WV Delegate Denise Campbell Briefs Pocahontas Board of Education
WV House Delegate Denise Campbell briefed the Pocahontas County Board of Education at their March 28th meeting about how educational issues faired at Charleston during the recent legislative session.
Denise talks about the failed efforts of the Legislature to allow Charter Schools in WV.
“I think everyone agrees that probably Charter Schools in theory can have some positive things” said Campbell. “I know my sister taught in a Charter School in Ohio, but you have to think about rural West Virginia. When we have schools that are barely able to function in the way they are, if we have State funded charter schools that would be funds that would be taken away from the counties, and if there is a Charter school in your county, a portion of your money is going to go to that Charter School.”
Denise expressed her reservations about House Bill 4014 which would do away with Common Core. This bill passed and is awaiting the Governor’s signature or veto. Denise.
“Making the changes with some of the standards and some of the teaching that they started for the last 2 years, you’ve got students that’s already had these 2 years of this type of curriculum and what was proposed was that standard was going to stop immediately” said Campbell. “So there was some concerns there, I mean there was some tweaking and things that happened. Because we don’t like something we don’t want to throw the baby out with the water.”
Denise says she favors House Bill 4171 which also passed and is on the Governor’s desk, which would allow schools to count excess minutes towards the required 180 days of school and would prohibit schools from starting before August 10th or ending after June 10th. She hoped the Governor will sign that bill.
In other actions, the Board heard from the PCHS Representative to the Board, Emily Booth, who reported on the latest school sports results, and that Sarah Ryder and Melissa Murphy made All State for girls basketball, and Ryan Dilley made honorable mention and J.D. Hinsler made 3rd team All State for boys basketball. She said that Gene and Nancy Rexrode will be teaching Fly Tying at PCHS, and that Scott Garber will represent the PCHS Forestry program at the Society of American Foresters meeting. Cammy Kesterson was elected as a Vice President and Board member of the WV Business Education Association. Finally, she announced that Cotton Massey placed first at the Regional Math Field Day with Taylor Tegmeyer as a runner-up.
Sherry Radcliff announced that the auction of excess school property will be held in the field behind Marlinton Elementary School on April 9th and 10th. She also reported that the schools received $357,472.78 in National Forest money and about $25,000 in Mineral rights money, combined this was about $19,000 more than was received last year.
The Board directed that additional tax levies for 5 years starting on July 1, 2017 be placed on the election ballot for the November 8th General Election. It was pointed out that 43 of the 55 West Virginia Counties have passed school levies and if the Pocahontas County Levy passes, 36 of those counties would have levies higher then this County’s levy. Superintendent Terrence Beam also said that the SBA is considering building a brand new high school rather than renovating the current Pocahontas County High School’s facility, if the School Levy passes.
The Board approved various routine financial statements, invoices and reports. They approved Eric J. Rose as a Volunteer Assistant Track Coach and Nicholas P Cooper and David L. Moore as Volunteer Baseball Coaches at the High School.
The Board passed a Personnel Agenda the following Personnel Agenda.
PERSONNEL AGENDA
March 28TH Board of Education Meeting
TINA JACKSON was employed as a Cook (Project SPLASH) at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School for 2 hours a day, 4 days per week at $12.00 per hour.
TOM MADISON was employed as Activity and Extracurricular Bus Driver (Project SPLASH) at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School at the daily rate of pay plus $50.00 for actual activity runs.
DONDI STEMPLE was employed as a Teacher of Multi Subjects at Marlinton Elementary School.
PHILLIP ANDERSON was employed as Principal at Marlinton Elementary School.
KRISTY L. TRITAPOE received a Continuing Contract as Assistant Principal/Athletic Director at PCHS.
NICHOLAS P. COOPER and ERIC J. ROSE were employed as Substitute Teachers
DORTHIE I. SHAMBLEN WAS re-classified from Itinerant Special Education Classroom Aide/Bus Aide to Paraprofessional/ Itinerant Special Education Classroom Aide/Bus Aide
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