Urban “Jake” Cleek Steps Down From Bath School Board

Warm Springs, VA – The Bath County School Board is losing one of it’s members. Urban “Jake” Cleek presented a letter of resignation at Thursday night’s school board meeting. Cleek is the representative from the Warm Springs District. His resignation is effective August 31.

School Board Chairman Eddie Ryder reminisced about his own personal history with Cleek. He says in 1964, Cleek was the chaperone for a high school student trip to New York City for the World’s Fair. Cleek was also Ryders’ Physical Education and Math teacher.

“In 1991, I got on this [school] board, and Mr. Cleek was with me – lot of memories” says Ryder. “I just really hate to see you go; you did a great job and a mentor to me, I guess, most all my life so, thank you.”

Also on Thursday night the board recommended members to represent the school system on a new vehicle maintenance committee. The committee is being formed based on a recommendation by Supervisor Jon Trees that the county consider developing a proactive plan on maintenance for county vehicles, including school buses. Eddie Ryder, Ronnie Liptrap, Jr., Ken Yohe and Jeff Hicks were recommended to serve on the committee.

The school board approved the revised cell phone policy for Bath County High School. The revisions include no cell phone usage during the school day or during lunch. Phones must be turned off during the day and can only be used before and after school. And phones will be placed on the teacher’s desk at the beginning of each class.

Students and parents are to go through the school office if calls need to be made during the day. Cell phones will be confiscated for one week for the first offense, 30 days for the second offense and confiscated until the end of the school year for the third offense.

And the school board made the following appointments Thursday night:

Sandra Williams as the high school JV volleyball coach and Jamie Vestal and Chelsi Plecker as volleyball volunteer assistants.

Heidi Brunner and Jaime Letourneau as substitute teachers.

Sally Chumley, Christina Harmon and Evelyn Wright as substitute cafeteria workers.
Jimmie Adkins and C. Roger Hupman as substitute bus drivers.

And the board accepted the resignation of Janet Lee pending a replacement.