Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
The Pocahontas County Board of Education held a short meeting June 6 in which it handled usual business and bid farewell to superintendent Terrence Beam, who is taking the superintendent job in Nicholas County.
Two board members were absent – Becky Campbell and Jarrett McLaughlin – but the remaining members thanked Beam for his efforts during his time in Pocahontas County. Beam shared his appreciation with the board and community, stating he couldn’t have asked for a better use of the past 14 years.
Beam added that his move is bittersweet because he has made such strong connections in Pocahontas County, but said, in the end, he knew it was time to go home and do something for his home county.
“I was thinking, we’ve got board members who all feel loyalty to try to do something positive for their home county,” he said. “That’s why you guys get on the board, to try to make things better for your own county. I guess that’s what I’m doing.”
In miscellaneous management, the board approved the following:
• Memorandum of Understanding between the Pocahontas County Schools and the MIT Noyce Fellowships Project relating to Jennifer Nail-Cook as the Cohort I, in supporting improvement in the mathematics teaching and learning as the fourth year of the five-year program to be revisited/approved each subsequent year, August 2023 through July 2024.
• Memorandum of Understanding between the Pocahontas County Schools and West Ed, American Institutes for Research to conduct an Education Innovation and Research grant-funded implementation and impact study, Citizen Math Impact Study: Developing Informed, Thoughtful, and Product Citizens.
• To participate in Project for Education Research That Scales (PERTS) in order to help educators apply evidence-based strategies in order to advance educational excellence and equity on a large scale.
In personnel management, the board approved the following:
• Resignation of Karen R. Murphy, due to retirement, as teacher of multi-subjects at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effective June 30.
• Requested transfer of Dottie L. Chestnut as itinerant special education classroom aide/bus aide at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School to early childhood classroom assistant teacher (ECCAT)/aide – first grade classroom at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, at state minimum service personnel salary, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Requested transfer of Tabeatha J. McCoy as itinerant special education classroom aide/bus aide at Hillsboro Elementary School to early childhood classroom assistant teacher (ECCAT)/aide – first grade classroom at Hillsboro Elementary School, at state minimum service personnel salary, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Requested transfer of Tonja S. Armstrong as itinerant special education classroom aide/bus aide at Hills- boro Elementary School to early childhood classroom assistant teacher (ECCAT)/ aide – first grade classroom at Marlinton Elementary School, at state minimum service personnel salary, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Requested transfer of Cynthia J. Landis as itinerant special education classroom aide/bus aide at Marlinton Elementary School to early childhood classroom assistant teacher (ECCAT)/aide – first grade classroom at Marlinton Elementary School, at state minimum service personnel salary, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Employment of Laurel Dilley as teacher of mathematics/STEM at Pocahontas County High School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Requested transfer of Krystal Sharek Beers from teacher of special education (multi-categorical)/autism at Hillsboro Elementary School, to teacher of special education (multi-categorical)/autism at Pocahontas County High School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.
• Employment of Melinda Ruth as teacher of English/ language arts at Pocahontas County High School, at state minimum salary based on degree and experience, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. Term of employment is 200 days, contingent upon certification approval.
• Employment of Cammy Kesterson and Jeanette Wagner as credit recovery teachers for Pocahontas County Schools, at $25 per hour, not to exceed 150 hours or $3,750 per position, retroactive to June 1 through August 1, excluding June 19, 20 and July 4, as needed. Wages are contingent upon actually working the credit recovery program. Paid holidays are not part of this contract.
• Employment of Sherri L. Howe as cafeteria manager for the Summer Feeding Program at Marlinton Elementary School, at daily rate of pay, effective June 21 through. July 28, Monday through Friday, excluding July 4, plus one additional day for meal preparation. Wages are contingent upon actually working the Summer Feeding Program. Paid holidays are not part of this contract.
• Employment of Corey L. Rexrode as school bus operator for the 2023 Summer Opportunities for Learning and Engagement (SOLE) at daily rate of pay, effective for the four-week program, June 5 through June 29. Wages are contingent upon adequate staffing and student enrollment. Paid holidays are not part of this contract.
The next board meeting will be Tuesday, July 18, at 6 p.m. at the board of education conference room.