Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
At its January 14 Pocahontas County Board of Education meeting, the board discussed its concern about the inability to have WiFi at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School due to its close proximity to the Green Bank Observatory.
Although all five county schools are in the National Radio Quiet Zone, GBEMS is the only school that is unable to use WiFi.
Board member Morgan McComb brought up the issue and said he thinks the board needs to have a meeting with officials from the observatory and National Science Foundation to discuss ways the school could have WiFi.
“This is something I’ve been thinking about and looking into,” McComb said. “We really need WiFi for students at Green Bank. It’s probably the only school in the United States that doesn’t have WiFi. I think the first thing we need to do is ask the observatory to voluntarily shut down from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the school hours and we can have WiFi. They do most observations at night is my understanding, anyway.
“I’m not sure how big an inconvenience it will be,” he added.
As the board discussed the issue, it agreed that having a meeting with officials is the best course of action. The board did not set up a time or date to meet with the observatory and/or NSF, but board president Emery Grimes said he would reach out and set up the meeting.
Superintendent Lynne Bostic gave updates on several programs, including the state program STRIVE, which has the directors and principals working with a liaison from the state education department to address concerns and reach goals.
Bostic said some of the priorities include getting counselors in all the schools, creating instructional leaders and addressing personnel issues.
Bostic also spoke about the recent snow days and said the days students have worked with snow packets have gone really well. She recognized Marlinton Middle School for its approach to snow packets and shared that there was a lot of positive feedback from parents and students.
“Marlinton Middle had a choice board for snow days and encouraged students to send photographs of them doing the work,” Bostic said. “There was a group that got together, and did a cooking experience. It was on their Facebook page.
“I thought that was a unique way to do assignments across all the different subject areas,” she continued. “[Principal] Nebraska Scotchie said this morning they had the best results of students turning in work with this activity.”
In updates:
• Director Duane Gibson gave an update on maintenance and ongoing projects at the school. He said it has taken some time to get the upgrades at Pocahontas County High School started, but they are in the process of replacing the gym floor and making electrical upgrades.
Gibson added that everyone should show appreciation to the service personnel for their actions in keeping the schools running. He recognized the maintenance crew, bus drivers, mechanics, cooks, custodians and substitutes for all they do.
“Last Monday – it was a state of emergency – every one of our head custodians showed up,” he said. “Plowing driveways, shoveling snow – to make sure school was ready for the next day or whenever it was going to happen.”
In financial management, the board approved payment of vendor listing, payment of local government purchasing card, employee payroll, extra duty pay, grant awards and budget adjustments.
In miscellaneous management, the board approved:
• Cindy Solak and Susan Cover to take 20 students by bus from Pocahontas County High School to WVU Tech in Beckley, to tour the forensic lab on January 29.
• Change travel reimbursement rate from 67 cents to 70 cents per mile, retroactive to January 1.
• Memorandum of Understanding between Pocahontas County Board of Education and West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Facility – Pocahontas County Youth Reporting Center.
• Parent and community volunteers.
In personnel management, the board approved:
• Unpaid medical leave for Amanda Buzzard, starting March 21 and for up to six weeks.
• Employment of Cassondra Griffith as dean of students at Pocahontas County High School, effective January 8, for 111 days, for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year. Term of employment shall be 210 days each year thereafter.
• Employment of Justin Taylor as head boys basketball coach at Pocahontas County High School, retro-active to November 13, for the 2024-2025 athletic season.
• Employment of Derick Taylor as volunteer boys basketball coach at Pocahontas County High School, retroactive to December 18, for the 2024-2025 athletic season.
• Resignation of Roger Irvine as substitute custodian and maintenance, effective December 16.
• Employment of Lucas P. Adcock and Blair E. Campbell as substitute teachers for Pocahontas County Schools, at state minimum professional salary for the 2024-2025 school year.
