001Good evening everybody. Uh the Mercer County Board of Education is in regular session. It is 5:00. We started a little early tonight to do some LSIC presentations. It is March 9th, 2025 and we're all in the Mercer County Technical Education Seminar Center. Uh all board members are present along with the superintendent. Uh Asher Anderson is going to lead us in the pledge today. >> Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Asher. You spoke loud and clear so everybody could hear. >> All right. So, we've got some LSIC presentations. So, I'll ask uh Lford Intermediate if you'll introduce your group and then we will hear from you. >> Okay. I'll gladly
002introduce my lifelines. These are better than any lifeguards I've ever worked with. Um, but we've got Asher Anderson, one of our students, Brook Gore, an ECAT, a her daughter, Chloe Gour, and she's a student of ours, too. And Joanne Shores, special needs teacher. Mallerie Goff, our team leader for fourth grade. Michelle Boyd, our title one teacher. Sarah Smith, our third grade team leader. Dr. Britney Anderson, a parent, an actual class for his mom. Crystal Ley, our social worker. >> All right. So, well, the floor is yours. >> Okay. Good evening and thank you all for having us to present at this evening's LSIC meeting. Uh, Bluefield Intermediate will take any chance we can get to brag on our students and staff. And at BIS, improving student achievement is our top priority. But before all of
003that, we build relationships with every single student that walks through that door. That's most important. And we always want to make them feel loved. Let them know. And for our next part, and you all have the um presentations up there for you all as well. The next part, we're going to have Miss Khloe Gore talk about our data notebooks for you all. Hello again. I'm Chloe Gore. Nice to meet y'all. Um uh I'm in the fifth grade at Blue Intermediate School. Um we have these D notebooks as we like to um call them, brag books. Um we use them to track our um I already progress and um our testing progress and stuff like that. And um sorry >> um we include our I Ready um data goals and we um put our pieces of
004work um that we are very proud of in here. Um, and these are shown to our parents at the Title One meetings at night. And um, we can even share them um, at teacher uh, with teachers throughout the school. And um, these also hold us accountable um, and they help keep us on track with our progression. Um, and if you guys want to y'all want to look through these Okay. Well, hold on. Let me tell you what's in there. Um, first of all, they have our attendance. Um, it um has every month. And then we have uh green, pink, blue, orange, yellow, and purple like to see um if it was a school function or if we were absent, if we're there, stuff like that. And then we have um our I Ready um uh
005scores and stuff like that. It um tells us um if we're in our early grade or if we're late or if we are in the middle. Um and then we can set our targets um and um we can see where we need to be, where we are, and what we're and where we want to be. And then um this right here shows how many pet lessons we have passed um throughout the year. So you can just keep on track with our lessons. And then um we have that for math and reading. And then this is just um uh something I put in here um that I was proud of. It was my test scores that I got. Um and then these um we keep our I ready scores in here as well that um for
006our diagnostics. And then um this is what I like to call or these are um stories that I have um written and um got proud cuz it took a while. Um and then um this is my experience at all state. It was a school function at our school. And then um this right here um it's my book review. So it tells um it just says um what was my cup of tea and what wasn't and um stuff like that. And then this is a page that um it shows like all the books that we have written through the school year or not written uh read. Um and then this is my creativity data. Um where it's it shows um all my things that I have made. Um and then I have my little data for
007my dinosaur that I grew with a student from the high school. She comes to our school and she does little um lessons with us about for science. Um and then these are just some achievements that I have won um at our school for school functions. And if you want me to I can bring this around and y'all can look at it. Next up, we have Mr. Asher Anderson and he's going to talk to you about our Walker intervention program. Hello everyone. My name is Asher Anderson and I'm a fourth grade student at Blofin Intermediate School and today I'm going to talk to you about walks intervention. Walks intervention is a program that we use to help different students work on the things that they need a little help with. For example, some teachers might have
008fun math and reading games and others might be more intense. Walks intervention is 4 days a week and 40 minutes long. I like walks intervention because it helps me with the things that I might struggle a little bit with. Thanks for listening. The next thing we're going to talk about is strengthening tier 1. With us with our school being a CSI de designation, our goal is to strengthen our core instruction. We have plans to ensure teachers are using high impact strategies such as modeling, guided practice, and checks for understanding to ensure that students are staying on track. We are currently relying on the CSI pro process and fundings to enhance our parent engagement and involvement because we feel strongly that it is going to take families and schools working together to maximize student success. We
009also have departmentalized all of our grade levels to ensure that we are using teacher strengths to help close the those achievement gaps. It was just me. Sorry. >> Uh, next we're going to talk about um our CSI budget that we've come up with and hopefully will be approved. The first thing we have in there is our trainings for the summer for our CSI leadership team. And these trainings will ensure that BIS is doing all that we can do to achieve student success. And we had that at $5,000. Um, we had 80,000 to spend. Our CSI leadership team also has bimonthly meetings and we have our subcommittee meetings that and the state meeting once a month. Um that was set aside for 7,000. Then we have the model schools conference. I um that will be held
010in Orlando and there will be three of us attending and it has over 165 sessions and we had to list the specific sessions that we would attend that would help improve our school success. Um the next is corrective reading which is an intervention program we hope to implement during our walk to intervention program. Um and then of course our data notebooks as Chloe mentioned. Um then we've got branch ed which is Dr. Anderson um coming in to help with our uh process and doing um observations and things like that to align the curriculum. Um document cameras. I know we've we've been through them, but they're they're um very important in there helping kids to see what's happening doing the skills together on the screens, but we've had the green ones and they just are not
011cutting it. So, we wanted to get better ones so that we're ready. And the last thing that we put in there is our time. We said our staff is dedicated and willing to give their all and do what it takes to make the students at BIS succeed. And the price of that is just priceless. I mean, we're ready to do and give all we can. Um, I'm going to talk about our community outreach partnerships. Um, we try to make it a priority to build relationships with our families, our students, um, local organizations and community members. And, um, we do we are blessed to be a CIS school. And um we do have Miss Beth Henry with us this year and she has been working very diligently on um working with some of our community members.
012Um she has just started I think last week was our first week of a um a free tutoring program um with um that takes place at Craft Memorial Library. She has worked with volunteers in the community to get this started. So, um we do have um we actually have tutoring at our school and now this is another avenue that students are able to get help with homework and um areas that they may be struggling with. So, we're really excited about that. We have um local church, one of our local churches um that helps out with our blessing bags um that we have. Um we actually work um as a social worker I work a lot with local charities with it whether it's churches or different things just on basic needs for our families. So if
013there's a family in need um I know of a lot of community resources that I'm able to contact whether it be for food or rental assistance or just um furniture different um different things like that. So we constantly have to be in communication with whatever community resources that we have in the area. Um we have several afterchool clubs that um that brings in community support as well. We have 4 that meets after school, our Bible club, the Girl Scouts run club and art club. Um we're always looking at other any opportunities that we have that will help benefit our students. Um we also work with Blue University. They bring um students to read and work with their students. We've had them in several times um throughout this year. Our local police department, they also come
014in. They've been at our school giving out pizza and popsicles and they come and had lunch with our students and we have a DARE program in our community now. So, we're excited to get that unless they come out and did a roll out, but they haven't received their books yet. So once they get their curriculum in, they'll be happy to miss their classes at our school. The kids always really look forward to the u police officers coming in. So especially when they um bring the dogs out. It's kind of cool. So we also have school-based mental health services at our school. We have a contract with Southern Highlands and um they provide a support staff that that comes in and does groups with our students. um helps with um a lot of different type of
015um resources for them. And we also have a therapist that comes to our school that can provide individual counseling for those who may need that. And um we also house um the a lot of the the um little league basketball teams and cheer teams. They'll utilize our school to to practice. And um so we've we're always looking for any other opportunities that we have to connect. The next is staff development. The staff at Bluefield Intermediate School are continuous learners. Um our staff attend monthly staff developments at the school level and county level. 11 members of our staff are currently in the letters program to help our struggling readers. This is a two-year process with active online sessions, assessments, and assignments that we complete. Many staff members are enrolled in continuing education classes at Concord University
016as well. We understand that when the staff develops, our students also develop. And that brings us to our conclusion. We thank you for your time. Um, improving test scores is not about a single program or initiative. It is about strong teaching, strategic use of data, collaboration, student ownership, a culture of high expectations, relationships, family engagement, and at Bluefield Intermediate School, we remain committed to continuous improvement and ensuring that every student achieves success. We thank you and appreciate your time and we will now take your questions. >> Board members questions. Somebody tell me more about the walk the intervention is you or anybody else walking where? >> So we basically go to different like teachers and they teach us different stuff about like what you need to work on. >> So depending on your need, you
017leave your class and go to another teacher that specializes in that. >> Okay. >> And we we classes up based on u their needs. So there's a group that may need particular numbers and operations or we may have a group that needs fractions or so we do it on a two week rotation. Two weeks we do math, two weeks we do reading and two weeks we do writing and then we switch back up. We see how they've done on their on their um assessments and then we do it back up again and see where they go because some may test out to a higher group and some may still need a little bit of work. Okay. Thank you, >> Chloe. Do you think a lot of the kids in your class enjoy doing this? Like
018I looked at your notebook. Everybody enjoys that. >> In my opinion, um I think a lot of people enjoy this. So, they can like go back to breakfast and just like they feel they just feel like excited because they have done so many amazing things to put in the right books and um they get a lot of joy from it. So I do think they're >> Do you think that that it kind of throws out some competition within with you and your classmates to you want to do better than Asher? I know you're not the same class, but you think promote some of that you know and it's not nanny I'm better than you are. It's just, you know, I'm up to here and I want I want to do a little bit more. Do
019you think that that helps with >> Do you think that helps with competition also? >> Um, with competition um not like I feel like there's not a lot of competition going on. Um, we have a choice if we want to share them with our classmates and if we do we can we But it's just the thing to just go back and look at and a lot of us um like we share certain things in our books. >> Um so we don't actually >> I got and it helps you. It helps you also. You can look back and see what you've done and how you're progressing. Yeah, it it helps me a lot because I can go back and I feel like excited. >> Good, >> Chloe. I really enjoyed your notebook also and I didn't
020see competition there. So, I'm glad you didn't take the bait and said that you were going to be competing, but I think there is a competition in that notebook. Do you think that just by putting things in a notebook, it's like looking in a mirror to you academically? Well, I mean, kind of gives you a view of how you're doing. >> Let's say you let's let me let me put a little if I love the attendance piece. As a former principal, if you could get our kids in school, a lot can happen. And when they're not in school, a lot doesn't happen. >> So, if you were to not be at school one day, and it probably wasn't for a very good reason, what color did you use if you were absent? >> Pink. I
021have a little trouble with colors, but Um, >> if you had two or three pinks there and you really thought in your head you should have been there, would that maybe thought you'd have thought about coloring that pink and thinking maybe I don't want to do that again? >> Well, so >> I didn't see a lot of pink on there. Am I right? There's a little more than I want there to be, but that good girl. >> I think that kind of answered your question. >> I think she's trying not to throw me. >> I'm guessing there might be an occasion that's happened. That's okay. Every now and then. Well, um, on September whenever I was um, as you saw the 8th through the 12th, I was >> Honey, you don't have to justify it.
022It's just, it's a, you know, we know, and Mark, Mr. Godfrey said it, if you're not in school, you can't learn. And that's extremely important for us. And it's obvious that they're creating an environment that makes you want to come to school and makes you want to learn. And I think that's, you know, >> I I really like this notebook idea. >> That's tanamount. >> I Where do you all store those? >> Um so we have a little shelf in our ship that has two of those. Um and we just we have them in order. >> Um and it's um one 25. >> Um and we all have designated spots to put our breakfast in. show >> not necessarily Chloe but is this done what grade levels are these notebooks done >> what >> three
023four and five >> and they're they're set out so that if visitors come through when they're doing the walkers or whatever they perform when they go through them as well >> Mr. Hodgees would impre appreciate those intrinsic rewards. Is that correct? >> Absolutely. >> There we go. >> Let me just beat that horse one. >> No, you didn't. >> It's a valuable life. >> What they're talking about. Every morning I get down the floor and I do core exercises. A few core exercises and there's mornings which I'm feeling a little bit lazy and I don't want to do it. I don't want to leave. I keep a record of it. I write it down. I don't want to leave those blanks empty. So, it's a motivation. Is some of this motivating for you? >> Oh,
024definitely. >> Especially with attendance. It encourage it encourage me encourages encourage >> encourages encourages me to come to school so I can >> I don't know. Just see how >> so you don't have pink spots. >> Okay. >> Thank you. So, great job, >> Chloe. Um, you think maybe you're competing with yourself. >> Um, >> it's like I got to do better than that. I'm going to do better than that. Next time around, I'm gonna do better than that. >> Especially Yes. Especially for some of my scorers. I definitely do want them to be higher with some of them. Um, so I do try to really have a like to get to my target. Again, like I said, with our schools, we We set a target for us and um have a little competition on
025this. >> How about you Asher? You compete with yourself? >> I figured as much. >> Asher Asher made a comment about having to improve certain things. I I wonder I'd like to wonder I'd like to wonder myself what he needs to improve on after these two's presentations. I mean, I just was knocked out of the park. Y'all did a great job. >> Yeah, we did. The the only other question I have is is how are we attacking absenteeism? What are we doing? >> I will tell you this has been probably the biggest this has been our hardest year. We've always had one of the best attendance in the county and the last two years has been a struggle. Um we we have some support to do some overall attendance and try to encourage all of
026our students with attendance teach attendance follow up with with parents when kids are absent. Um it's just been a struggle. We have some incentive programs um that sometimes seems to work but a lot of times the minute you know that we throw something out then eight kids in one class has a clue so you know it's just um it's been a struggle for >> what do you attribute that to Crystal? Do you have any you see any common issues that are making it absenteeism increase the past couple years? >> Um so we do have um you know I don't like back and blame for everything. But the reality is we have had a lot of challenges since then because we went from a um culture of you know we we live in an area where
027allergies are are high when spring hits if you live in this area you're going to have allergies. It's just it's the climate that we live in. And so we went from just dealing with their basic seasonal allergies to now it's a sniffle. Is it did is it said, you know, everybody stays home for everything. And so that is a challenge. That is a challenge that that didn't exist before. So, so, you know, trying to get back to some accountability. And that's the other big obstacle is that we lost a lot of accountability, personal accountability. We're trying to build that back with the kids trying to be accountable for their own like attendance, you know. So you look at it and um see how many days you've missed. We we've done we've put some calendars out
028to the the parents um you know try to to keep track of their students attendance. It's just um it is just um it has been a bigger challenge in the last couple of years but we're just going to keep on keep on trucking and doing the best that we can and I will of I had mentioned um I have these are some successes. Um I have had some students I I worked with a lot of these kids some even from back in primary school where I used to work at Memorial and White and so um but there are some of my fifth graders who have like been chronically absent since kindergart and they're doing great this year >> and I asked them what has because a lot of their life life circumstances haven't changed. Things
029are still kind of the same, but they've all told me I want to be here. That is the change. And so when they get to that point that they want to be at the school, then we start seeing. And that that's what we talk about. One of our one of our biggest things is building relationships with kids because when we have all of these circumstances that are out of control, when the kids want to be there, Anybody else? >> Thank you guys for coming. I can I can say that Gray loves his school. He loves being there. He's got good friends. There's a lot of really bright kids in that building. Um so, uh we're looking forward to good things. Thank you. All right. So, we'll slide over to Mountain Valley. I googled Mountain Valley
030the other day and you know there's like 10 or 12 of those in the United States and I'm like this is nuts. >> Thank you. So, I'm Teresa Will, principal of Mountain Valley Elementary, and we are here due to our CSI designation for the subgroup children with disabilities. The state refers to CSI's comprehensive support and improvement. But at Mountain Valley, based on the first standards for effective schools, our clear and focused mission will be to be a CSI school, but on our terms, which means to be creative, supportive, and impressive. With 264 students, 80% low SCES, and 32.58% receiving special ed services, we believe focusing on the standards of effective schools will keep us on the right track. Standard number two talks about instructional leadership and the staff assuming responsibility for overall academic success. You
031can tell by the fabulous group I have here tonight. Mountain Valley is full of leaders and one of the newest leaders to the Mountaineer family is Miss Amy Woridge. Hello. This is my first year at Mountain Valley and we learned in October that we were a CSI school. As a certified special education teacher, I feel I've seen major growth and progress within my students. Since last year's end of the year summit of assessment to this year's benchmark, 68% of my students have improved in reading and 89% have improved in math. CSI designation occurs by comparing scores three years apart, meaning our 2022 scores were compared to our 2025 scores to determine status. Interestingly, in 2022, all of our students with disability classrooms had a certified special education teacher. in 2025. However, those classroom lacked a
032certified teacher. With that being said, I feel my students have responded well with consistency and they continue to show improvement daily. And now I would like to pass it on to Tammy Cooper who will discuss standard six. Thank you. >> Good evening. In your notebooks tonight, you'll find a significant amount of data. Lots of data. I get a little overwhelming with it, but all of the data demonstrates frequent high quality student progress monitoring. While it is a lot to review, I truly hope you take some time to look through it because it tells a very important story about the progress being made at Mountain Valley. The data is under tab one and includes data from the West Virginia General Summit of Assessment. It includes the West Virginia General Summitive Assessment Benchmark, I Ready, and TOP
033score writing. giving us multiple measures of how our students are performing. As you go through the data, you will notice several key things. You'll see consistent growth on the West Virginia General Summit of Assessment for the past four years. You will see Mountain Valley's uh general assessment scores compared to their compared to ourselves as well as compared to the county and the state for each of those four years. You will see that our writing scores have been pulled out. So you can see that we targeted our writing and how it has helped our reading scores overall. You will also see the West Virginia General Summitive Summitive Assessment benchmark scores from the end of January. And then you will see data for students with disabilities. Most importantly, the long-term trend shows clear improvement. Our reading scores
034have improved 20% on the West Virginia General Summit of Assessment in four years. The state's goal is to improve 2% yearly and we improved 20%. In math, we improved 14% over four years. The state goal is 2.5%. Both of these gains are well above the state's expected rate for improvement. When you review the information, you will see that while Mountain Valley currently carries a CSI designation, that label does not fully capture the growth, progress, and success our students and staff have worked extremely hard to achieve. The data in front of you tells a story. So, to continue, our National Board teacher, Mrs. Christy Holland, will talk about standard number three, high expectations for success. with her designation as a CSI school, we received additional funding. Um, as a result, we are hoping to be approved
035to collaborate with Dr. Anderson from Branch Ed. This would allow us um and our teach this would provide our teachers with the opportunity to receive feedback and guidance on ways to improve instruction and student engagement. Um, in addition to this, we also developed a curriculum development team with representation from each of our grade levels in K through five. Um, together we analyzed our data and as a team we chose supplemental researchbased curriculum and materials that would address the deficits our data reflected in reading and math. The supplemental curriculum and materials that we have submitted for approval are listed and described in section two of your booklets. One choice we are very excited about is youth lab. This is a supplemental phonics program and will provide explicit evidence-based instruction that will um improve our students reading
036proficiency. We're super excited about this because the instructional routines um align with the strategies um being presented in our letters course. Um we also um submitted um Bridg's math intervention which was a program that was suggested at our CSI meeting in Morgantown and has proven successful in other counties for for providing hands-on researchbased math intervention. We are also um super excited to continue providing writing instruction to our students using top score writing and um Allison Holland is going to um tell you about top score. Hi, I'm Allison Holland. I'm a fourth grade teacher at Mountain Valley. Um something we are really proud of at Mountain Valley is our implementation of TOP score. We were the first school in the county to adopt it and one of the first in the state to adopt it into
037our um curriculum. Over the past three years, we have seen measurable improvement in um writing with our students and you can see that in tab one, page five and six in your booklet. Um during the first year of implementation, we h only had access to the uh program for three months. And we as a result we saw 71% of our students improve in their writing um on the general summitive assessment. During our second year of using top score 63% of the same group of students showed growth and even though it shows a decrease we went from accelerated remediation in that first year to higher levels of writing. So like organization, elaboration and um writing stamina. Um, this past year we have been able to offer top score for grades one through five and we are
038excited to expand the program to our kindergarteners next year. And now I will pass it over to Miss Teeman for standards four and seven. Good evening. I'm Jill Teeman, the new assistant principal at Mountain Valley. I'll be touching on standard four, positive and safe environment, and standard seven, family and community partnership. As a new member of the staff, I got to see firsthand just how exciting and welcoming that Mountain Valley was. The community loves our school and our school loves the community. We are very involved with the community and them coming into the school and us going out into the community. So, we know that we ask a lot of the community. So, we try to give back with things such as the I'll be home for Christmas campaign where we ended the club by
039caroling and collecting pet food at Walmart on one Saturday in December. And then that very next week, we went back to do what we called the Red Kettle Mountain Valley Power Hour campaign on a very cold Friday, might I add, in December to help the Salvation Army get more donations. You can see some examples of these pictures and other ways that we're involved in the community under tab three. As the new assistant, one thing that I look at is to help out with and often with is discipline. I'm proud that our suspension rates for the incidents have decreased by 71% since last year. We hope to continue to see those numbers stay as low. Now, I'm going to pass it back to Miss Will, who'll be talking about a few things that she's very passionate
040about, and she's going to hit on standard five, equitable opportunities to learn and effective instruction. So, we know instructional time must be utilized efficiently. But again, we have been very creative at Mountain Valley with what we refer to as set one and set two, but with set one, it's SS T. It's an acronym. And set one and then set two. So the first semester, it's the first social skills enrichment time where students had the opportunity to learn more about coding, design, math, writing, basketball, science, and chess. And they fell in love with chess. The students loved being able to choose which class they could participate in. And then the second semester, we switch it to specific skills enrichment time. So this is where we target specific skill skills for the child and then they get
041what they need. So instead of just going somewhere and they're doing whatever, we actually focus, analyze the data and put the kids where they need to go. We also offer after school clubs for our students in grades three, four, five. We have run, multicultural, Bible, book, robotics, basketball, and choir. We believe our clubs give students a sense of belonging to something. And again, something they can choose where they want to go. Um, we are excited again about branch ed. I see Dr. Anderson here and I had a lovely call with Dr. Anderson and the folks at branch ed. So, we're excited about bringing that into our school because we feel like that a lot of times is a missing piece in schools to get that extra um hands-on support. And finally, we have also budgeted
042for our school to get an amplification system. Uh this is something I used as a teacher. I was always amplified when I taught my class. Mr. Hodgees, you M. I remember. >> Yeah. So I used the amplification and then when we went to Indian Hill in Ohio, I noticed that the whole school had a schoolwide amplification system. In the state of Ohio, it is required in all schools now. So every school in Ohio has to have an amplification system. So, Amber Refe, she's not here today, I don't think, but Amber Refe and I traveled to Putnham County, Putnham County Scott Ta Elementary. They have a schoolwide amplification system. Loved it. Uh, Amber fell in love with it. I, again, I did, too. So, we're excited to be working with the same folks to get amplification
043if it's approved um in Mountain Valley. And so, as you can see, we are covering the standards to stay on track because we feel like if we cover the standards, we can get to where we need to be um with our CS uh designation. But I would be remiss not to point out a wonderful point of celebration for our school with our leader from Take Two Academy, Miss Haley Hinkens. >> Hey, I'm trying everything over here and it makes me think of Mountain Valley. Yeah. No, this is good cuz it really does make me think of the staff at Mountain Valley and how impressive everyone that I've ever encountered is. And speaking of impressive, we wanted to go out on a high note. Please don't put the slime on the mic. Um if you look
044at the second page of your book, you will find a certificate of achievement that was awarded to Mountain Valley um as exceeding standard performance in English language arts, which is phenomenal. And so, like she mentioned, the I and CSI for us is impressive. And so Miss Angie Neil is going to read the letter that the state superintendent wrote to us and she's gonna distract her. Dear Principal Will, on behalf of the West Virginia Board of Education and the West Virginia Department of Education, I am pleased to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Mountain Valley Elementary School for achieving the exceeds standards performance level in academic progress English language arts on the 2025 West Virginia balance scorecard. Your school's outstanding performance reflects the dedication of your educ educators, staff, students, and community. Reaching the exceeds standard distinction
045is a significant accomplishment and a testament to your commitment to excellence in education. We commend your leadership and the collective efforts that made this achievement possible. Please accept our sincere congratulations and best wishes for continued success. Warm regards, Michelle Blat, state superintendent of schools. >> Let's go, >> Mountaineers. >> Questions? >> All right, board members, questions. >> Yeah, you'll love this one. What is that amplification thing you're talking about? >> So, the amplification, so um the two board members that are familiar with it, when I taught and Dr. Anderson's familiar with it. She was my principal when I taught at Wakeorn, but I wore a headset and I had an amp in the back that allowed my voice to be amplified over the whole classroom because, you know, we often have students that will say,
046"I can't see the board." But how often do we have students that say, "I can't hear what you're saying back here on the back row." So, we know if they can't hear on the back row, they're going to be checked out. So, they're going to miss that instruction. So, it was um interesting to see when we went to Indian Indian Hill, they had it where you could hear all over the classroom. It didn't matter where you were standing and they wore it around their neck. So, it's come a long way. It's not an earpiece anymore, but um so they wear it around their neck and it's it's super cool. And so, we went to Putham County. They had the same thing. And Amber and I both went to the very back of the room. You
047could hear the instruction like you were sitting right up there at the smart TV. You could hear the teacher. Nobody was missing instruction. And what's um really neat about it too is it comes with a microphone. So when they were engaging students, the student could answer on a microphone. So all students could hear it. You could just hear everything. It was so nice. And because I do feel like a lot of times um students miss instruction, but also research shows that it helps with discipline. And because kids with ADHD are often brought back because they can hear the instruction. kids that can't hear are tuned out and that's when they're planning what they're going to do instead of instruction. So, it was really nice. But Putnham County, uh Scott Tay had a nice system. >>
048Explain to me a little about the the you said you improved in your writing assessment. Now, to me, writing is penmanship and I know that's not what it is, >> right? >> So, explain that a little bit if you could. >> I'm I'm glad we don't get graded on penmanship actually. Um so a lot of typing going on but um so writing what we use for writing and we started this in 2023 we use top score writing so it's a curriculum because the one thing about writing that we know if students can write that will improve reading math everything because writing is huge but writing is hard to teach but if you have a curriculum and we found top score in 2023 and what's interesting about that is we started top score the end of
049November in 2023 3 and unfortunately we suffered a major tragedy at Mountain Valley in December. So we switched from instruction to just consulting if you will. There was no it was we take care of students first, their feelings, their emotions and everything first. That was the same year we had to test in writing in March. So it was very difficult. We didn't know what we we get from it. So when we saw the gains and we were like this is incredible. This is something we have to keep. We are a title one school, so we were able to use title one money to purchase Top Score again the following year, but we're going to add more to it with the budget that we get from CSI. But TOP score, when we have visitors from the
050state come into our school, and we've had visitors because of our Take 2 Academy and other things, they go up on our top floor and look at the writing. They're like, "Are your kids writing it?" I mean, it's incredible the writing that they can do. But it's one of those things, and I don't like to use the word fidelity a lot, but I like to use consistency. You have to be consistent. You have to be dedicated in doing it. And our teachers knew that when we started it, if you did it and you implemented it and you could put that on your schedule for 30 minutes and just stay checked in and focused on it, now they all love it. So, even top score, we were really surprised with a visit. Um the top score
051folks from Florida came in and they were like every time we go somewhere we hear Mount Valley's the one that told them to do this or Mount Valley is the one that told them to do this. So they brought us some goodies like to use in our classroom which was really nice. But then I was going through my Facebook reels and I saw top score writing and I was like that looks like Mountain Valley and then I was like wait it is mountain belly. So Alison I was like those students look familiar and it was uh Alison Holland's class. So she is truly Allison Holland is a guru with top score writing. So it's it's nice. >> I'll have to come and see it. >> Yeah, please. Please. >> Okay, great. Yes. >> I'm interested
052to see. >> Sorry. The amplification system. I'm old school and I wonder sometimes if Hush old school educator, how about that? Um, I I'd like to see the amplific Well, the class modality, how your classes are set up and things, too. I guess what I'm saying. >> So, we don't have >> we used to move around the room and I guess that's how we got around amplification. And it sounds like are we tied to a device? >> I don't know if we are or not. So, what's really neat about this is um we don't have the schoolwide amplification system yet, but what we did do so and I'm not we had a classroom that we were having some discipline issues and we were like and I told the teacher I said please try amplification. Please
053try it. So, we did purchase her the same system that I used when I was a teacher and I don't remember the percentage >> the data. >> We had the data. We looked it up and I don't remember it. I went from, now this was a little bit of a rough class from like one write up per day average to like 0.2 >> and and the only thing you think you changed was her ability to hear. >> Absolutely. They couldn't hear. She was very self-spoken and so you know as a teacher when you get into a classroom that you feel like you have to compete. Um sometimes you add that little stress in the middle of your back. So that eliminated that for me and the behaviors when I used it at Whitethornne improved tremendously.
054Um and I knew that would work for her. So sometimes teachers are a little bit reluctant to try it. And once she did, she thanks me all the time. She's like, "That's the best thing." And I was like, "It truly is." But if you get it schoolwide, what's really neat about it, you just wear this mic around your neck. all the teachers would wear like a lanyard and then it just goes and it worked on their smart TV as well. So just whatever was played on their smart TV, I could hear it all the way in the back as well. And I went to several places in the classroom and Scott Case was super nice to allow us to come up there and do that. And honestly, it's worth it on a trip if you
055could ever go just to see it if you want to check it out. But we're really hoping that they will approve that on our budget to get it. But when you talk about amplification in these devices, even for secondary schools, they have upgraded ones where you can push a button and it's a security and it'll show where people are at in the building. So if you need help or assistance and so they really do they have really top-notch systems, that would be great. >> Is it wired through the uh talk? >> It is. You're exactly right. So the speakers right up there and again it's all wireless. So when I taught it was the headset which is what our teacher has but if we get the device it's all on there but they have different
056levels um of amplification. Yes. >> All right. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Other questions? >> Yeah. First a comment. When I went to see her years ago, White Thorn and she's amplified. It was more more than amplification. It was a Vegas show. It was song and dance and it was it was unbelievable. I have it on tape somewhere. I think I had that wrong. Um, but and and I hope this is not an insult, but I wish we I could have used amplification today. I would have heard y'all and understood you better if I had that. Jim asked a question. It helped me a good bit, but on the top score, can you give me an example? How does that work? What does it do? All I'm getting primarily is it teaches writing and
057it's good. >> I'm gonna pass it to Alison Holland. choose the top score. >> All right. All right. So, top score, it's very structured for every lesson. Um, it scaffolds the students really nicely into writing, so you're not just kind of throwing everything at them at once. Um, the outlines from grades 1 through five, I know for sure they're the same. So, they're seeing it in grades one, two, three, four, all the way till they get to me. Um, I've really seen a growth since they've had it, been exper or exposed to it. I guess I would have the second graders now from when we first had it. And they came to me, they already were familiar with the outline. So, we're not like starting over every time. We're just building on and on. Um,
058so then like a whole lesson, we're just talking about introductions. There's transition lessons. Um, we spend two or three weeks just on middle paragraphs. Um, so it really is just really kid-friendly and it scaffolds them really nicely and so we've seen a lot of improvement with it. What type of writing? >> Um, it has expository, narrative, informational, opinion. It has all four. So, >> and grade level. >> What grade level again? >> I'm fourth. >> Fourth. >> Yeah. But they also um we're going to do it with our kindergarteners next year. So, >> we have grades one through. the best the best professor way back in the day was one that really taught me to write and I'm a science person and it sounds like they may have taken him and put him into this
059program because that's exactly the kind of thing he broke it down and made it step by step so that a dummy from Moka could understand it but it was wonderful is Dr. Shrewsbury. I don't know if anybody here knows Dr. Shrewsbury. >> I was sick when you said that. He's going to talk me. >> He was he not He was the best I ever had. >> Thank god I had that when I taught AP history. >> One of the um I want to say something else about Top Score. One of the other things that's really good about it is it has PowerPoints that come with it. It has videos that come with it as well as PowerPoints, but it uses the exact vocabulary in every grade level. So what they hear in second grade, they
060hear the exact same thing in third grade. So every paragraph, you know, you have to have a hook, you have to have this, you have to have conclusion, and they hear it over and over and over. And um I know I taught second grade for years and years and years, and we would try to find cutesy graphic organizers to do with the so that they would connect them. But in this, it's a very structured outline and you use it every single time so that that when they see it, they know exactly what to do and it really makes a difference. But all the teachers are using the same vocabulary. We're using the same um routine to teach every to teach all the writing. Um, I like seeing the specifics about certified teachers because I think
061that's something that we all know the importance of but sometimes we don't talk about enough. So, what percentage of your staff is certified now and specifically special ed? >> So, 100%. So right now my uh children with disability they are service certified teachers but in 2025 >> we didn't have that. >> Yeah of course. Yeah. >> So unfortunately that was the year they are designated. >> Right. Well that's obviously a national issue especially in special ed and Crystal works hard to find them but they're not enough out there. Right. >> Well hopefully we've got some men there there in the back that might help us with that. Okay. >> Is that right Dr. Martin? >> That's right. And I love the pictures in the book. I love seeing the kids in action. So those are
062awesome. >> Thank you. >> So how are we doing on attendance and what are you doing about absenteeism? >> Well, first the current with attendance. I think many schools will understand we're going through flu season and it's a little touchy at the moment. We're getting through the illnesses and things like that. Um but prior to that we were doing fairly well. Um, I do want to say that, you know, we've built a community culture there. And I have found that I touch base. I touch base with them once that I notice a pattern. And I can think of two examples right off the top of my head where once I touch base with the parents, we brought them in for a meeting. Their attendance since then has been almost perfect. And if they aren't, they
063will stop me outside. I've had a parent stop me outside and say, you know, such and such is ill today. I had to keep him home. I just wanted you to know I've been stopped at 7:00 a.m. to let me know. Um, so we also have our nurse that tracks it to help make sure the illnesses um are that they're being tracked that way. Um, I do phone calls phone calls home. The counselor will also track it as well. She does phone calls as well as additional SAP meetings also the student assistance team meetings and we will do those for attendance as well. Um, the students also track their attendance in our data notebooks also. I came up with a sheet at the beginning of the year. I don't know what theirs looks like, but
064ours is um, basically the same in the sense if it's green, they're here. I think they might, it depends on the classroom teacher most likely, but they have specific colors. If they're here, if they're tardy even, um, and if they're absent. Um, the counselor works with students also one-on-one if they are having an attendance issue. And we do some incentives. We have some bracelets that we do monthly and we also crown royalty every nine weeks. >> What's the last thing? >> Bracelets. They're little bracelets that you get these little croc tabs. Just something fun for them to look forward to. >> Is is your primary cause of absenteeism illness? >> I would say most like at least right now. Definitely. for sure. >> Okay. All right. >> Anybody else? >> I have one more question.
065You might have answered it and I missed it, but back to top score again. I heard you talk about other school systems are being influenced by Mountain Valley. How about Mercer County? Has this spread across the county? >> Um, I know Mercer Elementary has started top score writing. Uh, I think another school reached out to me maybe. Oh, Bluefield Middle. Um I think they're doing top score elementary and Spanish. >> Have we offered inservice on this? >> Well, they're just using their title and funds to purchase these elevator. >> They got to have some money first. Okay. >> But what's awesome about it is Top Score has lots of videos on their site. So you if you have a question, you go on there, there's probably a video that you can watch. it's going to
066tell you. They do monthly meetings that you can watch that are 30 minutes. Um, and so like I I watch them some sometimes during the month. They send us videos all the time that might help. I just got one about teaching writing in 15 minutes for first and second grade. Um, and they also constantly will tell you if you have a question, email us. And so I know they called me during all those snow days. um they called me and I told them about what was going on at our school and they gave me suggestions and sent me some stuff to work with. So it's a very good company to work work with. >> Anybody else? >> The only other thing I want to add just quickly um I do want to thank Tom Atkins.
067I saw him sitting here and some of you talked about it and you know that we held our first AAU tournament all weekend long uh Saturday and Sunday. So, thanks to my crew. These people worked all weekend. Um I put in 30 hours I think between Saturday and Sunday. But when I called Tom Atkins, we got a scoreboard finally. It's taken us six years. We got a scoreboard at Mount Valley finally. And I called Tom and I said, "It's here." I said, "It's gonna be here Friday at noon. Can you get it up?" His first. He came back to me and said, "No." Then he came back to me. He said, "You know what? I'm not going to give you a hard no. Let me see what I can do." And we had that scoreboard
068up for our first game that started at 800 a.m. on Saturday. And the games ran from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. They started back at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday and ran to 7:30 p.m. And what we didn't realize is we were going to lose an hour of sleep. Yeah. Not good. >> You never find so much Gatorade. Every muscle hurts. I kid. I mean, I don't even know how we're here tonight to be honest with you, but we're here. So, we're really proud that our school was able to do that because we had so many people come. >> So, uh we appreciate baseballs coming and updating us on what's going on. We're going to take a brief recess because we know that you've had a long day. You've worked all day. You want
069to go home. So, >> play basketball all weekend. got home. back in session. Uh, superintendent's opening remarks. >> Yes, President Prudich, I just want to let you all know we have administrators meeting Thursday at 8:30 here at the seminar center. Uh, also we scheduled a student discipline uh um hearing at 1:00 at the central office conference room. We have the service of the year banquet on Tuesday, March 17th at the Chuck Mthena Center at 6:00 pm. And also I have an update of our data wall that uh Dr. Bowling is going to present to you and I think you have a copy of that, but uh that's updated for March 2026. So I want to go over that with real quick with you all. Go ahead. Dr. Bowling. So, we typically give you these midyear
070and then a final one at the end of the year. Um, but in your little PowerPoint that I've created, it has the I Ready um for English and math K6 with their where they are red, yellow, and green. And then in the parentheses is the change if they grew or if um they dropped. And on some of them, you want a negative, like the reds, you want to see that number go down. Um, the next one, it just has those same things broken down by the schools. Um, the first set is K through five, English, language, arts, and then, um, Dr. Atkins had been looking, um, recently and realized the kindergarten domains are kind of different. Um, so we specifically pulled those out. um they don't have the red option because there's not two grade
071levels below where they're kindergarten. Um so we did put those out separate for you all for kindergarten. Um then you've got the math I already by school and their domains for math. Um we also have the 6 through 8 I Ready in English and math. um, Mastery Prep with their the district composite score from the first time they took it in September, September to October. And then they took it again um, December to January was the second time that they took those. And you can see there's really good growth on that master prep. Um, we've got our dual credit numbers and these are the credits that were earned at the different schools. Um, we pulled MCTech out separately. So, the ones at the high schools are the ones that they actually get there and not
072anything that they've done here. Um, of course, the GSA comparisons, their percentage growth and our placement overall for English, math, and science. Um, the promise, we do not have the updated yet. That one typically comes in the end of the year update and you'll have the 2026 change for the promise. Um, I've included the school digger um, and the niche for both elementary and high and middle, the secondary schools. Those are all in there. And the negative is the placement change from last year. Um we have our personnel numbers from last year to this year as well as the professional over and service over um listed there. Um we have the chronic chronic attendance rates. Um we did get six month today but I did not wasn't able to get it in the PowerPoint but
073we do have it. Um we are making great strides in getting to the goal for the chronic absenteeism. Um the next one we did a student enrollment. Um Leslie really helped us get this number down. It shows our attendance from school year 23 all the way up to school year 26. How many we've lost from the previous year, but it also shows what that loss is in funding. how much funding we lost because of those student that student enrollment decrease. Um and then we've shown how those students have been withdrawn whether it was hope or um homeschool and the numbers um in the last two years. Um just some positive news is we did get the school school building authority grant for Mick Tech that is in there. Um, we've got the Jason Learning Argonauts
074will be going to Houston. The um application is still out. When's it due? >> They extended. >> They did. I thought they did. So, but we will have three hopefully three going. Um, robotics will have an update soon. They're wrapping that up now. So, we'll get that new update. And then just some um positive things there on the last few pages. um just some different shoutouts. And then there's a separate sheet that was not added into your PowerPoint, but it goes with it is um something Mr. Murphy um and I have been working on is the monthly vape detections in the schools. um it shows from January to February um how many vape detections at the different locations and that is something I know that we're really working on and hoping to decrease. So, we've
075got some data to show that. If you have any questions, I'm sorry >> first year this year. >> So that can I do you want me to jump in? >> Sure. We are funded based upon the enrollment we have in our school system from one year to the next. We're basically on a one-year lag. So, as you can see in the enrollment numbers over the past several years, since 24, we've lost about 600 kids in that time frame. We lost 325 from last year to this year. So, our funding will be reduced by approximately $2 million from this year to next year. The state funds on various criteria, whether it's elementary, the number of students, they give us an average. They do not allow if we have a class size that's nine students, whether we
076have a class size that's 24 students. So, all of that is based on the funding formula from the state. What that this says is that in 2425 we had,264 employees funded through the state formula. That is only a 200day contract. They do not fund anything for those employees who work year round. Again, it does not dictate. Some of our smaller schools have much smaller classrooms, so they that does not take that into account. We have to fund that through our county access levy. The reduction in enrollment is what resulted in the state funding us less $2 million for next year because our enrollment has dropped so much. We have to fund $2 million worth of cuts. They basically give you a year to do that. This year has been our transition year. We had the
077extra funding this year. It will be reduced for next year. So this is over formula. When we say over, that's what that the state issues this. This is not us. The state issues that every year. We just received those comps. They're they're called comps. And this is what it results in. We're over 85 in service and 10 in professionals. >> That is due because we have less students to educate. We have less students to feed. We have less students to clean up after. We have less students to do everything with. Some jobs do not change whether we have fewer students or not. This is directly school-based. >> Anybody else? Crystal may have some >> follow the amount of first grade, second grade, third grade 20 plus um jobs for each grade level. And so you
078can't dismiss the fact that we've added service personnel because of the the legislative um laws that they have put into place. >> They mandated it, but it's an unfunded lot. It's unfunded. They're not giving any additional funding to make up for that. We have to figure out where to find it. >> They they did give us funding. >> They did. >> Yes. But that's why our total personnel head count has not dropped in the same proportion. Because while we were over formula last year, well actually we were over formula, our headcount still continues to go up because they funded us for those positions. We've had additional jobs. They just went from one category to another >> and the 261 employees count as an employee and a half >> basically. Yes. 61 day. They get 200
079200. We're funded for 200. Again, some positions are not funded, such as many in the central office already. The state does not give us funding for that. That comes from our regular um levy. We take that from county funds. >> Okay. Anybody else? Thank you for the information. It's very helpful. >> Mark still. >> I will have to have I will have to have remediation, I think, with Chris, too. Okay. >> Okay. >> And the vaping alarms are going down. U that's a pretty good jump down. We'll we'll keep we'll keep it up and we'll figure it out. >> I the question I had just I know we see the results of some of that vaping, but I'm sure the some of the vaping is probably trying to see if we have u nicotine. >>
080Yeah. >> Okay. All right. So, now we're going to go into uh citizens input. And we've got quite a bit. So, let me tell you what policy says about citizens input. And that is that you have three minutes. Everybody has three minutes to speak. We ask that you not personally identify people because it can get you in trouble and them in trouble. It's better to just give us generic information so we can understand what's going on. Um because of liel and slander laws, you could find yourself in trouble. So, avoid that if you can. uh tell us what you think because you're not on the agenda. We cannot respond to you under the open meetings act, but that doesn't mean we're ignoring you. We will look into whatever it is you're bringing to our attention.
081Um so with that, we'll stop with start with Dr. Darren Martin, the president of Bluefield State University. And if you could come up here to the the podium, we'd appreciate it. Hello. Thank you all for having us today. Um, I want to share some an opportunity that I think we have to partner. Do you remember back in the old days when you received an A or B or an AB honor row and you took your report card to Pizza Hut and you got a free personal pan pizza? >> Oh, yes. >> All right. That's what we're trying to partner with you all to do today. I uh spoke with Burkard Herbert Bank to ask if they would be willing to partner with Bluefield State and Mercer County Schools and we're kind of started brainstorming what
082we could do and we we're near the final stages and want to share with you the uh Superintendent Tobin said please come and share with the board. What we're proposing is I know that he recognizes students on the AB honor roll with a postcard or a letter each each grading period. Burken Herbert would be willing for the elementary school students to if they they take it into their bank, they would post their name up like on a on a some kind of sticker of like a puppy dog. Our our mascot is blue a dog or greyhound or great day rather. We would post that up with their names on it and then they would be entered into a drawing to receive $500 by the end at the end of the year. Elementary school students, the
083middle and high school students would receive $5 each grading period for being on the AP honor roll, which would go into their bank account. They are not the county school system was not will not share any information with Burkham Herbert or group state. It would be up to the parent and and uh the student to go in to share that information. Burken Herbert also already or as they're in other locations which they want to do here in this area is they do financial literacy with public ed public school students talking about how to save money and the importance of saving money and credit cards and all that. They're already going to probably be reaching out to local the local schools to ask can they come in and share that doing some kind of PD with
084teachers and students but that's another part they want to be a community partner as well. What Bluepool State will do is we will maybe buy t-shirts for people that want to enter like the puppy club or whatever we call it. We haven't determined the name yet. I don't but we will develop t-shirts and then they will receive a t-shirt and then occasionally at different sporting events we will allow them to come for free. So, and then we would post, we wouldn't post their name and things on the internet on the on our website, but we would have information about what we're doing in the whole partnership that we would have with the three the three entities and and and the reason the reason the reason superintendent wanted us to bring this to your attention is
085uh with him being on the board of governors and Mr. Price who works for Burken Herbert being on the board of governors. He wanted to make sure that we weren't crossing any lines and uh we wrote to the ethics commission and they said as long as Mercer County is not pushing Burken Herbert Bank and as long as we're not sharing names and no entity is the individual student and parent would be the ones that would go out to the bank and they're not required. They don't want to do it. They don't have to. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. We appreciate it. >> Any questions? >> We were not allowed to ask questions. >> Okay. People usually ask questions. >> Well, >> again, the the So, so I can explain it that the and
086you're aware of the Open Meetings Act. When we have an open meetings act, we can only act on things that are actually on the agenda. So during public comment, since these things are are coming in that day and they're not on the agenda, we can't answer questions or discuss or act because it may be something we act on in the future. And that's a violation of the Open Meetings Act. >> So we try to follow the law because school boards get in a lot of trouble when they don't do what they're supposed to. >> That's exactly right. >> Thank you all. >> Thank you. >> All right, Sandra Dorsy. I'm Senator Dorsy and I am a retired magistrate and I have this idea. Follow the law. You know that we have um flunked 8% of
087our CPS intakes and everything. And a lot of it is because people aren't being educated to follow the law. Um, there's something called domest DL like dangerous or thousy assessment guide that is the law and everybody in the community that has to deal with children if there's domestic violence there are certain things they're supposed to do and they haven't been educated. So, I'm going to educate people. Um, I am in advanced strangulation class. And the most dangerous people that you guys have in your schools are the young men that are strangling their girlfriends. Um, when a man strangles a woman, he is likely to shoot up your schools. So, it's pretty important that we learn about strangulation. Terrorism. they're more likely to shoot our police officers. So, it's not just what's going on behind closed
088doors. I have some um forms or little cards that I want everybody to have in this state so you can recognize strangulation. You can have a stroke. You can have a heart attack within 10 seconds. You can kill somebody when you're strangling them by cutting off the oxygen. Either it's going up and you can get what's called pikia. It kills your kids' brain cells. And social work, the social uh media is teaching our kids that the boys need to strangle the girls while they're in the middle of intimate relations. It is killing their brain. literally killing their brain. It's shrinking their brain. They cannot learn as well. They cannot remember when they've been strangled. And you cannot give permission to break the law. It's called attempted murder. Strangulation is attempted murder. So, since I've discovered
089that people don't know about DAG, and I gave one to um a book to Mr. Tolman and if you want to know whether a man is dangerous that is strangling people in the back of the book is very simple yes no questions or I don't know if there's a lot of yes you've got a very dangerous young man in your school and it's sad that we're not following the law I'm one of these people just follow the law and if you don't follow the law I know it's not you guys, but if you don't follow the law, the people that are supposed to be doing leth uh D-lag, the feds have called me already. >> It's my three three minutes. So, anyway, get my get my information so you know the dangerousness. >> Thank you,
090Andrea Brown. She may have left. >> Oh, she's here. Okay. Apologies. I don't have no voice. Traveling very actually emotional. Um I'm here because of school bullying and harassment. Um my daughter basically got assaulted at school. school might look at it as a fight. It was not a fight. It was an assault because anyone that gets um basically girl had time to grow up your sleeves, put a hair in a ponytail, tell everybody in her classroom to come out to record and look at the fight assault. Um and she went all the way back, pictures, videos, everything. all the way back. Hit my baby in the head temple once. You see it on the video. She stumbles back. She's stunning. You know, I'm trying to make my voice. This is my baby. Okay. This is
091my baby that got assaulted at school. And she not just got hit with, but she got hit with four times. She was trying to get away. The video shows that she was trying to get away in the school hallway. Okay. All the doors are shut. Nobody's out there except for the the the the students that the girl told to come out there. She stalking her all day long from downstairs to upstairs. And I think there needs to be some change. There needs to be some change in the school system. Um I was upset at first. I'm still upset, but at the same time, I really want to work together with the school system. I have over 200 signatures here. People want change. Okay. People don't want that child assaulted at school and get suspended the
092same amount of time that everybody that the person that assaults them did. Where's justice at? I mean, my baby literally got hit five times in the head before she actually was able to do anything. You know, how is that how is that right? She even suspended. I mean, like you once might have been. >> Okay. I believe that we need some training for teachers, for principles, for staff members, trauma, bullying, cyber bullying. It's in what's it's on a cyber it's it's on Snapchat. Um and um basically one of the students was really nice and slowmo the whole thing. So you can see every single time they hit my baby in the head. You can see every single you can hear every single blow they're put into my baby's head. This is not right. This is
093not fair. This is not justice. And I'm asking you, I've been calling board of education. I've been going to the principal's office. I've gone to every place that I can think of to try to get some change. Okay? So, I'm trying to work with everybody so that we can make some changes because no child should be afraid to go to school. School is not a fighting ground, right? We're supposed to be learning. And guess what? My baby goes back to school and the girl is still bullying her. Anything been being done about that? No. I know you guys don't know about this. Like I said, I'm not being disrespectful. I'm just saying I want somebody to call me, please. My name is Andrea Brown so that we can have a meeting. 3049220622. I need somebody
094to please call me because I'm concerned about my baby. She should not have to go through this. No child should have to go through this. None of your children, none of these children parents should have to worry the way I'm woring. Ever since my got the traumatic brain injury, do you understand? She can't hardly remember things because this girl was sold her at school and she's back at the same school with my baby. And then we find out, oh, she got $20 to beat up my daughter and and she's rubbing this in my daughter's face. How is she supposed to learn? My daughter has a 504. How was she supposed to learn, you know, with a 504 and the bully still bullying her, you know, can we please work together? Thank you. >> Thank you.
095I got three minutes. >> Your turn. >> All right. Pardon me for not getting names right because my name's never said right. So I'm sensitive to it. But Angie Angie Gina Brown. >> Oh, what's my book? >> She said track. >> Well, we don't normally do it that way. I did it. to you guys or >> you talk to whoever you want to, darling. >> So, um, >> just don't say anybody's names, okay? >> Okay, >> we'll figure that out. This isn't really about bullying to me or like anybody in particular, but mine is about the school lunches because they say that they're trying to get students to eat healthier, which I totally understand that and I know that the school has a budget, but every time I walk into like the the lunch, it's
096like there's grease everywhere. And when I eat something, there's usually grease dripping out of it. And I know that that's really healthy for me. And we can't really pack. Is this better? >> You're fine. >> And we can't really pack lunches at home because not all of us have a lot of money. And I know that the school has a budget. I'm sure that we can like find something to like maybe balance that out with lunches and everything. >> When you're finished it, would you when you're finished, you finished. Okay. You just decide what you want to say. I just really think the school lunches can do a little bit better because I know that there's a budget, but I'm sure it never can like really be up to the standards because there's always grease
097dripping out of stuff. And then one time my um fan found something inside his lunch, like a little ball. It was like a metal ball, but that was a few years ago. I don't know what that was really. And I just want to like try to like make it healthier because also we have sports and we can't really pack anything because not all of us have that many that much money. >> So I didn't really prepare this. >> That's all right. >> I think I'm done. >> Doing fine. >> Are you finished? >> I think so. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Thank you for your comments. You did a good job. >> All right. I'm gonna try again. Andana Edwards. >> Hi. Um, my name is Freddy on Edwards and I just wanted to say that
098um incident that has happened to me. Um, the different things I witnessed. I just wanted to say if you're supposed to have a close friend and your friend comes to you and they say, "I just watched it and she was the one that caused the problem." I think bullying is just needs to stop because I don't see what's the purpose of it because what if one person's feeling a certain way that person bullies them and then that happens and then all this confusion and then it sticks to you for the rest of your life because some people just don't know how to let go something and like they just pick on you for the rest of your life for it and then later on they bring it up. They're like, "Oh, do you want this
099happen again?" and you know you kind of got beat up and stuff like that's not really necessary. You should care for that person who got beat up because if you know the whole story you would shush and don't say anything because you don't understand how that person felt in that situation. >> Thank you >> Emma. What about college? Hi, can you hear me? My name is Emma Kate and I just wanted to come before you all to say that, you know, unfortunately bullying is a national problem that does occur, but the punishment should not be the same for both students, especially for the victim that's involved. Um, as for this reason, all schools should utilize cameras, more hall monitors, and other ways to find out what students are directly involved. And I stress again that
100the punishment should not be the same for the victim as it is for the attacker. As Judge Dorsey stated when she spoke about the outcome of these types of acts, it just results in worse scenarios. As these people, as these students are getting older, they just get more involved in other things, worse things, worse situations, attacking, violence, uh, uh, strangulations. they just it just kind of goes along with their lifestyle from the way they were when they went into school because they didn't get the counseling, the help or whatever assistance they may need. So, I really definitely uh concur with her and I agree with her and I support her. Um, also as a community, we need to make changes to protect their children, you know, because we send our kids to school not to
101fight, not to be bullied and not to be harassed. They should be protected when they're in schools. And obviously this is not happening at the rate that I think it should. And I don't want to say if this was your child, what would you do? I know what you would do. You would feel the same way. And I'm not saying that you're not doing all you can. But we need to do more to make sure these kids are protected and to cut down on the bullying and to think about, well, this person is being attacked. Are they supposed to just sit there and let somebody beat up on them because I don't want to get suspended from school while they get beat up on? They have to defend themselves the best way they know how,
102which is to push back or it seems like they might be involved in the fight, but then they need to be sit down and talked with the parents and the students and the teachers and this needs to be resolved so that we can better protect our children who we send to school to learn and not to be bullied and fought and how can they get an education in that type of environment. So, I appreciate you all listening and hope we can work together to get this resolved. Thank you, >> Emma. >> Oh, okay. >> There's another >> Well, there's another Emma. There's another Emma on here. >> Not here. Okay, Tammy. long time >> or you want to really look good and I'm going to talk about positive reinforcement. >> Okay. So my daughter was
103medical homebound from fifth grade all the way over with Mona Lester from fifth grade to 12th grade and you took over from Dyno. So you all need to understand special education department at your administration is really the life support for these kids self-esteem their intellectual growth their psychological learning how to go into the big dumpster dive and come out with a resolution. Now, while my child was going to high school, they had team Tatum because my child's older now. But the thing about it is my kid was in medical hometown now. She did every single thing from fifth grade to 12th grade. She graduated 25th at Pike View. But that wasn't because of her. It was because of team support to give a safety plan to give her lack of stimulation with noise. So when
104she had her anxiety attacks, she wasn't judged. She was brought in half a day in high school to the classes where you had kids who had attention deficit, which she had attention deficit. You have kids who have asberers or more than likely you have parents who don't have computers, they don't have technology. Thank goodness you all invested into these PowerPoints on these screens because these kids are all tech support. But my daughter today is a byproduct of Mercer County with the special education with all of the people that were involved, which is what you want is unity, education, resolution, but you want them to be successful citizens with an education of how to survive hardships. That's what I was here to talk about, positivity. >> Thank you. >> All right. Rick Grant. My name's Rick
105Graham. I'm a bus driver in the Princeton area. And two episodes I want to talk about. First one, u I dropped a girl off. First ride up. I turned around. Dad come to my bus. She's going to effing kill me. All this and that everything. So had kids on the bus. I dropped them, called my supervisor. He tells me, "I can't get into that. You're on your own if you want to do anything." I called Home Acre Street. His supervisor told me the same thing. I had to be with him. You're on your own. I said, "Well, I'm telling you now, something about this guy is different." I go to the magistrate get restrained order trooper. He said that guy sounds familiar. He checks it. Oh, I remember now him and his brother several years
106before had beat up a state trooper. So I was right about that. So the other day the episode at the high school that kind of started on my bus had a girl wanted to move out the front seat and I wouldn't let her. She gets on her phone speaker phone holds it up to my head. Mom's cussing me out. So, I'm headed to the high school. Dad gets on. He's gonna do this, do that. So, I called because I felt like this was getting out of hand and I'm in the middle of it. I think I got a pretty good deal for it. So, I called and I said, "Call the police and have to high school." Well, bus garage over. He said, "We don't need the police." How they know that and they're not
107on the bus? I don't know. Well, sure enough, I was right. We got the high school and Missy Cleland going to fight for her life. I mean, she had hardly no support. The sequence come out and try to help her as best she could. I bet they fought for 20 25 minutes and police got there and that guy I never seen that strong they could do no with. And policeman called me home that night and said, "Uh, we like never got a handle on him." But, uh, I tell you how they could override me. And I'm not one to ban him. I mean, something worse than that. How do you ever ride a bus ride and he's in the middle of it? So, so what I really got to say about that, I think we
108empower parents too much. They should not be able to act like that and I shouldn't be on my own. I think we should take them to task and any charge we can bring, anything we can bring, we need to do it and then other parents will hear about it. I think some of that go away because any principal teachers can tell you stories about parents. I've been cussed out a couple times this year kids. Then I found out the other day that one got cut out. So they're not allowed in school no more. They got some kind of on property. I think when they get tested, you don't run from it. I think you got to embrace it. It's an opportunity to show them that you don't like I don't like to run from it.
109You got to work with it. They did a favor. Do something about it. >> Thank you. >> All right. >> So, we will look into all of those things and discuss them and see what we can do to help fix the situations. We're going to move on with our next part of the agenda which is policy school support accountability. >> Mr. Mitchell, do you want to start on 2322 or Dr. Atkins? >> Yes. Um >> Amber provided the information that we have that's most up to date on our data wall and we're getting data all the time because we're still doing things. We held four MA boot camps last week with the high school students who came here to the tech center. Um and um the mastery prep boot camp rep came in and and
110did the activities with them. It was very good. They had a lot of good participation. The students were very engaged. Um so it it was it was a positive thing for us to have had. Um we also are looking at a couple of different things. We're looking at a at a company called Intellis Park and they work with graduation rates and attendance and chronic absences. Um they're they're pricey and we've when I say we, the principles and I have done teams meetings with the gentleman that's over Ken Rman, but um we have been able to work with him. Mike Collins is very aware of the program because he's got some buddies that use it up in Wheeling and then I think up in Faget County now where they're using it, but they it is a
111good program to work with it. It uh works directly with Weeus. So if a kid's out, it identifies that kid. It's not a matter of one know if we put it in schooly or we put it here, we put it there. Um, it also keeps up with the discipline so that it tracks, you know, how what how many times a student has been in trouble for a specific thing. Um, it's there's several variables to it, but he says pick two or three that you want to look at at first. So, we were looking of course at the attendance and then again at the discipline and things that we can do to keep the kids in school because that affects the attendance. Um and so what we have looked at um MCTech and uh Bluefeld High
112School would like to pilot that program. Uh Danielle has she's back there and I won't speak for her. I'll let her speak, but she has some funding that we could use to pilot it this year so that we didn't have to try to ask for anything else from our funds in the county. Um and it would be for Bluefield High School and MCTech. And so we'll see how they do with it. And if they do well with it in the next year, then we want to consider looking at it for the whole county. If it's a good thing, if it's not, then we won't move forward with it. But we are hoping to be able to pilot that um with with her going through the CTE programs to be able to get our funding for
113it. And the reason we did those two schools, one is Mike is who actually brought it to us because he was familiar with it and and he was impressed with what they were doing. But then MCTech because they have all four high schools and you can look at kids from each school and we've got some that way if we're not doing all the schools at one time because he first quoted us 13,000 for the year for um McTfield High School but he today said he could do it for 105. So I have not talked to Danielle again this afternoon but she was going to check into a purchase order. So, I'll let you if you want to jump in and tell them anything other than we've done the purchase order. >> Yeah. So, the program
114is really a communication tool between teachers, principles, counselors. Um, for us, we don't have a lot of the resources that the home schools have. We don't have a counselor. We don't have a social worker. So when we have conversations with students, it's a way that we can get that information to the homeschool. The home school can see, okay, MCT met with this student about their attendance. I'm going to meet with them, too. And then we're both on the same page. We're sharing that student, and then we have a complete view of what's going on. Right now, it's kind of Bluefield might do one thing, we do one thing, and then if Mike and I have a chance to meet up and talk, then that's wonderful. But it's a way to keep us all on the
115same page and get the whole picture of the student. It also integrates some mental health aspects that are really cool. The students take like a career interest survey. Um it asks them questions about what's your best moment, what's your, you know, what's the the best moment you've ever had in school. So, if I look up a kid and I'm meeting with a kid, they're having a hard time and I'm trying to have a conversation with them, I can see, oh, they said their favorite moment was whatever, then that's something that I can bond with that student over. We can talk about it and it tries to give you an end to just open the student up a little bit. >> Um, there's there's healthy healthy choice they can go on. There's mental health. >> There's
116aspects with vaping. There's some financial literacy on it. Um just just tools for teachers, counselors, principles. Willing Park is using it. They're a a much larger school than what Mike and I have, but you know, just the just the feedback that they gave um specifically centered around just looking at the whole child instead of just looking at grades or just looking at attendance, you can see everything in one platform and everybody can share it. Um, and just the communication tool back and forth was really kind of what where we wanted to try it for. So it's mainly for communication, not for corrective actions, >> right? >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> So that's our hope with with her. >> It it I'm sorry, I don't want to catch up. >> It sends flags, too, which was
117really nice. Um for us at MCT because if a kid missed two days in a row, it automatically sent an email >> to whoever you designate for attendance. So like for us, we talked about that going to Freddy. So after a student missed two days in a row, Freddy gets an email that gives him a call. Hey, I need to call home. Like figure out what's going on with that kid. So that part would be really nice for us as well. >> Will there be some coordination countywide for what you do with that information on the back end? Like what Danielle was just saying, like if somebody's out for two days, will everybody go to truency for a call or what? No, it it's each individual student can be looked at separately. And of course
118with the tech center, what they would do is contact the high school to say, "Hey, can we pull your social worker in and talk to this child about this?" Whatever. We can do a tracking so that we can see how it's impacting graduation rate, you know, over the next year. Did we do activities that kept the kids in school? Um, it has there's a way to communicate with parents so that you can look at kids who are wanting to quit and parents are at home frustrated and not knowing what to do. It gives them some tips on, you know, call the school and talk about this or schedule a conference. And, you know, a lot of times with our parents, it's just they're not informed. They don't know what to do. So, >> it it
119sounds very very promising and exciting to use with the school systems that we know that are using it. um Putnham County um Wheeling Park is using it there and then in Faget County they've taken it on now and I think Kebell Huntington >> the person that I talked to was Faget County um and their CTD director uses it um they use it countywide so he has all of the schools that come to Fyet and I think there are five of them don't quote me on that but uh he said it was really good to keep communication with the schools regarding the kids who stay with him all day like option pathway kids um and their JOTC is there all day and they share them with OILL. So he said that that part was really nice,
120the communication tool because sometimes those kids don't go back to the home schools. The teachers or the counselors, the principles there don't know what's going on with that kid. They can just get in, look, they can see everything that he's done and logged and then if that kid comes back or something happens, they have that to go by instead of starting from scratch. So, >> and I did get Danielle and Mike both to do some calling on their own and talking to these people so that they could hear it directly from the people that are using it and specific questions they might have. You know, that how has this impacted you also? We, you know, we want to try it and see if it's something that will help us with not just attendance but you
121know umbrella everything from graduation rate to um the mental health aspect of it. um school wellness. I think it I mean >> and it's really nothing it's nothing for students. It's really >> it's for it's for >> it's really for communication between employees, making things easier, making things more streamlined and consistent. Um as far as the student side of it, they'll reap the benefits of it, but they won't there won't be anything that they have to do. There's no program they log on or anything like that. It's really >> I'm all for more information and better communication, but I think the key has to be what's going to happen with that information once it's accumulate. So, I wouldn't lose track of that. I wouldn't lose sight of that part. I mean, obviously putting the whole
122picture together is going to be helpful, but there has to be a plan of what to do with that once it's accumulated. That's going to be the key. The information is not the key. The what you do with it is the key. So, >> absolutely. >> I'd be interested in hearing more about what the plan is for that. But >> is this something you are going to share with Russell? >> Yes. Well, and Russell's been he and Mandy both have been involved in it to some degree when we first started talking about it and then we got into the let's explore it and that's where Mr. Collins and Dr. Farmer started going about talking to people and questioning at the other school systems that were using it. So we thought, well, if we pilot it
123and she could have the funding for us to be able to do that, it would give us at least a starting point and we can see if it looks promising or encouraging. And like Justinda said, we need to, you know, we'll have to track it to see if it would be at all what we're looking for. Um, another thing that we have going in secondary right now is with Jason, our Jason learning program, and we've been looking at, you know, who's using it and and how effective it is. and secondary seems to be using it far more than the elementary, but they they are using it. The TISS like it. Um, and we have been asked to be part of a collaboration with Jason Learning. Danielle really is um it would affect the tech center
124more than anything right now with the dual credit classes and we had been meeting via teams and then in a personal visit uh with Dr. Molly, who's the CEO of of Jason Learning and what it would give us I'm going to let Danielle explain to you what what the offer is. But what it does for us is it if we because we would be the first school in the nation to be piloting this and taking this collaboration if we do it they will give us money and that money can fund part of the Jason program without having to fund it all like we are right now. So I mean it would be a good thing but you did you talk to her this afternoon? Yeah. >> So, I'll let you share that. >> So, the
125Jason team reached out. They're interested in taking CTE curriculum to places that don't have infrastructure like Africa. >> Um they're looking at putting CTE curriculum online for like carpentry, HVAC technician, um programs that we have. So students would work towards like an OSHA 10 credential or um I'm trying to think yeah NCCR credentials any of the credentials that our students can get in person. Um this curriculum would give people in remote locations the ability to do that. Mercer County schools wouldn't really have to do anything with it. What they need from us at MCTech is help with getting the tiles set up. And then once they have the tiles set up, they're going to sell them to companies that are there. We make $50 off of it. They make $50 off of it. Um >>
126for each student that participates and so that fee could be then used to offset, you know, whatever cost we occur. at some point we could get anything. The thing is right now that we did is we did Thank you. we did ask for anou so we would have something to look at and Danielle got thatou and sent it to Adam Caner at the state department who's over CTE. He gave us his okay on it and sent it back. Um I am going to call Jason. We just found that out today. So, I'm going to call Jason Long tomorrow and ask him to also look at it and then we'll bring it back to you guys um to see if it's something we want to to look at and you all want to take a look
127at maybe approving it for us to be able to to try it out. Um and we've told Dr. Smiley that we couldn't tell her anything, you know, as far as in concrete information until after the next board meeting at least because that's when we'll have more information to bring you guys. But we wanted to tell you so you'd have a heads up on it. >> Okay. >> Um and the other thing that that we're doing and and this somehow I mean it affects 2322 because it's our students at Montcom. We are having anformational meeting tomorrow evening at 5 um to discuss basically what the principles are looking at and what things they think would help the kids by moving sixth grade from Montcom Elementary to Montcom High School. um and how how that would be
128done, what that would look like, where the sixth grade would be, what their schedule would be like, how are we separating the the middle school there from the high school there, just like we do in other schools where we've had that before. Um we've also been reaching out to some other schools throughout the state that have some of them have 5 through 12, some of them have 6 through 12. So, you know, what are you all doing? How have you done it? So, it's an informative meeting. Um, and really that's all it is, just to be able to say, "Hey, this is a possibility. Uh, we want to know what the community down there thinks. That is a small community. It's a tight community." Um, those parents are very involved. And I've had a lot
129of feedback just since that um, message went out. A lot of parents, they're like, you know, we're we're all about it because our kids play sports and they're up there anyway for sixth grade sports. It would have them there for the other things that we're doing, robotics. Um, we've got some students who are sixth graders who do robotics and they have to be bust up there after school. So, they can't do the robotics necessarily when the other teams are doing it in the middle school. So, there's some pros and I'm sure there's going to be some, you know, some kickback as well. So, we want to hear what the community says and you guys to know so we know whether it's something we want to try to pursue or um just sit on for now
130either way. But anyway, tomorrow at 5 and it's going to be at Montcom High School. That's enough. >> Okay, Ernie. >> Ernie says that's enough. >> Dr. Atkins, any >> Thank you, Miss Mitchell. I won't take much time. Uh I know we spent an hour earlier hearing from uh two elementary schools at our CSI schools. They both did uh a great job, I thought. Spent a lot of time talking about the importance of community and uh the family atmosphere at their schools and the foundations of success. I did want to share for those two schools, they will have um the state department visit. It's called a diagnostic visit um very soon for Mountain Valley. That'll be March the 17th. I think it's a team of about five or so from the state department that come
131in and that's when they do observations, interview staff, interview students. It's all unannounced and this provides them a snapshot of of the school and then we'll give them information to help provide additional support. And then for Bluefield Intermediate, that visit will be on March the 19th. One additional thing um I want to share and it's also related to the CSI ATS schools. Those are the yellow schools which are considered warning schools and uh I think we have eight of those. I know that the four elementary are Athens, Melrose, Spanishburg, and Mercer. And they are offering the state is offering a training for those schools in Charleston on April the 16th. So the principles of all the schools that are under that designation received that invitation to try to provide them with some professional development for
132this early intervention so that in three years they're not a CSI school designation. So um I think it's largely focused on supporting that special needs population. They'll take a team of three. It'll be the principal, one gen ed teacher and one special ed teacher. So, we do think that's a great proactive um approach that State Department's offering and uh we're going to encourage them all to participate. >> Okay. Okay. Questions. >> Any anyone else on 2322? Mr. Wilman, Miss Huddle, anything else? Miss Huddle? Okay, then we'll move on to the business part of our agenda. Uh, approval of the minutes of the February 23rd, 26th, and February 24th, 26 meetings. Is there a motion to approve? >> Is there a second? >> There's a motion and a second. Uh, I noticed on page one of
133the regular session, Spanishburg Elementary School, uh, FEMA is spelled FEMA at the bottom, the very first bullet point at the very bottom. So, we might want to fix that. Um, but other than that, I didn't notice anything else. Anybody else? Well, there's a motion and a second. Uh, any further discussion? Then on the motion, all in favor signify by saying I. >> I oppose. Likewise. That motion carries. Five in favor and none opposed. All right. Let me give me just a second here. All right. So, now we're in our consent agenda. Board amendment number 299 is an education master services agreement with Ammeris Healthc Care Staffing. Uh it's been executed between Merch County Schools and special ed department and emerges for the 2526 school year due to an emergent need due to an an employee
134sudden leave of absence. Uh this will allow this district to secure supplemental staffing for special education. The agreement is that >> did I miss what? Oh, I'm sorry. I did. Thank you. >> You missed a bunch of Yeah, >> I did. Okay. So, um pardon me. Let's go back to board member 261, which is the second reading of policy uh G41 involving uh recording meetings. Um I consider it a little too adversarial and I I don't like it the way it's written. Um I have given you a alternative option that would have to go back out for first reading again that I want you to the board members to look at. And essentially the idea is instead of uh the employee having to affirmatively do it, the school asks, "Do you want it recorded?" Then
135it's not a a adversarial situation at all. It's simply a request. If you want it recorded, we record it. We keep it. Uh belongs to uh both parties. They can have a copy at any time. I'm sorry about that. >> Is that what this is that we have? >> And that's what that is. >> Okay. and and it it changes the the dynamic some which again I think was a little too adversarial um for my taste. Uh it it's similar in nature in terms of the other rules uh relating to reporting but um regarding privacy and uh protecting students and parents and things like that. Uh but that's that's just my perspective in view. I that's so what say the board? Uh, I have a question. You're saying if the employee wants it recorded, they
136ask for us to do it and we'll do it, right? >> Well, we offer to do it. Yeah. >> Because then it's no longer adversarial. >> What if they don't ask and they do? >> Well, the policy says if they don't ask and they do, they're in violation of the policy, right? >> Okay. >> Were there we postponed this last time to bring him back I thought tonight. Were there any changes at all made in what was brought back tonight? >> No. >> Okay, then I agree with you. Let's do some changes. >> All right. >> This is an topic. >> Okay. Then we'll what we'll do is ask that this go back >> it be um this be looked at council look at it. I mean your copy's right here. >> No, I've got
137it. >> Okay. All right. All right. So, uh, with that then I take it the board is not going to make a motion or a second on approval of the current second reading. >> Okay. I don't see one. So, I'm going to move on to the next thing. Thank you for reminding me. I had missed it. Second reading on policy KO8 which relates to advertising solicitation and fundraising in schools. Um once again I think the issue is uh employee organizations access and I think that's the sticking point >> from my perspective. >> Yeah that one is more of a it's not in the form of a policy it's just ideas. >> All right. >> Um because we need to work on that as well. Uh >> all right. Is there any objection to that request?
138hearing none and we'll talk about that in work session. All right. >> And we'll schedule that at the end of the meeting because we haven't talked about work session, but that's something we'll bring up. Correct. >> That's right. >> Thank you. >> So now we can get the consent agenda. And I'm sorry for missing earlier, but we'll go back. So board amendment number 299, as I said, is the education master services agreement with the marriages between them and our special education department. We had a a an emergent need where an employee goes on leave of absence. It leaves us short. This agreement, as I understand it, will allow them to supplement uh and provide those staffing needs for us. The uh agreement includes a school psychologist for $100 per hour. A marriage just is responsible
139for recruiting, screening, credential verification, background checks, and requ maintaining required insurance coverage. Cost will be based upon actual services rendered and the superintendent recommends the approval of the marriage healthcare staffing for the 2526 school year. Board number 300 is a contract for placement of students for clinical experience fiscal year 25 through 27. This agreement is with West Virginia University Institute of Technology School of Arts and Sciences and it relates to them placing student observers or student teachers in Mercer County Schools for clinical experiences. All student teaching placements are pending. Receipt of the candidates's background check and the college may naming a site site supervisor. Superintendent recommends approval. Board memo number 301 is a request from West Virginia Institute of Technology. Uh that an individual be placed in Mer County Schools for the spring of 26
140semester to complete 60 hours with for her psych 491 course. uh placements are contingent upon the required forms being executed, receipt of an acceptable background check and the university naming a site supervisor. Board amendment number 302 is uh auction of surplus items as required by law. We must identify things as surplus as outdated and no longer needed and then offer them for sale at public auction. MCT is requesting eight Lincoln Electric downdraft tables be offered as surplus items for sale at the public auction. Board amendment number 303 is a source quote for complete refinish of gym floors at Pike View High and Pike View Middle School. We requested pricing under the Sourcewell cooperative contact from RF Huffman for a complete refinish of those schools. Total refinish for Pike View High School is 50,123 and refinish
141for Pike View Middle is $33,967 for a total of 8,000 $84,90. Pike View High School being a high school gym, it's 3,500 square ft bigger and that's why the cost is higher. This price includes bonds. Superintendent recommends approval of the contract to RF Huffman to completely refinish the gym floors at Pike View High and Pike View Middle in the amount of $84,90. This project is funded by the excess levy. Board a memo number 304 is the lease of parking lot at Oakville Elementary. If you're familiar, the parking lot across the road from uh Oakville Elementary has been used by the school for years and years. It belongs to the the West Virginia Division of Highways, and they agree to continue the 20-year lease term with for the parking lot at no charge. Thank you, West
142Virginia Division of Highways. Superintendent recommends approval. Board memo number 305 which is the last action item on the uh consent agenda is the payment of invoices for March. These are the uh uh requests for payment during the month of March and the checks have been written or being held in the office of the treasury pending consideration of the school board. The checks will be issued to the vendors upon schoolboard approval. You have the accounts available to you. Uh and that is the consent agenda. Are there any questions about items on the consent agenda? >> It's only money, but I got to know things about it. Um, one would assume that a check to Prince Community Hospital is something that might be covered under someone's PIA. What? Why are we sending in 20ome00? what was performed
143or what what was the reason? >> We had employees bring their bills to us. Um the transport transportation supervisor requires testing anytime there's an accident and he sent them it was after hours so he sent them to Princeton Community Hospital and the employees were however is our expense so we were required to pay. Is that policy? Is that something? And I'm sure time, you know, time we could wait because don't we have a contract with somebody in town? So that's why >> yes, would prefer that that be done up front in a purchase order issued and rates negotiated. Um it's been significant amount of time on my team trying to resolve this. Um but yes, that's What is what are Malmark? >> Malmark um middle school obtained a grant from the community foundation of the
144Virginiaas for handbells and the board matched the funds and we purchased that. We purchased it last year but we just they just got those in and got them delivered. So it's for hand bells. >> Okay. Last one I have is 6219 bucks. >> She's our physical therapist who's contracted. >> We have to provide those services by >> like everything else. >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. >> I have one. What is cadencia orchestra? Am I miss reading that? $3,500. >> I might have to look that up. Um I don't approve every PO now, so I'm not as in it. My memor is not as good with those. Um I'll look that up and try to have it by the end. >> Okay. >> We also have one more issue with that >> on this on um
145board member 303. Um, we just found out today at 238 that Pike View doesn't have enough remaining floor to completely sand it. >> Oh, wow. >> We don't have enough floor left at Pike View High School to completely sand it. >> Um, so I'm asking you just not to vote on Pike View High School if we can just approve the middle school. >> Shaving down to the point where >> it can't be redone. >> Yes, we'll have to come up with a different option. different schools on a a calendar. We do how many years or >> Yes. 10 years. >> 10 years. >> We Leslie and I have just had a little sidebar and talking about adjusting so we don't wear them out too much. I'm going to I'm going to reach out to a
146few other counties and see what they do. >> Polish it up and make it look pretty. >> We do that every year. Every every summer we do just a screen and recote every summer which is supposed to preserve the life of that finish. Um, gym floors only have four to five finishes on them. >> Sure. >> All the way down. >> What is HBS LLC? That's a big one. That's 55,000. >> That is our food. Um, that's the co-op we use for our food. We had several child nutrition grants for serving lines and that's what those payments were for. >> Okay. Any other questions? >> Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? >> Moved. >> Is there a second? We need to pull out what Tom said. Pull up with the exception of
147Pike View High School and just approve the middle school. >> What was the name? >> Is that your motion? >> That's my motion. >> All right. >> That makes it easier. All right. On the motion and a second noting that we are pulling Pike View High School out of board memo number 303 and only approve Pike View Middle School GI refinish. All in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Opposed? Likewise. That motion carries. Five in favor and none opposed. Board memo number 306 is RFP 349 which is approval of an architect or engineer from the tech renovation and addition. Interviews were conducted with a variety of firms and under a request for proposal 349 requesting a statement of qualifications for architectural and engineering design services for the new renovation and addition to MCT. uh
148requests for statements uh were advertised appropriately. We received six firms uh RFPs. Selection committee held interviews with all six firms. The committee evaluated the firms based on their submissions and interviews. ZMM architects and engineers are ranked the highest with an average score of 91. A summary of the results is attached. Superintendent recommends approval of the award to ZMM architects and engineers. Is there a motion to approve? >> So move. Is there a second? >> There's a motion and a second. Questions, comments, or discussion? >> Yeah, guess questions about the depth of the of the conversation as a part of did you all have a set standard group of questions that you ask each organization? They have. So they haven't done anything other than give us a price now of what they're going to do or
149>> no price. >> The opportunity on the project. >> So the SBA, we followed the SBA procedures for the RFP and they have a standard RFP that that is judged on certain criteria. One of the biggest is experience with similar projects. So each group was given an hour to present to us. We met with everyone who qualified and and their submissions were not received late and they did a presentation for about 30 minutes, 40 minutes and then allowed us time for questions that had not been addressed. Um there is no ability to negotiate price at that point. This, if I understand it, this is simply requesting the best architect in terms of the criteria under the school building authorities requirements qualifications. >> So, with that, >> uh, we also called references. We also called all
150references. Um, and then Tom and Lindsay also called other counties to not only speak with the superintendent or those listed, but the folks in the maintenance department and purchasing department um to determine their experience with the SBA >> and and counties that told us they would never use that vendor again were also that we did receive some responses related to some of those as well. >> Obviously, we >> Yes, we did. They had at least 10 other CTE centers and Danielle can speak to that. Danielle was on the committee if she has anything else >> related to that. Um, in particular, they showcased several that they have done recently. One of them in Cabell County that is um that they put in the prior Sears building. >> Go ahead. Again, this is whatever is that
151supplied by the state or not. >> So the criteria is is prescribed by the state. They give us the standard RFP with the categories and then each individual on the committee scored them independently. Those were all turned in anonymously and an average was obtained. >> How many people participate in the >> seven? >> It's on the second page. >> Yeah, I'm I'm just wondering how it works. Maybe >> do the businesses do they know what those criteria will be? >> Yes, we we send we just primarily we publish an ad. if you're interested, submit uh you know, just notify us and we'll send you the standard. It's basically a bid package in essence saying this is what you we want you to submit and it's your your prior experience. Um and and really it just
152shows their depths of knowledge of SBA projects more than anything else. This is a significant project with a lot of deadlines and criteria. >> Looking at the list there, most of these have done SBA projects before. So they know the process. There's one I'm not familiar with, the Edward Tucker architects, but the others, they've all done SBA projects throughout the state. >> Edward Tucker was very impressive. They they were very enthusiastic actually. They they were they all of them had great presentations and I'm sure that I can speak for everyone on the committee. We we were thrilled and impressed with all their presentations. >> Just want to tell you also the consistency of questions. All of them were the same. What happened in the first uh interview was consistent throughout all of them. So >>
153those are involved in you need to learn a little bit more about that in a work session just to show us what it looks like. >> Sure. >> This was my first time. I can jump in. I was super excited to be a part of it. It was really really cool >> to be a part of it. I had no clue what I was going to. I was super excited they let me be a part of it. But it was very structured. Um, we all did our own grid criteria. We didn't we talked a little bit, but you know, my scores were not influenced by Tom or Leslie or anybody else on the committee. So, that was a really cool process just to see the whole from beginning to end of how that works. >>
154Any other questions? And there's a motion on the floor. All in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Oppose. Likewise. That motion carries. Five in favor and none opposed. Board memo number 307 is the proposed levy rates for fiscal year 2627. The excess levy rates remain the same as they've been for the past 25 years. Uh the rates for statutory levy are the same as last year. The board must approve the schedule of proposed levy rates forward a certified copy to the state auditor. publish it forth with and recess until the 3rd Tuesday of April, which is April 21st, 2026, at which time we must reconvene. The state auditor will notify the board in a letter of approval or disapproval of the schedule of proposed levy rates prior to the April 21st, 2026 meeting. Superintendent
155recommends approval of the schedule of proposed levy rates for fiscal year 26 27. Is there a motion to approve? >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> There's a motion and a second. All in favor signify by saying I >> I oppose likewise. >> That motion carries. Five in favor and none opposed. >> We will not adjourn. Paul will not get to do his journ tonight. >> All right. >> I'll get I'll make it. >> So we have two uh personnel discipline matters. The first one is board amendment number 308. Mr. T. Yes, President Prudich. Uh, I have an agreement from Shannon Honeacaker that uh, she received a 10-day suspension without pay. Principal at Bluefield Middle School asked for your approval. I have an agreement and uh, their representative along with she agreed to the
15610day suspension without pay for violation of the employee code of conduct. >> All right, there's a recommendation on the floor. Is there a motion? >> So move. >> Is there a second? >> Second. There's a motion and a second. Any desire to go in executive session to discuss the matter? There's a motion to go in executive session. It takes precedence by Mark. Is there a second? >> There's a motion and a second. >> On the motion, all in favor signify by saying I. >> I oppose. Likewise. Motion carries. Four in five in favor and none opposed. We will be in executive session for a brief period of time. It is 7:29 p.m. when we go out. We're going out for the purpose of discussing a personnel issue uh pursuant to Westview Code 69A4B2. >> We'll
157be back. Yes. on the accepting recommendation. There any further discussion? Then on the motion, all in favor signify by saying I. >> I oppose. Likewise. >> Motion carries. Five in favor and none opposed >> for amendment number 309 is another employee disciplinary hearing action. President Purich, my recommendation is expel or expelled, excuse me, too many student suspend >> assistant principal Brook Bennett at Bluefield Middle School for 10 days. She agreed to the agreement and 10 days without pay for violation of the employee code of conduct. Thank you. >> All right. Is there a motion? >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Motion and a second. Any desire to go into executive session? There appears to be none on the motion. All in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Opposed. Likewise. Motion carries.
158Five in favor and none opposed. Last action item on the agenda is board amendment number 310 which is the personnel agenda. You should have received an addendum with a few uh additions. Um I know it's here somewhere. I got to find it. I've already looked at it so I know what's in it. Is there a motion to approve the consent or the the personnel agenda? >> So, we got a motion over here. So, I'll let you be the second. All right. Okay. There's a motion and a second on the personnel agenda. Any need to have any further discussion? There appears to be none on the motion. All in favor signify by saying I. I. Oppose. Likewise. That motion carries. Five in favor and none opposed. For now, it's a discussion part of our meeting with
159administrative updates. Mr. Tone, >> President Purich, I'm going to go towards the back to uh Mrs. AIFT. I see her. She just stepped out. Did she? >> Did she? >> Okay, I got you. I s >> Well, here she comes. And there's Mrs. A. Miss, I started in the back, so bless you for being back there and waiting. She has some uh excellent information on the reachout program that you all um received and she is u going to give us some update and it's been a huge benefit to Mercer County Schools and uh it is saving lives. So this >> it is and this is something that um I'm a big believer in. I uh found out about it from Mr. Toman. He went to a conference and um learned about this and so I
160dove in head first with it. uh wanted to get it to our kids as quickly as possible. So, we started out this year um with with uh an app on every single computer that this Yeah, here's the paper that the students have access to a counselor 247. And so, they send me a a report every month. And so, here are some of the data from that report. And so we started out in August with 22 calls, which is not too surprising because we didn't um uh have a lot of time to campaign at that point. But then if you look at September, we jumped to a a pretty staggering over 500 calls um or chats. That sort of calmed down. Things have have uh calmed down and I think that kids take it seriously so
161they they click on it when they need it. Um, we also, um, get information about the reasons that students call. And so I put the top 10 here. And if you look at number 10, suicide concerns. And so for this year, we've had 26 chats about suicide concerns. And that to me is pretty staggering when you think about the number of students who are out there. And a lot of those chats have come from uh friends of students. So it's not always the students themselves, it's somebody who's concerned that somebody may hurt themselves. And we have had students who um have gone as far as as to have a plan in place and because somebody felt comfortable enough to use this app and talk to somebody, we were able to help inter help that family
162to intervene with with that student. So, we in my opinion it is a it's a small expenditure in the whole scheme of things. We spend about $22,000 on it. Um but every kid in our county has access to it. We have had reports of um physical abuse, reports of sexual abuse. Um those things all get reported to CPS as well. So, uh, there have been active investigations for this. And, um, and then you have a lot of the things that, you know, you would expect from students, which is, um, dating, relationships, friendships, uh, bullying, stress or anxiety, academic stress, family issues, grief, loss. We even had a student who called um I was talking to one of the the people from Reach Out and he he called his dog had died and it you know
163it was just something difficult for him to get through and so that that he used this service for that and so I just really feel like it is such a benefit and like uh Justinda was saying earlier it's nice to have the data but what are you going to do with it? So on the back I put up how Mercer County schools will use this data to support students. And so we will be doing some very targeted PD and professional development with our counselors and our social workers and anybody else who would want to be a part of it. Let's say tell them like example how it happens and we get a call and that process from IP addresses to everything else from the whole crew and backup plan and what you do there. I
164mean that it is huge and >> yeah cold time I know so it's it's been a learning curve and so what happens is is most of the >> most of the chats are just you know general chats about you know this or that happened and and they're handled with the counselor however >> are they mostly online or they're talking >> they're online and they can call as well but most of the time they chat >> okay >> so um they'll they'll get the chat and if there is a threat to harm themselves or someone else or if they have, you know, given some allegation of abuse in some way, we get an alert and I have it set up to where um we have a secondary team and an elementary team. And so based on
165the age of the student where the the um chat comes from, those people will get an alert. And of course for secondary it's it's Rosemary, Mr. Toman, Amber, myself, Melissa Clemens, and then for for elementary, we have Mr. um Dr. Atkins and a lot of the same people, Mr. Toman, Amber, myself, and Melissa Clemens. And so between the five of us, we are able to very quickly get on any of those alerts that come through. I have I'm probably weekly I'm I'm texting Brent saying, "Can you help me with this?" because a lot of times kids do want to talk but they don't want to say who they are. So because of our GoG Guardian program we are able to usually track and I think we've only had one instance where we had a trouble
166with that but we can see um where this call or chat is coming from and so if it is an anonymous one we can still figure it out. And it usually takes us maybe half an hour maybe to figure out and so we're able to still act very quickly on those very serious alerts. >> And is it usually when that happens? Is it somebody on that fivep person team that reaches out or it's somebody like from the home school of the student or >> the counselor? The counselor will send an alert to that fivep person team and say we've got this issue. Then once we figure out where it's coming from, then we call the the school because the school has the, you know, rapport with the family and with the student. And so the
167school, >> they kick into gear with their protocols on how to handle those issues, whether it's G39 with our suicide prevention or threat to kill or whatever. >> Is it available 24 hours a day? >> 247. >> Awesome. Um, in fact, in December, I tried to make sure that there was a campaign out there to say, well, actually November, December, that even if you're on break, you're, you know, you still have somebody that you can reach out to because we know that a lot of things happen over those time periods that kids need help >> or not during the school day. Obviously, stuff things happen at home that are not during the school day when they can reach out, >> right? A lot of things happen at home and and everybody has been so accommodating.
168We have these we have the QR codes on the buses. We have them throughout the buildings. Um you know, anybody ha who needs to know which which is pretty much our entire system knows what this is and what it's for and why we need it. >> We'll send it back out to you because you guys get that information but to comprehend it while 50 things are going on. But we'll send it back out so you see it again. We'll even also provide you the cards next meeting too to see and that'll be uh hands-on that you'll understand it. But we'll send an email with those cards too. Okay. >> We'll get that out to you. >> Oh yeah, I Yes, we have little cards that we we hand out to students went to every student.
169>> I remember us talking K through 12. We saw I think we got the cards. Yes, but I'll just do it again just to see my heart just eating >> back and we >> when we have uh tough conversations with kids during uh expulsion meetings and all those things that's it's handed out in my initial meetings. I know Miss A follows up there. We have that conversation constantly. So the kids are are talking about it and and reaching out and that's what it's called reach out and >> but a thank you that's huge. Thanks. I have a question on the 79 bullying. Quite often kids don't report being bullied till they end up getting beat up. Does this come back to us where we can intervene and find out who's being bullied? >> If it
170is if if the counselors thinks that there's a serious threat where somebody's going to be hurt, uh then yes, yes, it would come to us. Um now a lot of times they will just work with the students on coping strategies, who to talk to, you know, what what next steps the students should take if if they uh feel like, you know, that it's going to get to a level that they need help at the school. >> Do we have um any data that would subdivide that category into how many contacts were made versus just counseling on the phone? Okay, ask me that one more time. >> What Mr. Hodge just said, do we have any subdata from that category of bullying where contacts have been made >> to the school? >> I do not have
171that with me, but I can look at it. >> I can look at all the all the data that I have. >> You see what I'm saying now? >> Yes. Okay. >> Yes. >> Couple things. The the 1534 table conversations is both disheartening that people are using it. kind of sad that that they're having to do this, >> but uh the is this these are 1534 separate conversations, not necessarily 1534 separate students. >> Yes, that's correct. It could be the same student. >> Sure. >> Four or five times. >> Okay. All right. >> Yeah. Now, they're not limited. >> And one of the great things about this is this this app is you don't have to have a cell phone to use it. It's on our computers. >> Yes, it's on our computers. And there
172is a there is a I mean, if you don't have a cell phone, you have a landline, there's a number that >> you can call as well. >> Gives the kids the >> Is it available to all grades? >> It is. It is. And it it's been a little bit hard to figure out how to market it to the younger grades. But >> what I have tried to to talk to elementary principles about is that, you know, it doesn't have to necessarily be the student who calls. It could be the parent and the student if they're going through some type of crisis >> that needs intervention or if they have some issue that they're dealing with as a family. >> It could be the, you know, it could be the parent and the student or
173just the parent. >> So, it's available on our iPads for our primary students. >> Yes. And we have Brent uh fixed things to where the banners in the back they change but it's always reach out. I'm correct on that. Right. Yeah. So it's always it's always there and when whenever they log on to the iPad or their laptop that information is right in front of them if they need it. >> Great. >> Good job. >> That's wonderful. >> Thank you. >> Next we want to start from the back up to >> field court. So today we started delivering letters to employees softball that Is there anything about property acquisition that we need to talk about at this point? >> There are no updates. >> Yeah. >> Can I answer Mr. Haj's question? The Cad Cadencia
174Orchestra um was an orchestra that came to Bluefield High School during multicultural week. They used their excess levy ISA funds to purchase a performance for their school. >> The kids doing a condo around the auditorium. >> They they were able to experience the vibrant sounds of Puerto Rican folk folk music. church. >> There you go. >> Actually, I actually think we did that before back in the day. >> Did we not? >> Yes, we did. >> Yes, it's been several years ago. >> Well, you could answer his question. >> If I'd have paid for it, I probably would have known, but I just I just coned. Mr. Murphy, anything back here? I'm sorry. >> We have We have new cameras. You didn't mention >> the screen. We're learning. We're getting better. >> So, when you
175talk, the camera moves to you. >> Oh, >> comes in close so we can see your teeth, see that you're there. And so, there's three, right? There's one back there and one there and one here. Okay. >> All right. Um, is there anything else to come before the board? We need to schedule a work session. Content of the work session we'll have to work on, but we just need a date right now. By the way, my phone went off earlier because Gray doesn't understand what it means when I tell him, "I'm going to a board meeting. Don't call me." >> I love him, man. Love that kid more than anything in the world. But >> he's got to learn. He wants me to watch him play video games. >> Okay. So, >> how many are
176you thinking about? probably soon. I think we need to move soon >> like next week or >> is this a budget session or what is this? >> No, >> it's no, it's just issues that we, you know, >> general miscellaneous topics >> we like to have. You know, the work sessions are really the best board meetings because we get to work on things that we don't get to talk about when we're doing our business meetings. Um, and I think it's just it's that time. We haven't had one in a little while. >> I was going to ask if work session, but I will not be ready in two weeks. >> Okay. Well, we can do that. >> We can do that later. >> Yeah. We made another change to our schedule. >> Um, yes, we're
177still waiting to hear about the waiver for students. >> But the last day for students, regardless of whether we get the waiver or not, >> I remember that. Okay. So, you all >> we'll also get those superintendent updates every Monday at 6. Got you have a lot of information in that. That's huge. It's first come first serve as soon as that's out there. You guys get it fast. >> So, Friday the 20th is >> basketball. >> I'm out of town also. >> Basketball. That's right. Um >> I'm out of town that Thursday and Friday >> and we got service personnel banquet and then this top scholars is the fall on the 20 on the 31st too coming. >> What about the 18th >> basketball 20 that >> state basketball >> Monday? I take my time.
178>> Make a whole day of it. >> What about the 27th? >> Friday. Friday the 27th. >> You're looking mainly at the policies and the few things >> look at policies and you know there's just a variety of things that I think people want to discuss. We'll take care of these. >> Yes sir. >> We'll get you with us. >> Some other conversation questions like show up. So, what I need board members to do is if there is a subject they want and they need to just >> Are we doing the 27th? >> Is the 27th good for everyone? >> What time are we doing it? >> Paper. >> I'm with you, Leslie. Where we going that day? >> Mark, what's going on? >> All right. So, 9:00 the finish by no name. >> Finish
179by name. 10 o'clock >> and you want to know best decision. >> Do you have any specific subject you'd like that's a good a good thing for a work session besides these policies? We need to get this done. Um there's nothing else to come before the board. We're going to go into recess until April the 26th. I think it was. I'm assuming that is March >> March 27th >> at which time we will reconvene and talk about the excess leth that's a regular meeting when you're talking about reconvening that's