Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
Math teacher Charlie McGee Hughes appeared at the September 26 Pocahontas County Board of Education meeting and asked that a drama club be formed at Pocahontas County High School.
Hughes explained that she wanted to have an after-school program for students interested in theater and drama.
“We would meet about eighteen times and then we would put on a Christmas show,” she said. “My thinking is, we need something that’s not sports-related and work with these kids in other drama class venues in middle school and bring that up to the high school.”
The club would be led by Hughes, who works at Marlinton Middle School, and Pocahontas County High School English teacher Stephanie Poppe. Hughes added that the students will be able to ride the activity bus like the athletes who stay after school for practice.
The board approved formation of the theater/drama club at PCHS.
In updates:
• Treasurer Sherry Radliff reported that Glades Building Supply donated $5,000 for a scoreboard in the PCHS gymnasium.
In miscellaneous management, the board approved the following:
• To accept Thrasher Group as the architect of the Major Improvement Plan (MIP) for replacing the roof and boilers at Marlinton Elementary School.
• To construct a 30’ x 50’ pavilion/picnic shelter on the grounds of Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, project fully funded by GBEMS PTO.
• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Pocahontas County Board of Education and Pocahontas County Commission (PCC) to provide efficient assistance through the PCCs Office of Emergency Management 911 (OEM/911) in the event of an emergency at one of the PCBOEs schools, requesting access to the video cameras within the schools.
• Update GBE-B – Extra Duty/Extracurricular Bus Transportation Procedure for Pocahontas County Schools to reflect the pay increase.
• Additional school based fundraisers for 2022-2023 to be included in the Pocahontas County High School life: Pick a Date to Donate, Sophomore class.
• Parent and community volunteers for the 2022-2023 school year.
In personnel management, the board approved the following:
• Unpaid medical leave change of dates Kaylea N. Kelly as teacher of multi-subjects at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, now effective on or about October 3, or upon exhaustion of personal leave, for a period of up to 12 weeks, as needed, returning no later than January 3, 2023.
• Requested transfer of Kristy L. Tritapoe as itinerant teacher of special education, multi-categorical/autism for Pocahontas County Schools to teacher of alternative education at Pocahontas County High School, at state minimum salary, effective October 4, for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year, term of employment is 160 days, in addition to the days already worked. Term of employment shall be 200 days each year thereafter.
• Resignation of Ian B. Bennett as chief mechanic for Pocahontas County Schools, retroactive to September 22.
• Employment of Kenneth E. Beezley and Emily K. McLaughlin as substitute teachers for Pocahontas County Schools, at state basic pay, based on degree and experience, for the 2022-2023 school year, as needed.
• Employment of Whitney E. Beverage, Dawn G. Brewster, Billie S. Haymond, Jamie D. Hill and Julie M. Markley as substitute teachers for Pocahontas County Schools, at state basic pay, based on degree and experience, for the 2022-2023 school year, as needed. *
• Employment of Stephanie A. Ames and Billie S. Haymond as substitute cooks for Pocahontas County Schools, effective September 28, as needed, for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year, at state basic pay. *
• Employment of Stephanie A. Ames and Billie S. Haymond as substitute custodians for Pocahontas County Schools, effective September 28, as needed, for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year, at state basic pay. *
• Employment of Billie Haymond as substitute secretary/accountant for Pocahontas County Schools, effective September 28, as needed, for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year, at state basic pay.
• Seniority placement – official drawing of names for seniority placement of teacher of elementary education hired with the same effective start date for the 2022-2023 school year are as follows: Kristin A. Baer, Amanda R. Buzzard, Kaylea N. Kelley, Krystal D. Lewis, Sally J. Logan and Erin K. Murphy.
• Seniority placement – official drawing of names for seniority placement of teacher of English hired with the same effective start date for the 2022-2023 school year are as follows: William J. Meehan, Jr. and Erin K. Murphy.
• Seniority placement – official drawing of names for seniority placement of teacher of special education hired with the same effective start date for the 2022-2023 school year are as follows: Kristin A. Baer and Krystal D. Lewis.
• Employment of Stephen T. Simmons as assistant boys basketball coach for Pocahontas County Schools for the 2022-2023 athletic season.
• Abolishment of position graduation coach, half time, at Pocahontas County High School, retroactive to September 9, position formerly held by Michelle D. Wilfong.
* Official drawing will be held to determine placement on the employment lists.
The next board meeting is Tuesday, October 18, at 6 p.m. at the board of education conference room.