Pocahontas County Board of Education Seeks Community Input

Marlinton, WV – The Pocahontas County Board of Education wants to hear from you. They really want to hear from the citizens of the county on school issues. Although the details are still being finalized, they intend to hold meetings in the Hillsboro area, Marlinton area and in the Green Bank- Arbovale area.

Board member Emory Grimes says he’s concerned that people might not want to express themselves if the meetings are held in a school. Therefore the board will look for other venues.

Board member Margaret Worth and Pocahontas Schools Superintendant CC Lester want to encourage Teachers and Principles to also attend these meetings. Worth says she thinks it’s important to have participation from the staff at these meetings. She thinks by having staff there to answer specific questions from the community, the meeting will have an even greater positive impact.

The dates will be April 14th, April 21st, and May the 5th. All dates are Thursdays and the meetings will be scheduled from 7 to 9 pm.

The Board recognized the accomplishments of the Pocahontas County Girls Basketball Team, the winners of the Young Writers Contest and Vincent Harper for finishing 5th in the state Spelling Bee.

Pocahontas County Girls Basketball Team – coached by Tim McClung, Melvin Lindsey and Kenny Lehman

Members of the 2011 Pocahontas County Girls Basketball Regional Championship Team:

Shelby Sneed
Elizabeth Arbogast
Chloe Bland
Lyndsey Barlow
Miranda McNabb
Sara Jonese
Heather Sneed
Olivia Workman
Allison Jonese
Makeia Jonese
Marka Kane
Kerrie Barb
Bethie Arbogast
Coria Rose
Karen Wilfong

All State First Team and AAU Honorable Mention: Chloe Bland
All State Second Team: Shelby Sneed
All State Honorable Mention: Miranda McNabb

Winners of the Young Writers Contest:

Odie Leyzorek
Victoria Rose
Cora Hedrick
Skyler Conour
Shanna Carr
Christy Smith

1st Place Pocahontas County Spelling Bee, and 5th Place West Virginia State Spelling Bee – Vincent Harper, Marlinton Middle School

Board member Janet McNeel told the board that 34 students from Pocahontas County competed in the Regional Social Studies Fair at Greenbrier East High School on the 26th. She says that Pocahontas County was the only school system that had a full bus load of kids at the event. McNeel says that 13 of the children’s exhibits won their class and will be moving on to the State Social Studies Fair at the end of April.

The Board approved changing their agent for Workers Compensation from Wells Fargo Insurance Services to Commercial Insurance Services. Treasurer Alice Irvine says that the agent from Wells Fargo had not been on site, nor contacted the School system for over a year and a half. In other actions the Board approved advertising and selling of 5 busses.

The Board approved the following personnel changes for the remainder of the school year:

Employed Kimberly Rao as athletic coordinator for volleyball, and Drema Sharp as athletic coordinator for softball at PCHS

Employed Larry Strader as a substitute custodian and Kathryn Gillispie as a substitute teacher.

Abolishment of one Academic Interventionist position at each school at the end of the year

Abolishment of the position of Itinerant teacher of Special Education at PCHS

And Creation of the position of Itinerant teacher of Special Education and Autism at PCHS

They also approved the following Transfers:

Sandra Irvine from Classroom Aide to Custodian IV/Sanitation Plant Operator at Green Bank

Rosanne Zeni from Teacher of Special Education at Hillsboro Elementary to Teacher Multi Subjects at Green Bank Elementary

Michael Hudson from Supervisory Special Education Aide to Custodian II at the Pocahontas County HS

And approved a change for the teacher of Special Educations at Hillsboro from full time to half time.

The Board will reconvene on April 19th at 7:30am to approve the levy.

The next regular meeting to the Pocahontas County Board of Education will be Thursday April 11.