Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
When the National Radio Quiet Zone was established in 1958, wireless interference was not a concern, but in the past nearly 70 years, technology has advanced by leaps and bounds.
Now it’s nearly impossible to go a day without using technology, especially in the school system. During the COVID-19 pandemic. Pocahontas County Schools purchased devices for all students to use while they were learning remotely.
Those devices are used on a regular basis to this day, but there was a problem for Green Bank Elementary-Middle School. The devices require the use of WiFi, which was not allowed in the Green Bank area due to the Green Bank Observatory.
That is, until now.
At the August 5 Pocahontas County Board of Education meeting, GBO Director Tony Remijan, along with his colleagues, Jill Malusky and Cris DePree, informed the board that the GBO has worked out a way to allow WiFi use in Green Bank and at GBEMS.
Remijan explained that within the NRQZ, there is a 10-mile radius around the GBO that is known as the West Virginia Radio Astronomy Zone. The individuals and businesses inside this zone have stricter rules due to their proximity to the telescopes.
“We’re going to relax that in the coming months, we’ve started that now,” he said. “Basically, anywhere in the ten-mile radius around the Green Bank Telescope, we’re going to allow 2.4 gigahertz WiFi.”
Prior to this initiative, Remijan said businesses and individuals making requests to use WiFi were turned away due to the restrictions. Despite that, a lot of businesses and residents had WiFi. While they were known by the GBO, no action was taken against them.
In recent years, the observatory has worked with Community Care of West Virginia’s clinic in Green Bank, as well as the Dollar General to allow them both to use WiFi and now, everyone in the 10-mile radius will be allowed to join in that use.
Remijan said an expansive study was done at GBO to evaluate the harm that allowing WiFi would do and the study revealed that the science would survive.
“We decided that there was very low scientific risk, but a huge community benefit to open up the 2.4 gigahertz WiFi,” he said. “The community engagement and the interface that we want with the Green Bank Elementary-Middle School and with the community was much more important to us than this particular range at this point.”
Remijan said that most wireless routers have several gigahertz frequencies available and he asks those who live or work in the 10-mile radius to turn off the five and six gigahertz and make sure their router is operating on the 2.4 gigahertz frequency.
“There is a minimal impact by turning these off,” he said. “You can still stream Netflix. You can still stream everything. You can still play video games online. It’s not going to affect you.”
Remijan and Malusky will share a presentation and answer questions about this change in the “Quiet Zone” Thursday, August 14, at 6:30 p.m. in the Science Center Auditorium at the GBO.
Information about the initiative will also be available at the open house Sunday, September 7, along with free STEM activities.
“We’re going to have school outreach with Green Bank Elementary-Middle School on teacher night – back to school night – a presentation with the students about this,” he said. “We’re going to have listening sessions with presentations at the observatory itself.
“The world is changing, and we have to adapt to that,” he continued. “We couldn’t be making this change unless it was beneficial to everyone. The scientists will figure things out. The impact on the school, the impact on the community is just as important.”
In special recognitions:
• The board congratulated Haley Cummins, who was in the top five state finalist for Service Personnel of the Year. Cummins is an aide at Marlinton Middle School and was selected as Pocahontas County’s Service Personnel of the Year. The board also recognized Pocahontas County High School student Devon George, who placed sixth in the nation in commercial roofing at the SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference, which was held in Georgia this summer.
In updates:
• Superintendent Dr. Leatha Williams gave a report on the areas of concern in the school system. Her main concern is the number of students who were considered chronically absent for the 2024-2025 school year.
To be classified as chronically absent, a student must miss more than 18 days of school.
The statistics were as follows: Hillsboro Elementary School had 77 students, 24 were chronically absent; Green Bank Elementary-Middle School had 196 students, 70 were chronically absent; Marlinton Elementary School had 209 students, 67 were chronically absent; Marlinton Middle School had 123 students, 61 were chronically absent; and Pocahontas County High School had 260 students, 138 were chronically absent.
Williams also mentioned the number of discipline referrals for last year. There were 1,469 referrals with 347 students disciplined. Of those, 177 students were placed in in school suspension and 19 were placed on out of school suspension.
Williams said she wants to focus on having fewer absences and less discipline referrals in the new school year and to make sure students are getting the education they need.
In miscellaneous management, the board approved:
• Placement on 30-day comment of the following policies: Local School Improvement Council Training, Personal Electronic Devices and Staff Technology Acceptable Use and Safety.
In personnel management, the board approved:
• Requested transfer of Devan Gum from teacher of fourth grade to teacher of kindergarten at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effective for the 2025-2026 school year.
• Employment of Kimberly A. Taliaferro as English/language arts teacher at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effective for the 2025-2026 school year.
• Employment of Dana Musial as music teacher/director at Marlinton Middle School and Marlinton Elementary School, for the 2025-2026 school year.
• Resignation of Elenor Bell as science teacher at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effective August 1.
• Requested transfer of Teresa Kloeker from ECCAT special education classroom/bus aide, first grade, at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, to ECCAT special education/classroom aide, kindergarten, at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, for the 2025-2026 school year.
• Resignation of Lisa Johnson as special education at Pocahontas County High School, effective August 3.
• Employment of Makayla Vandevander as special education/classroom/bus aide at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, for the 2025-2026 school year.
• Requested transfer of Adam Taylor as school bus driver to the former Allen Taylor run, effective for the 2025-2026 school year.
• Employment of Stephanie Ames as extra summer custodian for special projects, effective July 29 through August 27.
• Employment of Brittany Place as extra summer custodian for special projects, effective July 29 through August 27.
• Employment of Jason Place as extra summer custodian for special projects, effective August 4 through August 27.
• Resignation of Brandon Hamons as head baseball coach at Pocahontas County High School.
• Employment of Crystal Kerr as head volleyball coach, effective for the 2025-2026 athletic season.
• Employment of Heather Kerr as assistant volleyball coach, effective for the 2025-2026 athletic season.
• Employment of Fred Koerber as athletic director for Pocahontas County High School, effective for the 2025-2026 athletic year.
• Unpaid medical leave of Tessa Gum at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effective August 28, for a period of up to 12 weeks.
• Employment of the following as supervisory aides, effective for the 2025-2026 school year: Amber R. Arbogast, Susan M. Armstrong, Tonja S. Armstrong, Olivia Barkley, Lisa M. Bennett, Kimberly A. Beverage, Katie L. Broce, Dottie L. Chestnut, James D. Chestnut, Sarah A. Cover, Haley G. Cummins, Carrie L. Curry, Rebecca A. Davis, Ashli A. Diller, Tabatha J. Ellis, Carrie L. Hickman, Renee D. Hill, Karrie B. Jack, Teresa D. Kloeker, Cynthia J. Landis, TaBeatha J. McCoy, Jessica M. Oxier, Carolyn J. Pennington, Tammy S. Rider, Paulena M. Schoolcraft and Tiffany Wayne.
• Employment of the following as substitute aides for Pocahontas County Schools, at state basic service personnel salary, for the 2025-2026 school year, as needed: Sommer D. Hickman, Elizabeth R. Henfer, Whitney E. Beverage, Billie S. Haymond, Priscilla L. Shoemaker, Natasha E. Trainer, Hannah I. Jordan, Teresa E. Rhea, Harriet J. Faulknier, Maxine A. Solliday, Michelle D. Wilfong, Virginia L. Shaw, Kimberly S. Murphy, Stephanie Erin Boone, Angela M. Taylor, Sharon A. Owens, Rebecca L. Peteete, Teresa W. Barb, Sharon Owens and Makayla N. Vandevander.
• Employment of the following as substitute cooks for Pocahontas County Schools, at state basic service personnel salary, for the 2025-2026 school year, as needed: Laurie A. Corbin, Sandra A. McCarty, Holly L. Taylor, Billie S. Hamond, Pippi L. Miller, Mike K. Scandalis, Whitney E. Beverage, Stephanie Erin Boone, Andrea J. Sharp and Sherry Radcliff.
• Employment of the following as substitute custodians for Pocahontas County Schools, at state basic service personnel salary, for the 2025-2026 school year, as needed: Timothy H. Wade, Billie S. Haymond, Mike K. Scandalis and Stephanie E. Boone. Emergency use only: Sherry L. Howe and Heather Simmons.
• Employment of the following as substitute school bus operators for Pocahontas County Schools, at state basic service personnel salary, for the 2025-2026 school year, as needed: Kevin A. Thompson, Donald E. McNeel, Kenneth “Buster” Varner, Michael C. Murphy, Jimmie A. Ryder, Jr. and Coty Rexrode. Emergency use only: Jamie C. Walker, Justin A. Taylor and James B. Chaney.
• Employment of the following as substitute secretaries/accountants for Pocahontas County Schools, at state basic service personnel salary, for the 2025-2026 school year, as needed: Staci Jo Keffer, Joann V. Estep, Susan L. Ray, Teresa E. Rhea, Billie S. Haymond, Sharon A. Owens, Deborah L. Miller, Harriet J. Faulknier, Barbara K. Anderson, Whitney E. Beverage and Kimberly S. Murphy.
• Employment of the following as substitute maintenance for Pocahontas County Schools, at state basic service personnel salary, for the 2025-2026 school year, as needed: Timothy H. Wade, Shawn K. Ervine and Gregory L. Irvine.
• Employment of Jamie Walker, emergency use only, as substitute mechanic for Pocahontas County Schools, at state basic service personnel salary, for the 2025-2026 school year, as needed.
• Employment of the following at substitute teachers for Pocahontas County Schools, at state basic professional salary, based on degree and experience for the 2025-2026 school year, as needed: Lucas P. Adcock, M. Susan Arbogast, Shannon G. Arbogast, M. Erin Baldwin, Tara L. Bauserman, Kenneth E. Beezley, P. Erwin Berry, IV, Kay E. Blackshire, Ross D. Boggs, Thomas W. Boothe, Dawn G. Brester, Blair E. Campbell, Logan A. Davis, Lisa M. Dennison, Thomas K. Denison, Staci Jo Keffer Dunn, Earl D. Friel, Maria L. Hall, Gregory W. Hamons, Elizabeth R. Hefner, David T. Halcomb, Deborah A. Irvine, Kathy M. Irvine, Susan K. Streisel-Jenkins, Allen R. Johnson, Cheryl R. Jonese, Jan R. Jonese, Bridget C. Koerber, Katherine A. LaFleur, Emily K. McLau-ghlin, Jay V. Miller, Peter A. Monico, Karen R. Murphy, Alyssa L. Nottingham, Jonathan B. Perkins, Patricia L. Plaugher, Susan L. Ray, Teresa E. Rhea, Jeanette L. Rittenhouse, Lucy M. Rittenhouse, Nicole L. Sattler, Dorthie I. Shamblin, Breanna D. Sharp, Drema L. Sharp, Virginia L. Shaw, Elaine J. Sheets, Robert A. Sheets, Sharla G. Sherman, Stephen T. Simmons, Chris-tina M. Smith, Maxine A. Solliday, Jessica N. Taylor, June A. Taylor, Tresten R. Taylor, Tracey L. Valach, Karen A. Vandevender, Alesia M. Wayne, Michelle D. Wilfong, Christine O. Young and Roseanne T. Zeni. Emergency use only: Shannon Barkley-Bircaher.
The next board meeting will be Tuesday, August 19, at 6 p.m., at the board of education conference room in Buckeye.
