Pocahontas County Free Libraries board of trustees president Sue Anne Heatherly approached the board of education at its regular meeting May 27 with regards to the Hillsboro Library lease.
Heatherly explained that the Friends of Hillsboro Library group shared its concerns with her about the future of the library after the future of Hillsboro Elementary School was brought into question earlier this year.
“The most important issue, according to the spokesman for the friends group, was what would happen to the library should the board of education cease to own and operate the facility of the Hillsboro School,” Heatherly said. “What would happen if they decided to stop owning that land, those buildings and so forth.”
The current lease states that the PCFL has the right of first refusal should the board of education decide to sell the library building.
“They would like it if the board could say something on the order of sell the building for a nominal fee instead of ‘right of first refusal’ because it’s a lovely building, and should it come up for sale, there might be somebody that can afford to pay a lot more than we’d be able to,” Heatherly said. “They want it to stay a library forever and do great things.”
The friends group also requested an extension of the lease, which is a 10-year lease at this time, and to change the wording in the lease concerning the name of the building.
“It’s called the Hillsboro bus garage and anytime that appears, they find it insulting,” Heatherly explained.
The friends group is currently raising funds to build an extension to the library and feel donors might get confused by the lease situation.
“They’re concerned that donors that might provide funds for the addition are leery because of the way the lease is worded,” Heatherly explained. “This addition will be fairly small but to that library, really, really useful. It will be useful for the children’s programs with the Hillsboro Elementary School kids because we can do reading and things like that, and they’re not milling around with all the adults in there.”
Board president Emery Grimes said he didn’t see a problem with the changes and asked Superintendent Dr. Donald Bechtel to work with prosecuting attorney Eugene Simmons on changing the lease for approval.
In updates:
• Lyndsee Gay gave her last report as student representative to the board. The Pocahontas County High School forestry team – consisting of Adam Irvine, Steven Simmons, Matt Rao and Gay – will participate in the state competition June 2-4 at Morgantown.
“We measure trees and we go over the tools you use to measure trees,” she explained. “We have a fifty question general knowledge test which is multiple choice. I feel very confident about our team this year.”
The competition will be at Cooper’s Rock with the awards ceremony taking place at the West Virginia University Coliseum.
Gay also thanked the board for welcoming her as a member and introduced her successor, Allie Plate.
“Thank you all again for allowing me the opportunity to represent the students of Pocahontas County,” she said. “It has been a great honor.”
In financial management, the board approved the following:
• Bank reconciliation for April 2014 and budget transfers.
• Subcontract between The Old Dominion University Research Foundation and Pocahontas County board of education.
• Payment of vendor listings of claims in the amounts $56,037.29, $57,283.54 and $51,411.24.
In miscellaneous management, the board approved the following:
• For the Hillsboro Senior Citizens to use the portion of the former Hillsboro Elementary School cafeteria building that is vacant due to construction of a new cafeteria.
• Twenty-six Marlinton Middle School eighth grade students and nine chaperones to travel, by chartered bus, to Williamsburg, Virginia. The group will depart Marlinton Middle School June 3 and return June 5.
• Pocahontas County High School Future Business Leaders of America [FBLA] to travel to Nashville, Tennessee. Three students and chaperones Cammy Kesterson, Wanda Hrabina and Jenny Friel will depart on June 28 and return July 2.
In personnel management, the board of education approved the following:
• Resignation of Stephanie Erin Lore as cook II at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, retroactive to May 9.
• Resignation of Heather C. Nicholson as teacher of English/language arts at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effective at the end of the 2013-2014 school year.
• Requested transfer of Rebecca Spencer from teacher of multi-subjects, first grade, at Marlinton Elementary School to teacher of multi-subjects, fifth grade, at Marlinton Elementary School, effective for the 2014-2015 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Employment of Ellen Fortney at teacher of multi-subjects, fifth grade, at Marlinton Elementary School, at state basic salary based on degree and experience, effective for the 2014-2015 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Requested transfer of Heather D. Simmons from itinerant special education classroom aide/bus aide at Marlinton Elementary School to classroom aide/ bus aide at Marlinton Elementary School, at state basic pay, effective for the 2014-2015 school year.
• Abolishment of position teacher of multi-subjects, first grade, at Marlinton Elementary School, effective at the end of the 2013-2014 school year.
• Employment of Nebraska Scotchie as teacher of mathematics, grades 6-8, at Marlinton Middle School, at state basic salary based on degree and experience, effective for the 2014-2015 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Employment of Mark Landis as teacher of alternative education at Pocahontas County High School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience, effective for the 2014-2015 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Employment of Samara Bennett as teacher of English/language arts at Pocahontas County High School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience, effective for the 2014-2015 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Employment of Ian B. Bennett and Justin A. Taylor as substitute school bus operators for Pocahontas County Schools, emergency use only, effective May 29, for the remainder of the 2013-2014 school year.
• Resignation of Tanya M. LaBounty as itinerant supervisory special education classroom aide/bus aide at Pocahontas County High School, effective at the end of the day on June 6.
• Employment of Stephen D. McCarty and David Vandevender as substitute bus operators for Pocahontas County Schools, effective May 29, for the remainder of the 2013-2014 school year, as needed, at state basic pay.
• Employment of Lisa Rich and Kimberly Jordan as substitute secretaries for Pocahontas County Schools, effective May 29, for the remainder of the 2013-2014 school year, as needed, at state basic pay.
• Employment of Martha Friel as substitute cook for Pocahontas County Schools, retroactive to May 12, for the remainder of the 2013-2014 school year, as needed, at state basic pay.
• Requested transfer of Ronald G. Hall from principal at Marlinton Elementary School to director of attendance/homeless liaison, maintenance and school safety, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience plus $4,000 supplement, effective July 1. Term of employment is 261 days.
• Creation of position teacher of preschool special needs/preschool at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School at state minimum salary based on degree and experience, effective for the 2014-2015 school year. Term of employment is 200 days. Position to be abolished at the end of the 2014-2015 school year.
• Creation of position classroom aide/bus aide – preschool special needs/ preschool at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, at state basic pay, effective for the 2014-2015 school year. Term of employment is 200 days. Shift: 7:40 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. Position to be abolished at the end of the 2014-2015 school year.
The next board meeting is Monday, June 16, at 6 p.m. in the board of education conference room.