Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
The week of September 9 was stressful for Pocahontas County parents, school staff and students.
Due to online threats made to several schools in the county, schools were closed September 11. Although school resumed the following day, several parents in the county chose to keep their children at home.
Several parents voiced their concerns on social media and two attended the Pocahontas County Board of Education meeting September 24 to express their concern about school safety and the need for better communication.
Katie Workman, whose child is a second grader at Marlinton Elementary School, said she appreciated the board’s swift action in keeping the students safe, but said she was deeply concerned and panicked with the vague information provided about the incident.
“I understand this was a fluid situation, but keeping parents in the dark does not help,” she said. “When this situation arose, it brought up concerns for me from the previous school year.”
Workman explained to the board that there was a situation last year in which her child was threatened with bodily harm by another student, and she and her husband were not contacted immediately and she instead learned about the incident after school at soccer practice.
Workman asked the board to be move transparent with school safety policies and asked that parents be given more specific information when threats take place.
“I would ask that these policies be reviewed and perhaps revised with input from parents, teachers, guidance counselors, law enforcement, etc., to allow parents to make the best decisions regarding the safety of their children when there is an extenuating circumstance,” she said.
Fellow parent Tiffany Rider attended the meeting online and addressed the board with similar concerns. Rider asked the board to include the parents more when situations like threats arise and suggested a committee be organized to allow parents and the school system to work out a plan to be put in place when and if threats like this happen again.
Since both parents spoke during the hear callers’ portion of the meeting, the board could not respond to what was said, but later, during the matters from the board portion of the agenda, board member Frosty McNabb said the board is working on organizing a meeting with parents, community members and law enforcement to create a committee like the one Rider suggested.
The board members said they understand the parents’ concern and want to work with them to make sure the schools are safe at all times.
Also speaking of safety during her report, superintendent Lynne Bostic said she and director Duane Gibson will be meeting with Pocahontas County Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Mike O’Brien and PCEM Deputy Director Kevin Stitzinger to discuss communication and emergency protocols.
Bostic added that IT specialist Kristi Hamons attended a communication conference in Charleston and received a lot of information she will be sharing with the board office and board members.
“She said she got a lot of valuable information that she’s going to share with the administrators when we meet with the principals, as well as with you all about even making our websites accessible for people who may have hearing or vision trouble, as well,” Bostic said.
Bostic said Hamons asked to be the communications officer and plans to keep the school websites up to date with more information.
In updates:
• Bostic also shared that the Needs Project grant has been submitted to the West Virginia School Building Authority in which the board office has asked for $6 million for upgrades to Pocahontas County High School. The request includes electrical work, window replacement, bathroom upgrades and connecting the main building to the CTE building.
The SBA will review all project grants and will have two days of presentations in November at the office in Charleston. Bostic said she has asked board member Morgan McComb to attend the presentation with her due to his vast knowledge of the PCHS facilities.
• Hillsboro Elementary School Principal Rebecca Spencer, joined by members of her staff, presented a request for a half-time physical education teacher. Spencer and staff explained that, at this time, each grade level teacher is leading physical education for their classes and said it would better serve the students if the school returned to having an actual PE teacher.
Spencer said she did have someone who said they would take the position and that she is asking the board to create and post the position.
The board said the position could not be posted until after the next meeting because it was not on the current meeting’s agenda. Board member Sam Gibson made a motion to have the position added to the next meeting’s agenda and the board unanimously approved to motion.
In personnel management, the board approved the following:
• Request to transfer James D. Chestnut from custodian III at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School to ECCAT special education/ classroom/bus aide at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effective September 16, for 175 days for the 2024-2025 school year. Term of employment shall be 200 days each year thereafter.
• Employment of Darla Huddle as mentor for Karen Lockhart at Hillsboro Elementary School, effective for the 2024-2025 school year at a rate of $25 per hour for 50 hours for a total of $1,250.
• Employment of Amy Hefner as cafeteria manager for Hillsboro Elementary School, effective September 9, for 180 days for the 2024-2025 school year. Term of employment shall be 200 days each year thereafter.
• Employment of Darla Huddle as mentor for Melissa Walker at Marlinton Elementary School, effective for the 2024-2025 school year, at a rate of $25 per hour for 50 hours for a total of $1,250.
• Employment of Jillian Lacasse as Communities in Schools site coordinator for Marlinton Elementary School, effective September 16, for 175 days for the 2024-2025 school year. Term of employment shall be 200 days each year thereafter.
• Employment of Dawn Brewster as ECCAT special education/classroom/bus aide for Marlinton Elementary School, effective September 16, for 175 days for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year. Term of employment shall be 200 days each year thereafter.
• Employment of Paul W. Hill as volunteer coach for seventh and eighth grade football, effective for the 2024-2025 season.
• Resignation of Kimberly Ballance as head custodian at Marlinton Middle School, effective September 13.
• Employment of Krystal Lewis as mentor for Jeanette Wagner, at Marlinton Middle School, effective for the 2024-2025 school year at a rate of $25 per hour for 50 hours for a total of $1,250.
• Employment of Cindy Solak as mentor for Brianna Morgan at Pocahontas County High School, effective for the 2024-2025 school year at a rate of $25 per hour for 50 hours for a total of $1,250.
• Employment of Trestan Taylor as CTE business management and administration for Pocahontas County High School, effective September 23, for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year. Term of employment shall be 200 days each year thereafter.
• Retirement of Linda Beverage as school counselor at Pocahontas County High School, effective September 5.
• Employment of Rhonda Woodruff as limited sports trainer for the 2024-2025 athletic season, at a supplement of $3,750.
• Requested transfer of Joseph Rose from custodian III at Pocahontas County High School to custodian III at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effective September 20.
The next board meeting will be Tuesday, October 14, at 3:30 p.m. at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, for an LSIC and strategic plan meeting, followed by the regular board meeting at 4:45 p.m.