Pocahontas School Superintendent Recognizes Employees of the Year

The Pocahontas Board of Education Board of Education held a short meeting on April 7^th which was closed to the public except through a remote internet viewing system. For those few in attendance, the seating had been rearranged so that all, including Board Members, could maintain a safe social distance between themselves.

During the Superintendence’s report, Mr. Beam recognized and congratulated Emily McLaughlin for being selected as Teacher of the Year and Doris Sharp as Service Person of the Year. He also honored Jennifer Nail who was recently named the West Virginia Math Teacher of the Year.

Beam also said that he remains hopeful that at some point, the class of 2020 will be able to hold a graduation ceremony, even if it is in late summer. Likewise, he is hopeful there will be a prom at some point, even if that can’t happen until September. Beam is uncertain if classes will resume this school year, but remains hopeful that there will be at least a couple of weeks of school in May or June. He is still waiting for the Governor to make a decision on that.

Beam also said that next week will be recognized as spring break. He said teachers will not be giving out assignments, and that there will be no school meals provided during that break. He also announced that all spring field trips have been cancelled, and any student money is to be refunded, however since it would be too difficult to return donations, those will remain in school accounts to be used for future field trips.

In other actions at the meeting:

• The board approved the usual routine financial matters.
• They approved Grow Appalachia to utilize a sixty (60) foot by one hundred and twenty (120) foot strip of land on the Board of Education’s property located near Routes 28 and 92 in Green Bank. That strip will be used to create a community garden.
• They approved a consulting agreement with Learn Design Apply, Inc. to pay them two thousand dollars ($2000) to complete a federal grant application. That grant, if approved, will provide more than $160,000 to install an intercom/communication system that will link all five schools to each other and to the central office and will have 911 capabilities.
• They approved placing the new NEOLA Policy Manual on public comment from April 8^th to May 28^th.
• They approved a professional and service personnel agenda which can be found with this story on our website.

During the Matters of the Board, most of the members seconded Mr. Beams hopes to reopen the schools later in May or June, and to hopefully still offer seniors a graduation ceremony and a prom. They also congratulated the teachers, students and parents on how they are handling this unusual situation.

It was announced that the board will next meet at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 21^st. That meeting will begin with a resumption of the tax levy meeting for final approval. It will be followed immediately by the regular meeting. Those meetings will also be closed to public attendance except by remote viewing on the internet, as this one was.

Personnel Actions Approved at the April 7, 2020 Meeting

CHANGE IN CLASSIFICATIONS: The following cooks will be reclassified from Cook II to Cook III

• Shannon B. Bircher
• Martha J. Friel
• Sarah J. Hedrick
• Sherri L. Howe
• Sabrina J. Jordan
• Valerie H. Lambert

EMPLOYMENT: DANA CUTLIP as Itinerant School Social Worker, assigned to Hillsboro Elementary School. At State Basic pay, effective for the 2020-2021 school year. Term of employment is for 200 days.

RESIGNATION: CINDY J, WADE-PRICE as Itinerant Special Education Classroom aide/Bus Aide at Marlinton Elementary School, retroactive to March 6, 2020.

ABOLISHMENT OF POSITION:  Itinerant Special Education Classroom aide/Bus Aide at Marlinton Elementary School, effective at the end of the 2019-2020 school year, contingent on accepting the resignation of CINDY J, WADE-PRICE.

ABOLISHMENT OF POSITION:  Executive Secretary/Accountant III at the Central Office, retroactive to March 31, 2020.