On February 15, the Braxton County Board of Education held a regular meeting.
The first to speak to board members was Nicholas Barth, attorney from Barth & Thompson Law Offices in Charleston. He discussed the need for the board to approve the transfer of deed in name only of Holly Gray Park from the Braxton County 4-H Club Development Authority to Braxton County Recreational Development Authority. The transfer of deed is just a formality for clarification and to allow applications for grants to be completed for improvements at Holly Gray Park.
Braxton County High School and Frametown Elementary gave their LSIC presentations to board members.
BCHS Principal Dr. Tony Minney and CTE Director Lori Stover-Williams spoke to the board members on testing scores, attendance, and discipline. Reading, math and science scores have dropped at the high school level. Improvement strategies for testing and attendance were outlined by Dr. Minney including “Eagle Reboot (ER).” The ER program is an hour long student support session during lunch to help students who are missing work and falling behind in their classes. Since the implementation of the program, there has been a 64% reduction in those failing classes.
CTE Director Stover-Williams discussed the CTE program and the fourteen pathways offered to student. At the end of the school year, the program will have 107 completers. The sixteen dual credit course and the three Advance Placement courses were also discussed. Currently 56 students are enrolled in dual credit classes and 36 students are in AP.
Kaylee Criner, member of the Student Leadership Council, also spoke briefly to board members. She spoke about the building of school community and developing outlets for students through course offerings and clubs. The goal is to make the school better with student input.
Next up was Frametown Principal Barbie Rader and Marcy Skeens, kindergarten teacher. They provided an academic data review on reading and math scores from the beginning of the year to current benchmark testing. Scores are improving and more students are getting on grade level or only one grade level behind. They discussed increased parental involvement including PTA, parent-teacher conferences, and after school activities, attendance, and the CIS program. Student engagement, prioritized standards, Title I, interventionist, STEM and STEAM activities are being used to make improvements in the school.
Under regular business, the board approved the following consent agenda items: approval of February 1 meeting minutes; transportation requests; payment of bills; and budget transfers and supplements.
The following professional, service, and extra-curricular recommendations were approved: employment of Logan Sheppard, substitute teacher, Erin Barnette, instructional tutor, Burnsville, Mark Rose, from custodian at BCMS/board office to bus operator, Pamela Cottrill, from executive secretary/accountant III at Flatwoods to executive secretary-special education/Medicaid/preschool/head start/professional support personnel, and James Huffman, baseball coach, BCMS; leave of absence for Kelly Waggoner, extend unpaid medical leave through remainder of school year; and resignation for Sally Hart, retirement, bus operator, Treva Simons, retirement, custodian, BCHS, and Samantha Davis, substitute aide.
Board members approved to add Patrick O’Malley representing Go-Mart to the Ad-Hoc Facilities Committee; fundraisers; parent volunteers for Davis-Paula Meadows and Bobby Dobbins; and posting professional and service positions for 2022 summer learning.
After a brief discussion with Director of Food Services Dr. Leatha Williams, the board approved the price increases for student second meals, staff meals, and visitor meals. Staff/visitor lunch will increase from $4.00 to $4.50 and breakfast from $3.00 to $3.50. Second meals for students will go from $1.25 to $1.75 for lunch and $.85 to $1.35 for breakfast. Extra milk will now cost $.50 per carton up from the previous price of $.35. The price increase will go into effect at the beginning of the upcoming school year. Increases in food costs and changes in the federal child nutrition program have led to the need to increase pricing.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:47 pm. The next regular meeting is scheduled for March 1 at 6:00 pm. As always, members of the Braxton County community are encouraged to attend regular board meetings. Any parent or concerned community member wishing to speak as a delegate or with public concerns may do so by signing in up to 15 minutes prior to the start of the meeting.