Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
At the May 24 Pocahontas County Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Terrence Beam explained what the board needs to do in order to fill the board seat left vacant by the untimely passing of newly elected member Joe Walker.
Beam said he contacted the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office and board attorney Jason Long to see what steps the board must take. He said the board will need to discuss and act at the June 7 meeting on temporarily filling the seat, and newly elected member Becky Campbell will need to be in attendance to be part of the discussion.
At that time, the board will appoint an individual to fill the seat. A special board election will be included on the ballot in the November Election to fill the full term.
The board also discussed a request from Adventure Pocahontas Nature’s Mountain Classroom founder and director Tracey Valach for the board to provide $50,000 for the 2022-2023 budget.
Valach gave a presentation at the previous board meeting, and said she plans to extend Adventure Pocahontas to all grade levels. She added that she plans to write grants and find sponsors to assist with funding the program but asked if the board could provide $50,000 for the curriculum portion.
During the board’s discussion, members shared concerns about setting aside a large sum of money each year for the program. They were reminded that Valach said her plan includes finding other sources for the curriculum funding and does not expect the board to continue to provide the same amount each year.
Treasurer Sherry Radcliff told the board she had enough in the budget to cover the $50,000, but said that she never knows from year to year how much funding will be available.
After the board weighed the pros and cons, it voted – 4 to 1 – to provide $50,000 for the Adventure Pocahontas Nature’s Mountain Classroom budget, for the 2022-2023 school year.
In miscellaneous management, the board approved the following:
• Revisions to Neola policies po6550-Travel Payment and Reimbursement, po6110-Federal Funds and Pocahontas County meal allotment reflected on the travel expense account, effective July 1.
• Clinical Teacher of Record (CTR) Program Agreement, formally known as Teacher-in-Resident (TIR) Agreement, with West Virginia University and the Pocahontas County Board of Education.
• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Pocahontas County Schools and the MIT Noyce Fellowships Project related to Jennifer Nail-Cook as the Cohort 1, in supporting improvement in the mathematics teaching and learning as the third year of the five-year program to the revisited/approved each subsequent year, August 2022 through July 2023.
• Board of Education 2022-2023 meeting schedule.
In personnel management, the board approved the following:
• Resignation of June A. Taylor, due to retirement, as teacher of multi-subjects, second grade, at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effective June 30.
• Consent to change Marsha L. Beverage from teacher of multi-subjects fourth grade at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School to teacher of multi-subjects second grade at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effective for the 2022-2023 school year. Term of employment shall remain 200 days.
• Employment of Kristin A. Baer as teacher of multi-subjects at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience, effective for the 2022-2023 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Employment of Melissa Jordan as teacher of multi-subjects at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience, effective for the 2022-2023 school year. Term of employment is 200 days, contingent upon certification approval.
• Employment of Chris Baber as teacher of music at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus an additional $750 supplement for the band director portion of the position, effective for the 2022-2023 school year. Term of employment is 205 days, contingent upon certification approval.
• Requested transfer of Tonja S. Armstrong from itinerant special education classroom aide/bus aide at Marlinton Middle School to itinerant special education classroom aide/bus aide at Hillsboro Elementary School at state minimum salary, effective for the 2022-2023 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Unpaid medical leave of Melissa S. Walker as teacher of multi-subjects at Marlinton Elementary School, effective August 9 or upon exhaustion of personal leave, for a period of up to 12 weeks, as needed.
• Employment of Christine J. Campbell as assistant principal/assistant career and technical education director at Pocahontas County High School, at state minimum salary plus degree and experience, in accordance with Pocahontas County Administrative salary schedule, plus $3,000 yearly supplement, an additional yearly $3,000 supplement will be awarded once career and technical education administration certification is complete, subject to prorating if completed during the employment term, effective for the 2022-2023 school year. Term of employment being 220 days.
• Employment of William F. Meehan as teacher of English/language arts at Pocahontas County High School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience, effective for the 2022-2023 school year. Term of employment is 200 days, contingent upon certification approval.
• Employment of Arthur J. Sharp as custodian IV/sanitation plant operator at Pocahontas County High School, at state minimum salary, effective July 1, for the 2022-2023 school year. Term of employment is 261 days.
• Requested transfer Gary T. Rose as school bus operator for Pocahontas County Schools from his current run to a new run, at state minimum salary, effective for the 2022-2023 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Employment of Christopher L. Irvine as general maintenance/truck driver/ groundsman/sanitation plant operator/heating and air conditioning/mechanic II, at state basic pay per licensure requirements, effective June 1, for the remainder of the 2021-2022 school year. Term of employment shall be 261 days each year thereafter.
