Summer Programs discussed at Pocahontas BOE Meeting

In part 1 of our June 3^rd Pocahontas county Board of Education meeting, we discussed the results of their 2025 Stakeholders Survey.

In addition to those, Stephanie Burns and Kristi Hamonds talked about the summer programs for students being offered both by the schools and by other organizations. They said the schools are offering summer academic programing for 1^st through 4^th graders at both Green Bank and Marlinton Elementary Schools from June 16^th through July 25^th.  At Green Bank Elementary they will be offered from 8 am to 12 noon, and at Marlinton Elementary, they will be offered from 12 pm to 3 pm, although they will not be held on the three holidays, which are June 19th, 20th and July 4th.

PCHS will also offer the opportunity for high school students to recover credits for core required courses, but the dates and times for those have not yet been set. Contact Christine Campbell at 304-799-6564 for more information about those.

In addition, they announced there are other summer programs being offered by various groups such as Energy Express, the county libraries, Youth Health Services, the Opera House, Parks and Recs, the Observatory, the Family Resource Network and PMH. You can see these, and more by visiting the schools’ website at boe.pocahontas.k12.wv.us/page/summer-programs.

Director Duane Gibson provided the board members with updates about maintenance, transportation, school safety and the School Building Authority’s (SBA) Major Improvement Project (MIP.)

Gibson said they are reviewing the principals’ summer maintenance requests, and will be gearing up to complete those. Busses are receiving summer maintenance and inspections, and they have received one new bus this year, with a second one expected by the end of June.

He said they have installed the new camera systems at Marlinton Elementary School, Marlinton Middle School and Hillsboro Elementary school and will complete the installations at the high school and Green Bank School over the summer, and all schools are having their locks re-keyed this summer. Under the MIP, they have received the bids for the electrical upgrades and gym floor replacement at the high school. He said these bids were too high, but the architect and general contractor came up with $66,000 in cost savings to make them work.

Also at the meeting, the members approved the routine financial reports and of the following miscellaneous items.

• Approved for the superintendent to post and fill positions prior to board approval from June 4^th through October 21^st. This was approved on a 4-1 vote, with Board President Emery Grimes voting no, because he felt they still had another meeting in June and wanted to get input about these from the incoming school superintendent who starts on July 1^st.
• Approved for the Director of Finance/Treasurer to make budget adjustments prior to board approval from June 4^th through June 30^th.
• Approved for the Director of Finance/Treasurer to pay invoices prior to board approval from June 3^rd through July 15^th.
• Approved for a mutual alteration of the contract with Nebraska Scotchie, the Principal at Marlinton Middle School, extending her from a 220-day contract to a 240-day contract effective July 1, 2025.
• Approved an MOU with Community Care of WV, effective for the upcoming school year.
• And they approved all of the recommended personnel actions