The Braxton County held their most recent meeting on June 21.
Director Linda Sears provided a brief update to board members about summer school. The high school is averaging 25 students a day for credit recovery out of the 48 students enrolled. The credit recovery is more rigorous than previous years. The middle school has 52 students, and the elementary schools have 219. Attendance is at about 75% for summer school. The theme for this year’s sessioin is West Virginia so all field trips are in state. Director Sears stated the “teachers are phenomenal” this year. She noted Robert Lloyd from the high school worked with the middle school students in building benches to reinforce measurement skills.
Superintendent Kathy Hypes discussed the recent survey completed by the WV School Board Association on school safety. The results showed that a little over half have what is considered a safe school entrance, which is one that has separate entrance and exit, and only 25% have a PRO officer. It would cost the state approximately $164 million to outfit schools with safe entrances.
Board members also discussed issues with landline services at schools and lack of proper cell service at Little Birch and Frametown.
The board approved the following consent agenda items on a motion by Evelyn Post with a second by Dr. Kenna Seal: approval of June 7 meeting minutes; transportation requests; payment of bills; budget transfers and supplements; and treasurer’s report.
The following professional, service and extra-curricular personnel recommendations were approved on a motion by Evelyn Post with a second by Dr. Kenna Seal: contract update to second probationary contract for Rebecca Davis, 2nd grade, Frametown; rescission of reduction of force for Janice Hughes, preschool/preschool special needs teacher, Little Birch and Valerie Jarvis, preschool supervisory/instructional/transportation aide/ECCAT, Little Birch; employment for Isaac Casto, 2nd/3rd grade split classroom, Little Birch, Janice Hughes, summer substitute, Kinderboost, Michele Campbell, substitute special education supervisory/instructional/transportation aide, Veronica Frame, summer school bus operator, George Dennison, David McQuain, and Charles McCumbers, summer substitute bus operators, George Dennison and James Huffman, summer substitute custodians, James Huffman, 1st & 2nd grade instructional aide, Sutton, Chelsea Hosey, custodian, Little Birch, Lisa Allen, part-time custodian, central office/BCMS, Viriginia Carpenter, cook, half-time position, Burnsville, Lindsay Harman, assistant soccer coach, BCMS, and Melisa Keener, volleyball coach, BCHS; employment of substitute personnel for SY 2022-2023 for Sterling Beane, Sr., Donna Booher, Michael Brady, Tammy Brown, Sandy Burchett, Randall Butcher, Debbie Carroll, Bridgett Carson, Kristi Cash, Minnie Coffman, Brittany Conley, Thomas Crutchfield, Patricia Dean, Denver Drake, Haley Drake, Ashley Given, Brooklyn Gould, Leah Herndon, Sheba Kendig, Patty Montgomery, Kimberly Moore, Margaret Moore, Tyler Morlan, Amy Mullins, Stephen Parker, Madison Rollyson, Patty Salisbury, Mary Shamburg, Brandon Shinaberry, Stephen Smith, Margaret Squires, Baylee Stewart, Cory Stout, Linda Stout, Deandre Williams, Cody Dobbins, Nathan Smarr (restricted substitute), Theresa Woodling (restricted substitute), Cynthia Sprouse, Mary Talbott, Tabitha Fleming, Lisa Chenoweth, Chasity Dawn Cutlip, Jeffrey Dennison, Iris Fowler, Jackie Greenleaf, Heinrich Harman, Nicole Jarrell, Charles McCumbers, David McQuain, Anita Miller, Sherry Moats, Donna Morris, Emily Oates, Zackary Roberts, Cindy Robinson, Tim Simons, Charles Smith, Madeline Wankmuller, Sherryl Wayne, and Susan Williams; rescission of employment, probationary contract updated to second-first year for Samantha Davis, preschool supervisory/instructional/transportation aide/ECCAT, Burnsville; terminations for Gail Balcourt, Brenda Gibson, Shawn Hunter, Heather Leach-Jones, James King, Bobbie Moore, Logan Sheppard, Jennica Barker, Ashley Mollohan, and Rebecca Wright; and resignation for Melisa Keener, head volleyball coach, BCMS.
Superintendent Kathy Hypes noted that everyone who had been placed on the transfer and reduction in force lists has been placed.
The board approved to check the legality of the lease entered by the board back in 2006 with American Tower Company for the .760 acres used for the cell tower on a motion by Evelyn Post with a second by Dr. Kenna Seal.
On a motion by Dolores Wright with a second by Evelyn Post, the board approved the fundraisers as presented.
Option 3 for the 261-day employee calendar for the upcoming school year and Encova as the workers compensation carrier were approved on motions by Dr. Kenna Seal with seconds by Evelyn Post. Also approved were the contracts for speech, PT, and vision for the school year on a motion by Dr. Seal with a second by Dolores Wright. The board discussed posting the position for speech pathologist in order to move away from contracting that position.
The board went into executive session at 6:58 pm to discuss a personnel request for unpaid medical leave. They reconvened at 7:26 pm. Evelyn Post made the motion to grant the request for unpaid medical leave for Marcy Hamilton which was seconded by Dr. Seal. The motion was approved.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:28 pm. The next meeting is scheduled for June 28 at 6:00 pm. At that meeting, the new board members and new superintendent will take the oath of office.
