requested Transfer:  NEBRASKA B. SCOTCHIE from Teacher of Mathematics at Marlinton Middle School to Principal at Marlinton Middle School
• Employment/Requested Transfer:  SHERMAN TAYLOR as Teacher of Social studies at Marlinton Middle school
• Requested Transfer:  AARON L. PUGH from Teacher of Social Studies at Marlinton Middle School to Teacher of Social Studies at Pocahontas County High School
• Employment: ROBERT A. SHEETS as mentor for Aaron L. Pugh at $20.00 per hour, not to exceed 50 hours or $1000.00
• Employment: Of the following as Substitute Teachers retroactive to 9/1/19:

Lisa M. Dennison and Linda Wilfong

• The Board declined to approve the unpaid leave of STEPHEN D. McCARTY JR. for the 2019-2020 school year.

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