Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
At the March 11 Pocahontas County Board of Education meeting, the board received an update on the State of Emergency designation given to Pocahontas County Schools by the West Virginia Department of Education in February.
Addressing the board were Dr. Alexandra Criner, director of accountability, and advisor Deirdre Cline who is working with staff at Pocahontas County High School to address the issues that need to be fixed.
“The staff at Pocahontas County High School – throughout this experience we have noted repeatedly that they are extremely dedicated to their children here, to their students,” Criner said. “They have demonstrated so much potential. They were very forthcoming and welcoming during our visit which – when you’re working accountability – you’re not always greeted with open arms, but everyone has been forthcoming with us and very welcoming.
Criner explained that all the problems that were discovered are fixable, and the staff is working with Cline to address those issues.
“There is the potential here for a world class high school,” she said. “This is going to be one heck of a comeback story if it’s done correctly. All the problems that we’ve identified in the report and everything that we have worked on with Mrs. Cline so far, it’s all very fixable. It’s just a matter of establishing procedures.”
Cline is working closely with interim principal Christine Campbell and dean of students Casey Griffith to set up procedures and protocols that will be used from this point on regarding class schedule and transcripts.
Criner said that while the state of emergency sounds ominous, it is a call to action and conveys a sense of urgency in making corrections.
“During the state of emergency period, you’re going to have specific targets for improvement and they’re going to be created based on the information in the report and also through working with what’s gleaned from [Cline’s] work here.”
The state of emergency is a six-month period and there will be many updates to the board in those six months to share progress that has been made. At the end of the six months, the state will return and decide whether the state of emergency will end, be extended or if the state needs to come in and take over operation of the school system.
“From what I’ve seen so far, I would anticipate that this is going to be a process where we’re able to work together for the betterment of the kids,” Criner said. “It’s going to be a long-term process as far as establishing those procedures and protocols. This didn’t happen overnight; it’s not going to be fixed overnight.”
Criner explained that everyone involved has a role to play and said what the responsibilities are for each level. The board of education’s role is to provide financial aid and policy resources to support the process and make sure everyone is following the chain of command.
The superintendent is to provide leadership and oversight to the process, communicate the progress to the board and follow through on all the recommendations that are made.
The principal is to be transparent with everyone and be positive and open with communication with teachers, parents and students. The principal also needs to reinforce the chain of command.
The teachers are to maintain a positive mindset and stay focused on the students. They must be willing to embrace growth and change.
“We want to make sure that people feel good about coming here and they are engaged and committed to this process and to this school moving forward,” Criner said.
In conclusion, Criner urged everyone involved to resist rumors and to trust in the process.
“Resist the rumor mill,” she said. “I know that we hear things and word spreads. Facebook can be our best friend and our worst enemy as far as information goes. If we keep the chain of command – if we keep the communication – there shouldn’t be a need to believe everything you read because people will know the story.”
Next, Cline gave a report on her progress in working with the staff at PCHS. She was also positive and enthusiastic about the process and said that everyone is on board to make changes.
“I watch House Hunters and Fix This Old House and one of the things they say is ‘this place has good bones,’” she said. “You all have oak tree bones in the teachers you have and in the students that you have.”
Cline said that during her interactions with the students, she has seen happy, well-adjusted and polite kids and that it due in part to the supportive teachers they have.
What the school doesn’t have is protocols and procedures, she added.
“We’ve got to corral the team, and we’ve got to help them understand the outcome goals and give them tools, and let them go,” she said. “I’ve seen them in collaborative meetings, leadership meetings, schedule discussion meetings – they are curious and let me tell you, a staff that is not curious and just doesn’t want to be bothered, they’re hard to do anything with.
“The staff here is curious, willing, interested, dedicated and smart,” she continued. “They are wise and they’re smart, and they’re all about what’s best for kids. That’s tremendous in what we’re trying to do.”
Cline said she will be mainly working at the high school and the central office, getting protocols and procedures put in place.
A fan of checklists, Cline showed the board her checklist for the process and said that several items have been addressed already.
The first was the senior transcripts. The review and fix of those is now complete.
“We have meticulously, tediously gone through every single senior transcript because it’s senior season,” Cline said. “We went through every single one of them. Out of 86 transcripts, we found 42 errors, ten of which we considered pretty substantive.
“Everything in them that needed fixed is fixed, but more importantly, the issues for the students that may have been impacted have been addressed via credit recovery or whatever is needed,” she added.
Cline and Griffith will move on to the underclassmen next and make sure their transcripts are all correct.
Other items on the checklist that have been completed are: scheduling the school day testing, spring activity planning, working on the 2025-2026 bell schedule with the department of education, the principal and dean of students now have access to all transcription platforms, Campbell has now been assigned a mentor, and – although it was not in the plan – progress has been made in school safety.
Cline closed her remarks by thanking the board for giving her the opportunity to work with the school and help it get back on its feet.
“I’m happy to be here,” she said. “I appreciate this opportunity. I am available to you for updates anytime you want.”
The board thanked Criner and Cline for the update and said they are looking forward to getting through the process.
In updates:
• Superintendent Lynne Bostic reported that she has gone over proposals for each school with the directors, treasurer and principals regarding reduction in force and transfers.
Bostic was happy to report there will not be any reduction in force, but there will be some transfers at a couple of the schools due to class sizes and needs.
In financial management, the board approved – payment of vendor listing; payment of local government purchasing card; employee payroll; extra duty pay; bank reconciliation; grant awards, written notice to retire; annual payment for WVU extension services; ACH payment four of performance contract and budget adjustments.
In miscellaneous management, the board approved:
• Schedule of Proposed Levy Rates for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026: Class I, $19.40; Class II, $38.80; Class III, $77.60; and Class IV, $77.60.
• Sherry Radcliff as teacher for Pocahontas County Schools, bonded requirement by the State of West Virginia, as per Code 18-9-6, effective for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
• The revised policy 5410 – promotion, acceleration, placement and retention to be put on public comment for 30 days.
• Policy 0165 – Meetings; Policy 5200 – Attendance; and Policy 5421 – Grading.
• Elective credit waiver for a senior at Pocahontas County High School.
• Stephanie Poppe and Wanda Hrabina to take approximately 15 students to Washington, D.C. to visit the Holocaust Museum and the African America Museum on March 23-25. Transportation provided by donated tour bus.
• Eleanor Bell and Holly Chestnut to take 17 Green Bank Elementary-Middle School eighth grade students on a trip to Potomac Highlands Recreation Center in Franklin on May 27. Transportation provided by bus.
• Mutual agreement between Pocahontas County Board of Education and Teresa Mullen Lambert concerning changes in instructional day and compensation.
• Memorandum of Understanding between Pocahontas County Board of Educa- tion and the Regional Math Field Day.
• Facility use agreement between Pocahontas County Board of Education and the American National Red Cross to use Marlinton Middle School as a disaster shelter for victims of disasters.
• West Virginia School Board Association to conduct a superintendent search in collaboration with the Pocahontas County Board of Education.
• Parent and community volunteers.
In personnel management, the board approved:
• Unpaid medical leave of Holly Chestnut, at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effective March 10, for a period of up to 12 weeks through June 2.
• Retirement of Greg Morgan as music teacher at Hillsboro and Marlinton Elementary schools, effective June 30.
• Retirement of Pamela Bennett as evening custodian III at Pocahontas County High school, effective June 30.
• Paul Hill as volunteer assistant baseball coach, effective for the 2024-2025 athletic season.
• Waylon Lucabaugh as volunteer assistant track coach, effective for the 2024-2025 athletic season.
• Jeanette Wagner as mentor for Melinda Ruth at Pocahontas County High School, effective March through December, for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year and the first half of 2025-2026 school year, at a rate of $25 per hour, for up to 50 hours for a total of $1,250.
• Retirement of Scott Kelley as school bus operator for Pocahontas County Schools, effective June 30.
• Employment of Erin Baldwin and Tresten Taylor as substitute teachers for Pocahontas County Schools, at state minimum professional salary for the 2024-2025 school year.
The next board meeting will be Tuesday, April 1, beginning with a calendar meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the board conference room in Buckeye.
