Board Meeting Special/Work Session - 11/21/2025

001Let me cut my mic on. Good morning. It is November the 21st, 2025. It is 9:00 a.m. The Mercer County Board of Education is in special session in a work session uh to do some business and then discuss some topics uh that are of important for the board. And we like special sessions because they allow us the opportunity to uh just talk >> and uh we're going to workshop some issues. So we'll do the pledge. If everybody will stand. >> I 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. So everybody settle in because these work sessions usually last about two or three hours. So if you enjoy this kind of stuff, uh sit

002back, get you some popcorn, and we'll do it. All right. So all board members, >> well, not for us, for anybody watching, you know, cuz if you're watching this, you need some popcorn. So we've got some old business we need to get to first. The first one is policy G38 which is board member number 415. This is the second reading. No comments were received. Superintendent recommends approval. >> Is there a motion to approve? So move. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> There's a motion and a second. Questions, comments, or discussion. >> Are we still getting positive feedback [clears throat] from teachers and administrators about the policy about the boxes and all that they're doing? >> [snorts] >> Yes, >> Mike. >> The policy has seemed to be a good thing and we haven't

003had complaints about it going into the schools. Everybody seems to be following it pretty well. I mean in since school started there might be two incidences that I can tell you that a kid had a phone and didn't give the phone up and that was it. So it's Yes. So that was a good a good move. >> My wife was actually here yesterday doing presentation and they brought a different thing. One of them was a simulation with cell phone. Well guess what the students >> Yeah. They they're not used to that. But that's great though. [clears throat and cough] They're following the rules. >> She reported that it was working good. >> She was very impressed. >> That's gone much smoother than they anticipated. >> My question is >> are we getting feedback from the

004students? >> Sure. I just said, [clears throat] >> "Maybe it would benefit us if we surveyed the students and ask them. >> Okay. >> I [clears throat] don't know the formal survey so much as teachers asking them how do you guys feel about it? But you know what what do you see changes? Do you see? [clears throat] >> Yeah. >> What about between classes? Do they find that they're using them a lot between classes? >> [clears throat] >> One of the questions I ask when I go that I'm aware of you know I'm Okay, [clears throat] >> any other questions? Then on the motion, all in favor signify by saying I. >> I oppose. Likewise. That motion carries. Five in favor and none opposed. [clears throat] The next action on item on the agenda is

005policy I37 embedded credits for second reading. Uh this is board member number 155. Uh no comments were received. Superintendent recommends approval. Is there a motion to approve? Is there a second though? There's a motion and there's a second. Questions, comments, or discussion? There appearing to be none. And on the motion, all in favor signify by saying I. I. Oppose. Likewise. That motion carries. Five in favor and none opposed. [cough and clears throat] >> Under new business, board memo number 204, we have an employee disciplinary matter and possible action. Mr. time. >> President Purich, I uh I have an an employee that agreed to a three-day suspension and I'd ask for your approval [clears throat] who uh agreed to a three-day suspension. She is a aid at the Newfield Intermediate Primary, I'm sorry. Thank you, Dr.

006And I've asked for your approval for that suspension without >> All right. There's a recommendation by the [clears throat] superintendent. Is there a motion? >> Is there a second? Motion and a second. Any desire to go to executive session for further discussion of the matter? There appearing to be none. >> All in favor of the motion signify by saying I. >> I. Oppose. Likewise. That motion carries. Five in favor and none opposed. >> Board memo number 205 is the payment of invoices that you should have received when you got here today. There's a paper. A couple paper. If everybody needs a moment, we'll take a moment. It's the It's the second. It's the >> the thinner the thicker pack. The pec card's the thinner pack. Wow. Our power bill is >> it's crazy. >> [clears

007throat] >> An interesting thing about that, right? >> Had we not done that? >> Yep. >> [clears throat] >> We need to elect our public service commission so we can send messages at election time. >> So, uh, upon review of the invoices or, uh, is there a motion to approve? >> Is there a second? >> All right. There's a second and a motion. Any questions about the the invoices? They look pretty uh standard based on what we usually see. There's nothing else then on a motion. All in favor signify by saying I. >> I oppose. Likewise. That motion carries. Five in favor and none opposed. Next action item on the agenda is board member 206, which is the PECARD transactions, which as we noted were the smaller of the two packets. I'll give you a

008moment. Is there a motion to approve the PECARD transactions? >> There's a motion. Is there a second? >> Motion and a second. Uh the food service, I know that's for food, obviously. How often do we get a bill that size? Is that quarterly? Is that monthly? Is that [clears throat] Sorry, I got a little choked. That's a lot of food. There's nothing else then on the motion. All in favor signify by saying I. >> I oppose. Likewise. That motion carries. Five in favor and none opposed. Board memo number 207 relates to our needs project. We need to the superintendent's recommending we modify the needs project funding uh that we increase the commitment of the local commitment from $4 million to $4,93,323. This lowers the SBA request to 10 million. Uh and it would change with

009our contribution and that of the shop foundation to approximately 35% of the project. Superintendent recommends approval of this revision to the the needs project funding in hopes that this will uh urge the SBA to know we're serious and consider our our worthy project. [clears throat] >> Is there a motion to approve? >> Is there a second? There's a motion and a second then on the motion. All in favor signify by saying I. I opposed likewise. Motion carries. Five in favor and none opposed. >> I have a question, but I didn't didn't pay attention to how quickly you were going through. Lesie, can we afford to do this? And who are we? Robin Peter to pay Paul in this project. >> So, it's in there. Okay, that's all I wanted to know. Thank you. >> Awesome.

010>> Last action item on the agenda is personnel, [clears throat] but you should have your packet and you should have seen it yesterday. Is it change? Has it changed? >> I see that. It's about halfway down on your front the front page of the second packet. It's not the one attached to your agenda. It's the second one. It's this one here. >> Okay. Any discussion? Any desire going on executive session regarding any matters of personnel? There appearing to be none on the motion. I'm sorry. Is there is there a motion? >> So move. >> All right. Second. >> There's a motion and a second questions. There appears to be none. Then on the motion, all in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Opposed? Likewise. That motion carries. Five in favor and none opposed. >>

011Mr. President, thank you for allowing us to put those extra items on there. And also with the SBA, I'll I'll bring you the u the CFP amendment in December. It's due December 1st. But while we have the updates is what we completed according to Mrs. Harrison, Mr. Atkins on that. So I just want to always document that in the in our minutes with the it's due to the state department on December 1st in the SBA. So we'll get that to them, but that's doesn't affect anything. So, I just want to share that. >> So, I want to touch on some things that we probably can go through relatively quickly and then get into the things that are going to take a little more time. So, let's talk about let's let's first talk about something we

012all received an email on yesterday, which is the policy manual update. >> We were going to get into that in a little more detail today, but we're constrained from doing so. Is that correct? >> That is correct. >> All right. and and it is a uh the we're working with the SCESC to create a a uniform policy manual for boards of education in Mer in in the state of West Virginia and we're kind of the guinea pig. Uh we're having some issues with getting licensing approval I believe is the way I understood it >> with power apps [clears throat] >> with power apps. So we can't move forward with it until then because we need to alter it to suit Mercer County. We can't alter it until we have the license. So, >> and I

013did follow up with Mr. regarding the procedure. Um, and I know after Mr. and Dr. spoke about the procedures and how we wanted them to do that. >> Awesome. >> And that's before his position of school board association officer called that. Yes. >> Well, he and he's done a couple things. he takes a he takes a leave and >> will work separately. So, he's he's doing it legitimately and appropriately. >> Um [clears throat] >> because we're actually for the public the our policy manual is um dated is the is the structure of the policies are hard to follow. They're hard to find. So, this is a this is a complete it's not a rewrite of all the policies. It's a it's a reorganization and then uh eliminating policies that are unneeded and outdated. Uh and

014it will come back before us, but I was hopeful we could get somewhere on that, but you know, that happens. So, we'll be flexible and move on. All right. >> So, All right. >> It's a meeting. It's a meeting in the public, but not a public meeting. So, they're allowed through. >> Well, I was just going to welcome them to our meeting. I don't know what's going on here. Um, yeah. So, um, the next thing we need to talk about that appar apparently or I think we probably can discuss fairly quickly is the update regarding solar energy. Mr. retirement. >> The uh the process is just uh right now working on some other things with the FEMA and doing some things with Mrs. Wilma's been pretty busy with doing some stuff there, Mr. Atkins. But

015I think it's a matter of getting an RFP together and doing some stuff in in the coming days. So, it just hasn't happened yet to put that out there. >> The the only concern I have is that the they're changing the solar tax credits >> by the year end of the year. >> End of the year. And I I know that's impractical to think that we can get it done by >> I don't we can't even get the RFP out and responses in that period of time. >> So hopefully that won't be uh too u too much of a problem. I I know that the >> the credits themselves actually go through 2027, >> but they're changing the the nature of the credits. uh as I understand relates to what they call a safe harbor

016provision which as I understand it means the parts have to be made in America which unfortunately America is not producing a lot of solar panel parts. So it's going to it's it's it's potentially going to change the amount of uh credits that the vendors might get in order to to promote our project. >> Mr. Atkins, Mr. Wellman, any additional information other than I share just the timing, some staffing changes, some our sir. >> No worries. Um, so let me get this straight just so I can make my snide comment about FEMA. They've dragged their feet, dragged their feet, dragged their feet, and then they give us a two-e deadline on a project that we got to revise. Is that what I understand correctly? >> And I think they're trying to improve some things from the

017past too with new administration and [clears throat] some stuff too that is that that's fair. >> Initially, I was told they would not fund that project in a flood way. We've discovered so much additional damage um that due to the stream I met with a different engineer yesterday who's very familiar with this. So they are going to take the fire that we have to raise everything and Joe tried to explain that to me. I have no idea what he's talking about, but he knows. And so he and Thompson are going to work on that portion. We have a completely different wastewater treatment plant and it has to be above the flood board and then he's going to propose a budget proposed So within the next week for that [clears throat] as well. >> So they're

018not saying no now. They're saying >> what they do to [cough] not funding they may give us money to do something else. That is what county administration yesterday in reports and and documentation on all the roofs etc. And now they want it all. >> Okay. [clears throat] >> Have to do that. I'm not trying to put you on the spot, but [clears throat] with all these additional requirements and everything that FEMA is telling you has to be done, how realistic is doing it, meeting all the criteria and everything? Um, [clears throat] milliona >> Thank you. >> So, have the insurance companies kind of backed up and said we're not going to do anything until FEMA makes a determination? half million dollar that we have coverage. So we already but it will flooded it will not

019pay for the stream bank is extremely they said we would either have to bring it back and fill in but that's not what recommends he re while he was there he had put in he said that's really he said baskets are not meant to near water. He said eventually he said if you want to replace them every 10 years basket near water if you want to truly stay ground he's going to propose basically >> yeah it's a steel driving along Brickyard Road. They did. They've done that in two places on Brickyard. >> It works. Makes >> sense. >> It's up against the He does not think we should bring dirt in. He thinks that he has to get from it. Dang it. >> I forgot the mic. >> Is there in conjunction with that? Is

020there any kind of pumping devices >> or usually >> on that? No. Really what they want what what he was talking about he said we could bring in blast stone that's as big as a person. And he said but water's more powerful than any stone you could put in. So basically this wall would be if you ever look at it's like an oxbow right there. and he was talking about putting a wall between a tree where our wastewater treatment plant dumps in and the next tree which is probably 75 ft and then there would be back fill behind that wall. It would basically keep the stream redirect the stream that way and keep our stream bank from falling back in. They've done it before you get to the turnoff to go to Spanishburg last meet.

021They've done it right there. They've done it on around towards Spanishburg. Um where during the flood there was a little section that fell and then on around they've done I think he said 200 and some feet on 19 where and and we did learn this yesterday 19 was is the oldest road in West Virginia. It was a road before West Virginia was West Virginia. So he said 19 is built primarily in a floodway everywhere. So they've been doing this for the past almost 10 years trying to keep the road roaded from falling in. It doesn't it [snorts] doesn't reroute the the route of the the stream or anything per per se, but there is a lot of permitting and there are some some endangered plants that have to be surveyed and things of that nature

022that grow only in April. >> [snorts] >> I guess I guess what I'm wondering is when it floods >> and there's water literally going in the front door, >> that's not going to be alleviated. >> No. >> Okay. >> No. >> And one thing too I want to point out >> stabilization of what we have. >> Sure. preventing future damage because we discharge right there into the stream and we have to have that stabilized to continue >> to >> dispersing that in the stream. >> And when we had our meeting with Keith Genno, we did talk about mitigation, flood walls, and some things that were mentioned in the meeting that I wasn't here, but he said anytime you do any mitigation, and we've talked about this in other projects, you have to mitigate pretty much

023anything downstream. And that would be your neighbor's property and the neighbor's neighbor's property. Anywhere that you push water or mitigate water to potentially you're going to have to mitigate theirs as well so that they don't feel any damage from what we've done. So a flood wall or something around the school would mean we'd have to we're we're correcting the natural flow of the stream if it were to be flooded. So, we would have to correct all the people downstream that we could potentially affect, which is what we're dealing with at my shop right now as well. We put in storm drains in the in the parking lot behind and the storm drain goes into the park the trailer park next door and it's flooding some trailers and we have to mitigate that and any potential

024dam damage downstream. So, we're working with Thompson Linton on that as well. So from a visual standpoint in my head, this would be similar to those what I call the sound deadening barriers offer. >> It looks very similar to that. >> The stuff is the by beams are put in and then the the stuff is >> it looks very similar to that. >> And if the road is right across from there's like a bridge right near where we have the sewer treatment plant and same reason. So we would just mirror what the DOH did. >> Okay. Thank you. >> And again they will analyze the total project funding for that. >> Let's do the LSIC LSIC wish list. It should be your blue paper. >> Should be your blue paper. >> So Mark, you wanted

025this on the agenda. >> Yeah. um as a former principal, you know, we were asked to produce these items yearly and sometime sometimes it felt like why am I doing this and other times, you know, we actually were able to get some things done. And I'm just wondering from the administrative like from Mr. Tongen's standpoint, your all standpoint, um I I I can throw out a general question. Do we do this these lists uh because the state tells us we have to or why why are we asking our schools to do this? Well, my first I can kind of tell you some of that because it actually predates Mr. Co. >> Okay. >> Uh when we did the regular LSIC meetings, this was something the board always wanted so we could see what individuals perceived

026to be their most important needs. >> Okay. And then at some point the treasury would get with the superintendent and say this is how much money we can all lot to that list of projects and the board would then discuss with the superintendent uh what we would like and the superintendent would tell us what were the most impressing needs and then we would start the list and you'd go down the list until the money ran out. >> And did we didn't do that last year though did we? >> We did not. We did not. >> That's what I'm wondering. Well, what the we weren't doing that. And one of the things it lets us do as a board is know what the building administrators and LSIC >> perceive as their biggest needs, >> right? So,

027shouldn't we kind of if we're going to continue this process, shouldn't we continue to do that process where if they're presenting, shouldn't we be doing the followup? I guess >> and I don't dis I don't disagree with that but uh I think given all the unusual unexpected expenses and uh the loss of population I'm not sure we've got a pile of money to a lot to this right now. Uh is that a accurate statement to Miss Wellman? at this point. >> Thank you. >> Um again, we also have a similar issue at Princeton Primary that we know we're going to have to install peers um due to the settling and the fact that that was built on in a way that was not based upon the initial recommendation. So, we we know we'll have at

028least a million dollars for that. We're still trying to follow the CFP. Um I haven't really had a lot of time to to get this. I got Amber sent it to me at the last board meeting and I just haven't had chance to look at it. Um a lot of it's playgrounds. We don't really have a policy regarding playgrounds. Um some of these things I know we've already taken care of. Some security issues and cameras. Brent's been working on those, but we do not have a a budgeted amount to do these at this point. >> And I'll add too, I know Dr. Atkins meets with his principles at the end of the year, and uh one of his things he goes over is facility needs and then he and I discuss that and we we

029kind of make a prioritized list of projects that we think we might be able to knock out in the summer and or um in in the coming year. and and we have an ongoing discussion with things facilities wise that we try to accomplish. Uh and a lot of what I glanced at this before the meeting. A lot of this is uh historically schoolbased things that the school pays for, but uh we have an ongoing discussion frequently, but I as far as the board, yes, I I understand what you're saying, but it is something that we work on often. if if we if there are objects on here that have been tended to, it would be nice if the board knew that. So, if you guys could go through the list and tell us what's been

030accomplished so we know. Uh cameras, I understand, are an ongoing thing. Uh uh but and of course, you know, we always caution personnel is not really the wish list of items that we're looking for because personnel is a is a different animal. so to speak when it comes to schools. So, um it would be beneficial if we knew what what is what has been done and dealt with and I don't expect anybody to go through it today right now to to do it. The only thing that I was going to add is I mean I think the only thing that would possibly fall under that would be there's been a lot of camera work and things done um due to the capital police checklists and the safety assessments that have been done over the last

031year and a half or so and some areas that needed additional cameras and different additional needs. And the only other thing [clears throat] that I would add is there are several schools that um elementary schools that have made some minor um repairs to their existing current playground structures to allow them to be safe and usable. And there also several that are fundraising toward u a bigger project in the future for their playgrounds. >> So we I I know one of the big ones in Bluefield Intermediate, we have already put bleachers in there as well. >> We did. Yeah, we did repairs, did we not? >> Not at Bluefield Mid >> at Intermediate. >> No, >> intermediate. Is the repair done? Did we finish the repair? >> We did approve it. I'm just curious. >> Yeah.

032I don't I don't think that that it's they're installed yet. >> I got you. The same company just finished the auditorium at Princeton Middle. Okay. >> And the PO's been done, so they've been ordered. Um but Bluefield High School has requ Well, well, no, they are on here. They they've requested new bleachers, especially since they're playing at the school as well. What we might do is when we're doing the budget this year, um we could come up with, you know, a a project list by school based upon this and set aside some money in the budget to a certain amount to do these. I know Raleigh County has a process. I've talked to them a lot. They basically set funds aside and let schools apply for grants. That's how they do their playgrounds, too. and

033they analyze those grants and allocate their funds. >> Kind of like a mini SBA, huh? >> Yeah, >> I like that idea. >> And and he said their treasurer said it's worked very well for for them. So that might be a solution. >> Well, it's much like what 18 months ago when we had two HVA systems fail and we had to spend a significant amount of money on those. It really constrains you from doing a lot of the extras. Uh and then of course now we've got the issues with the building on a swamp inapprop improperly and then the flooding at Spanishburg. But u uh Greg, a couple of projects I see on here are opportun could be potential opportunities for our some of our classes at MCT. You know the one over at um

034Merch County Early Learning Center, they've got a ADA issue on here. It would appear that children that with disabilities or students with disabilities or wheelchairs, they have to go down the grass to get to the playground, but you know, you could do an engineering project from one of our programs over here and let them look at the property. And then we've got masonry. Maybe they're not the right ones to do it, but you know, we could prepare those kind of things. So, we ought to use some of these that need things that our students and teachers, instructors have the potential to give them um on hands experience to be able to utilize. That's just a thought. Um just to finish up why I think that when you look at these um who who gets this

035list primarily first? Us? >> Yes. >> You all? >> Um >> you all requested it. >> We requested it. >> Okay. So I think as far as administrative obviously the first thing I would think is important on here are the safety things. And if you all as an administration deem something as a serious safety concern, then obviously it probably should be addressed because those things do arise. >> Oh, sure. >> And uh one other thing, Mr. actions. Um, if you see things that probably need to have a work order submitted, which I look when I look at these, I think, well, why haven't we, you know, have we submitted a principal submitted a work order? And if so, then, you know, what's the chances of of you having enough staff to actually get something done?

036I know because those are very limited but some things can be done and then other things you know the the school themselves obviously when I look at this probably should be responsible for >> sure >> and I don't know what their funding is um the one thing I would like to say is if we have I don't know what the correct phrase would be but when we look at our schools from from Oakville to Lashik Mata to um um Montcon I really as a person who lives with we live on the outskirts and we don't have a lot of infrastructure I'll just say it lightly our phones don't work a lot of times our we we don't get our roads treated appropriately Lisa, we have Rex on etc etc and and that's a sore spot.

037So if we look at these lists and we see in I guess the word I would like to use is imbalances between our different schools. If one school has it and we're we figure out a way to get it to one school then maybe we should figure out a way to serve the kids in other other schools. So if those exist then maybe those should be given some priority. So that um um sometimes quality treating our kids equal is also spending money on them equally that I know as far as their playground equipment and things like that and and that can be accomplished both internally and with our help. So, I I guess that's where I was going with a lot of this. >> Understand? >> But my number one thing is if we truly

038see a safety concern, >> um I think it should be put to the top. >> That was always one. >> I think that's always the case. Is it not? I I think the reason that the intermediate bluefield intermediate gym or bleachers became an issue was because there were safety issues, >> right? >> So, they po they popped it and took care of it. Generally speaking, I think what we do is um and and we kind of we've talked about it, but we we take care of the the needs first and then we try to get to the wants and with with the you hate to say it, but with funding issues and looming >> staffing is a big thing. I see >> very expensive project. >> If you had enough people out there, Mr. Atkins,

039you could >> cure a lot of ills. >> Sure, we can do a lot more with more people, but I may then have more headaches. But uh at the same time um I glancing through these I really don't see a whole lot of safety concerns and g department work immediately from the principal and we try to hop on those as fast as we can but uh I I know there are a lot of times when we have our border risk reviews in and Dr. Sound talk about this quite often. It's mulch on playgrounds, protrusions in playgrounds, and historically that's the school's responsibility and it while it's a huge burden on a small school or any school, uh it it's always a concern and I know every elementary principal has that in the back of their

040mind constantly that there there can't be enough mulch in the whole world. They feel like that to make their playground safe. But um and you know, Miss Wellman and I, we talked about maintenance not working on playground equipment and that had historically been the way and we think that was the way of the previous administration prior to Mr. Toman. But we have done some work uh with some of the schools that they've purchased and we'd help we've helped install. So it's helping them with some of the costs. So we we try to uh equally and equitably take care of all the students in schools, >> you know, and we passed our school bond levy and uh those of us when we read through it, we know that there's it mentions some of these items in

041that school bond levy is providing funds for. So I I just like for example, I saw in here several cases where seating and furniture for the kids is mentioned. I think that's part of the school bond that they're, you know, those kind of needs are to be addressed. And so, have we bought furniture? >> I know we've we've ordered, we've ordered quite a bit of chairs this year. I know Miss Wellman could speak to it, but I know Pike Middle first pops to my mind. We've ordered some chairs from there because everything they had was original. >> When they asked and the need is brought to us, we do. We just found that Athens had a desperate need. And when she said, "I need chairs desperately," I said, "Okay, let's start this year. Let's start

042with one grade." So, we're doing one grade at Athens this year. We said we do one grade next year. Until this, I didn't know that [clears throat] there was a need. Pike View Middle asked and said they needed chairs. So, we purchased chairs for them. >> That's very, very important. So maybe what we need with you saying that is some communication between our administrator be the squeaky wheel if you're a principal. >> Sometimes you need to be some people don't mind. You're right. Some people don't mind. >> That was the point. That was the point of this with LSIC's. We got this every single year, >> right? >> We had it. We could look at it and you could go, well, you know, that's a want and that's a need and that's a want and

043that's a need. And the wants always came first on the list. I honestly looking through this the the need that I see u and yeah it's my com is they have a freezer problem >> that's set to be replaced next summer. >> There you go. >> We just couldn't do it this year because there wasn't time. >> So you've already dealt with that. You know the the um >> we want we want a sign on our parking lot. We want so outside classroom space. Those are those are >> these are this is a communication device as long as we make sure we >> well we just we need to plan that at the beginning of each maybe at the end of each school year the >> LS or the budget if we do this budget

044and we can get some legitimate you know to me seating and desks are one of the top priorities. It is >> um those kids are there all day so we start addressing that and Dr. Atkins and I have talked about this [clears throat] um when we made changes to step seven last year um actually before Mr. Browning retired. That's what the plan was is that we take some of the step fund seven funding and have major project improvements such as we talk about auditorium curtains. You know, if they've been there 50 years, there personally Mercer and Princeton Middle where we raise money for those curtains as a parent and we don't feel that parents need to do that or schools should be focused on doing that um when it's something that's necessary. So that's what

045Dr. Atkins and I had talked about last year um is that that that's what our goal is is to set aside some of the step seven funds for that as well as having a method for requesting these things and trying to prioritize those things. >> The last thing I've when I've looked at this that the last meetup situation with their traffic >> um >> can I speak to that? >> Yes, sir. >> Yeah. Leanne and I met and talked about that in August in detail and right, >> but that's too late, you know. So, when we talked about it, I told her that's a next summer type of a deal. And it's some very easy solutions there. Mr. Atkins and I have talked about it. We know it's a next year uh paving project type

046of a deal. And there's solutions that we we've discussed, but it was too late to get it in on. >> But there's also only so much you can do there because you come to the edge of the parking lot and it drops straight down. >> Yeah, there there is only so much you can do, but there are some really easy solutions to the issue she I'm sure. >> And um a lot of the schools that haven't experienced large [cough and clears throat] uh parent traffic flow haven't historically had good traffic patterns and things uh in place. And that's something that I've had some experience with and have been able to work with them on that. Um, but Miss Taylor has uh some great ideas. Mr. Atkins has some great ideas and I think somewhere in

047the middle of that will be some good solutions for last meet. >> One of them possibly be a a sidewalk or a walking area from some of that parking to the school rather than just having to walk through the park. >> Well, I think part of it will be trying to get um some additional parking behind the school and on the end so that you don't have to have staff parking out there. far away. And Mr. Prudich is right, it's narrow anyway. And so if you can move your staff parking closer, that just frees that up actually for events and activities where it wouldn't be an everyday type piece. And then there's no, a lot of our schools don't have true lanes. There's no lanes there. There's no arrows. There's, you know, directionality to to

048your traffic. So there there are some things that fairly simple. >> Do we have a paint machine for parking lots or do we contract that out? Generally speaking, what I've done Oh, I want to before I talk about that, uh, just Leanne and I actually talked about that this morning again. So, it's an ongoing conversation and he and I and Miss Rickman at Blue Primary, Bluefield Primary Design for traffic flow is atrocious. So, we've talked about we've talked about how we can improve both those schools and it is I always revisit that in the spring when we do that. But, um, to answer your question, we do have a a machine. Um what I've what I've historically done high schools I don't do I don't do restriping because they they have parking that they students

049are paid for so I feel that they can afford to do their own but I have done a couple elementaryaries every summer. >> We did Montcom High this year by hand because there was so few and uh we rolled them. It it just doesn't last like it does if I were to get a company to come out and actually spray and do it right. >> Yeah. Last week that's a strip job. I I I'm It's still I still look at it and think to myself with all due respect to the people that put the building there. What were you thinking? >> Pretty good deal. >> I can't help what the deal was. There was a lot of land there. >> There was a lot of land in Lashik Moka. You could have built that somewhere

050else. That that's just jamming a school on the side of a mountain is what that was. Uh, and I, you know, fortunately, I think we, we try to avoid that stuff now and we look and look and look until we find, uh, I mean, it at Princeton Intermediate, it's a good example. We're looking and looking and looking until we find something that's suitable for everybody and traffic. And and I and I want to commend everybody for the the Timberwood solution. I don't think the parents can exceed the parent parking line if everybody comes and picks their kids up. Uh, as Dr. track and said when we were in the construction and I know Leslie felt the same way. We're going to build a parent loop for 150 kids cars and and it's there >> and

051just think and just think back >> a separate bus loop >> and a separate bus loop. Yes. >> Yeah. >> And just think of the wonderful memories of going to this network and trying to figure out what the heck we was going to do. So those were tough times. Well, and you know, it's it's an evolved problem because >> us when we went to school, we either probably walked or rode a bus. >> Wasn't any of the parents picking up kids? >> I still amazed that at seven years of age, I was walking on the road between my house and MCOM school. I mean, it there's places where it's about that wide and if you fall over, you're going to go to the river. Um, so, uh, but we did. Yep. >> And the cars

052were a lot wider then, too. >> Well, I appreciate you all's time. Like I said, Mr. Greg, um, >> said I wanted to talk about this. Yeah, Greg Prudish. >> I [laughter] appreciate you all. Sounds like you've already done a lot on this, and I appreciate that. >> And and I'm not surprised by that. I I I would like maybe the very last thing, the very last LSIC meeting of each year, they give us this. We've already budgeted by that point, but it gives us a >> it gives us a rotating >> and we're going to uh schedule LSIC meetings probably January, February for our improvement schools and that's about 13 of them. So that gets a big percentage of that. But I do I did start uh two or three years ago and Mr.

053Dragons is correct that just in in my evaluation conference and my end of year I spend time with each principal and that is part of it you know the facilities piece and I think this does give us some more information because like with lash meet that wasn't a conversation we had in May it's a conversation you have in August and that was too late but as as convoluted as that one seems I think it is a fairly simple uh fix and solution you know same thing with Bluefield Intermediate We resolved some traffic issues there simply by uh a new new paving and again painting lanes and some directionality that didn't exist. Infrastructure is very difficult to add. So you know that's something that we can do and then blueoot primary is extremely challenging. It's uh

054in looking at the list uh the the front window decals have become really popular as security measures and you can only see one way in and of course that's great but it if I understand it up to this point every school has done that themselves. That's not been something the county's funded. Um so we need to also keep in mind what is best for the county and what's best for the school. Um, so that's a good conversation on that. That's why I like work sessions. >> Any uh whether you want the LSIC's done because we were going to do them before the board meeting or individual board meetings when we when we scheduled the LSIC's. >> Yeah. What [clears throat] we've done historically is do an hour early or something like that and have a

055delegation because the focus of course >> um what the LSIC code with 2322 now is on school improvement you know and that's more on academics and those types of pieces and these are things that we could I don't know that that would be the right time but we definitely will include in the conversations but we have um you know two new new CSI schools that will this is year one of a three-year designation and that's Mountain Valley Bluey How many total schools will we have? >> If we do all the yellow warning schools, which is a one-year designation, it's 12 or 13. >> We need to break that up. Sure. We discovered that when you do large groups, you think very superficial, right? >> No more than four is what my mind was about 15

056minutes, you know, like a 10-minute presentation and five minutes for questions or something like that. If the board wants more time than that, it would take a couple of months, but we could do it. >> So, here's my suggestion. One of the issues we face when we give one school 10 minutes, it becomes ditto. You know, the the the next school will stand up and go, "Yeah, that's what we're doing. That's what we've talked about." We need to avoid that somehow. It needs to be there needs to be a better way to communicate the issues that the at each school separately. uh >> on the academic >> I think one of the ways you do that is you find out what not all the wonderful things we're doing but what are your problems >> how

057are you >> tell us specific the purpose is how are you addressing the problems that you've identified >> tell us tell us give us information so we know what your problems are >> and then tell us how you're addressing them as opposed to just we're doing all these things >> sure yeah and we could we could do that focus but so often improvement efforts are the same you know best practices are best practice so I don't you know and with if we do all of them I guess the only way to avoid that would be only have one at a time but I don't think there's enough board meetings for >> not so much that as as the the the groups that are coming together the administrators need to coordinate with each other. >> Sure.

058uh you know if if every school is doing the exact same thing uh which I doubt I mean best practices are one thing but there's a lot of unique things that schools do uh throughout the county u to address some a specific issue they've had come up that hadn't come up elsewhere it it just it becomes it becomes so rott when when it's like yeah that's what we're doing too questions it doesn't get into the meat of the issues which would tell what challenges you're facing and then tell us what you're doing so we are aware of I mean I think we all have a general idea but again some schools it's unique uh a unique environment for some reason >> sure >> um and how they're facing those issues and what they need that's

059the one thing you can't ever get them to tell us and that is what do you need if and if it is staff say that so we at least know >> right >> and can and can deal with that. But it it it um my experience has always been and when we did all schools with LSIC, it became this wrote, "Yeah, we do that too." Yeah, we do that till you have any questions. Uh so the first one seems to kind of throw everything out and then the rest of them are like, "Yeah, that's what we do, too." Uh, so have them if if they're coming as a group, at least have the administrators talk to each other and they can share. These are some of the main things we're doing because I'd rather it

060be the reverse. I'd rather hear five or six minutes from them and then have 10 minutes for questions to be honest with you. >> Sure. Sure. >> But that's just me. >> Can I make one more comment? >> Please go right ahead. It seemed like I think I heard earlier from Leslie that there was we do not [clears throat] have a policy on playgrounds which I think I've seen over the years. It seemed like a lot of this stuff is this something that we should be establishing a policy on all the things or some of the things we just got through discussing >> it. It probably is, but understand that um again in in the past we have all been told that maintenance and the Mercer County Board of Education is not responsible for playgrounds.

061That's at the school level. Um it playground equipment is extremely expensive. So there will be a major financial impact if we do not if we do not have good solid guidelines. Many of the schools request grants and they've used grants for their playgrounds. Um I know Athens for example got $30,000 from the shop foundation for their playground. So sometimes again it's requesting raise and we just did that for blue >> probably the slide the slope we've gone down that's created more of the request well you put one in at Timberwood [clears throat] that's true um but in the past in the past administration it was an absolute no we're not putting in playground equipment for elementary >> right >> and I think that's a m personal opinion is that's a mistake we build a new

062elementary it needs to have a playground >> right Yeah. >> Well, I mean it's it's it's part of the management of kids behavior is letting them go out and run and scream and yell and jump up and down. >> That's what I'm saying. Be like it'd be good playgrounds and otherwise maybe if we had a policy so if somebody say what do we do they'll know here's your policy we do it or we don't do it. >> I had suggested um [clears throat] again based upon Raleigh County um their guidance and learning best practices. Dr. Atkins and I had talked about putting that in the next excess levy call because we do not have playground equipment in the levy. That that is something that perhaps we could do. Good idea. >> Um we're looking, you

063know, when you do a full playground, you're looking at a half a million dollars now. >> Raleigh County is putting 800,000. If you look at some of theirs, um they've put major funds. They weren't able to do it immediately. However, it took years building up the funds to do that. And right now all of the funds that we raise go into new projects. And so that that is a decision the board's going to have to make. We do not have funds set aside right now for half a million dollar playgrounds. I like the idea of the inhouse grant program too because that gives them an opportunity to present their needs and then us an opportunity to evaluate and prioritize and and pick and choose and that at least gives them an opportunity to put in

064for it. So >> well and and a lot of them are only comparing the condition of their playground to the condition of their playground. They don't have a full assessment because there are some even on this list that are in much much better condition and none are unsafe but in much better condition and then also for a extreme reduced amount of money you can make corrections is what we've done at Princeton Primary and Bluefield Intermediates on deck for a very small amount of dollars to be able to resolve some things and then Mr. has done a great job on some of those um benches and different things that are, you know, adjacent to playgrounds. But I think there's more than one way to approach this, you know, in the short term because replacement and support

065long term, that's as as Leslie's saying, that's a huge dollar commitment and may even be the next levy call type of a approach. So, I think what we probably need to do is start talking about a policy that implements this idea of the grant approach. The one thing that we have to be mindful of is is some years you're going to have more money and other years you're going to have less money. And and it's it's always dependent on that. And I I remember in the past Dr. would come in and go, you have 1.2 million in carryover. Let's talk about the projects. I can tell you right now I've got three at the top of the list. They're all musthaves and that takes eight $800,000. So you've got $400,000 to work with. Give me

066your priority list and we'll go through it. Uh but I like the grant approach better because it allows it allows uh Tom and Leslie to analyze what's going on. They can go out and look at it because it's that's not our job as board members, you know. It's okay, we've looked at this and here are the priorities, which is exactly what the SBA does. And then the people on the SBA board have to make decisions after that. So, I think that's that's probably something we should start looking at. Okay, good conversation. >> One more thing. Rosemary, do you have any snacks? >> I do. >> I need some. Thank you. >> Give that >> I have a protein bar. >> You have a protein bar? Yeah. >> Could you check in there and see if

067they've got anything cooked >> back in? >> I have a protein. >> A few things got [laughter] >> that looks familiar. Is >> that good? >> Sorry guys. That's good stuff. >> Okay. >> So, for purposes of information, but we can't act on them today. You should have had on your desk two different potential policies. One relates to employees right to record meetings and one relates to uh procedures for people entering our facilities. Uh those are something that you'll be looking at for the future. We can't discuss them today, but they're they're going through the administration. He's got them and and uh we may see these back here in short order. Um >> I see one >> one's one page and one's multiple page. >> Oh, okay. >> I can send you electronically to >>

068Okay. That way I can do that. They're still being they're still being looked at and formatted. So, >> is this one of the ones you're talking about? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> It's it's it's a portion of that. That's why they're being for That's why I'm saying they're being formatted. There's stuff in there that we'll be pulling out and putting in >> the appropriate location in our policy. >> You only brought one piece. >> Oh, wow. So that works. >> That's got carbs in it. Now you're going to be dinging the other. [laughter] >> It looks good. >> It's not a >> There is no There is no blame to go around. He got his cake. We're good. >> I can't eat all that. Yeah. >> All right. So, um I'm going to dual credit

069rigger was something that Justinda wanted to discuss. So, let's talk about monetizing sports. All right. You've heard me talk about this over and over and over and over again. [clears throat] Sports are expensive and the sports teams need a lot of support and it's I mean just bluntly it's financial support. Equipment costs a lot, facilities cost a lot, transportation costs a lot. [clears throat] And just based on an observation and and this is being discussed all over the nation, not just here, but the SSAC's discussed it, the SESC has discussed it. And that is is we are giving away [snorts] the product to people that are monetizing it themselves. and they're making profit on on uh Mercer County schools, high schools, and middle schools programs by streaming and by uh photography and by uh taking

070all these other things. I don't want to call it a product because I don't view it as a project. They're sports teams, but the people that are monetizing them view them as a product. When I watched Graham and Bluefield play online, there were banner ads the entire game across the bottom. I don't know what those cost, but they probably weren't cheap. And then it breaks there were ads, one right after another. And then I inquired as to what we got for that game, and I thought first 10 minutes of the game, they got that. So, u I think we need to take a we we've discussed this early on, but if we don't keep talking about it and start working toward a procedure, a policy, whatever you want to call it, we're going to get

071into next year and we're not going to have done anything. So, we need to do it now so we've got it ready for next sometime next summer when people are going to start looking at this. And I'm assuming the best approach, if I'm correct, would be an RFP. Is that is that the a best approach to take um on something like this? Or is it here's what we're willing to do? You just send it out and go here's what we're willing to do uh and hope people jump. I I mean, I don't I don't know on that one. >> It'd be interesting to know where where we're at on some of them. Do you know, Mr. Mitch on some of them even the photography or or I know we had that issue at the with

072the independents wanting the video but do all of them have or not and they got [clears throat] different photographers different places all that do you know >> different >> but they're there's no they're just they're coming up and showing up right they're volunteering [snorts] they're showing up >> live stream the live stream they contracted >> but the live stream they've contracted um with some of the photographers they've allowed >> this allow Right. >> them to be there. Yes. But they've not allowed students to be out taking pictures, which was our issue with the >> They just allow them if they have like a press release a press file. >> If they have Yes. And so I don't think they have they create those. I think some of them are individual press passes. Is that correct?

073I would be I don't know for sure. >> I know that each of the high schools have someone in particular that they use. >> But are they but they're not their individual ownership? Yes. Yes. They're not from the >> No, they don't get any compensation for >> taking the pictures. >> Um, so they don't have that. The live streaming though like that Bluefield's doing >> the photographers do get compensation because they sell their product. >> That's true. You're right. >> They do not school because they're not compensating them. So legally, we don't have to bid that since we're not buying that. >> We can determine who goes out there, but the school is not bidding it. But they're monetizing what they're selling is my point. So they are making money on the product. They're coming

074to our facilities and they're making money on our our uh sports that they're not sharing with us. >> Not the parents pay for >> and I understand that. But that's still a profit for them. That's no difference in my mind than uh a company paying for a banner in a in a and and it being just taken out there and shown without any compensation to the school system. It's still it's still a po for-profit model for the person that's selling the product to to whoever they're selling it to. >> Chime in on that. And [clears throat] I can't speak for everybody, but I do know because I have grandkids that are at Princeton or have been at Princeton and pictures. Um, Greg Barnett has tons of pictures out there all the time from there, but

075I print those and I never go through him to print those [clears throat] or pay him anything to get them. I can do it right now and send them to Walgreens and pick them up in a little while. >> Sure. request for >> I've I've thought about this quite a bit and discussed it with principles for a couple of years and I I'll just throw this out there. One thing that kind of that I think about is, you know, we have we have our home games and I was wondering if it would be possible per game to just have charge a license fee if you're going to uh if you want to bring your radio station in, and it doesn't have to be a lot, then maybe there'll be a $25 charge or a license

076fee for whatever radio station carrying the games. And license fees could be based upon um the type of media like radio, something with video, maybe something with photography. And you would have a scale, a countywide scale >> that is charged to anyone that's wanting to produce something on our school grounds that they're going to use. >> I I I get that. But I think the the benefit of doing it as an arer as opposed to us setting the rate because there are games where they're going to make a whole lot more money and there are games when they're going to make very little money. So it it's hard to do it per game because uh you know Princeton Bluefield plays, they're going to they're going to want that. Bluefield Grand plays, they're going to want

077that. >> So on an RFP, is that going to have when you say there's more money to be made at [clears throat] one game than another game? So, are they going to be bid per season or per game? >> Well, I would think per season, but but you got to remember it's kind of like Walmart and Christmas time. They make 45% of their profit at Christmas time, but they're still open all year long >> and they still they still even in the slow times, they're still selling stuff. So, it's the same idea. So, you know, you're going to get you're going to be the exclusive streamer for Princeton High School and you're going to stream every game and some games you're going to the streamer is going to make a lot more money and some

078games they're going to make less money, but they're still going to make money because they're still selling ads because the approach you take is is it's a it's a six game home package. This is what that package costs. We don't as a streamer you don't say we'll sell you just ads on this is what it costs and then they spread that over the over the season. Now they've got equipment they've got to pay for. They've got individuals they've got to to pay to to do whatever they do. But the reality of it is is streaming after the initial expense costs very little. You buy your equipment, you set it up, and you stream. If you're if you're paying people to do uh playbyplay or color, my guess is you're not paying them a lot. They're

079there three hours. Uh if you pay them $20 an hour, you're giving them 60 bucks. If you pay them $100 an hour, you give them $300. It's still um the kids need to get the money for their programs. That's where I'm at on all this. It's this money needs to to funnel down to and it needs to go to their programs. It doesn't need to go in a school fund for something else. It's for the sports programs to help them fund what they need. It's hard to argue that and then say, well, you know, these companies are doing us a service. Well, that's true, but we're also losing money because people aren't coming to the games because they're staying home and watching them on on streaming and they're paying a streaming service to watch them

080or the or the ads that the streaming service is getting. They're they're monetizing and they're making money. I got no problem with them making money. None at all, but some of the money needs to go to the the kids that are playing the sports that everybody >> understand all that. I'm just trying to get to the logistics of what we're going to do and how we're going to do it [clears throat] and how to make it um as a building principal or uh athletic director, how you can make it um not a a huge headache, how you could uh whether you want to do it for the season or whatever. That's the value of an RFP is you say you're the streamer for the school. [snorts] No one else can stream at this at this

081school. >> So, if you've got two radio stations that want to cover a football game, >> does the person whoever bid it has exclusive rights to it? >> That's the way you do it. >> Well, then what about the visiting team? >> If Woodrow comes to Bluefield and they want their radio station to sit up in the press box >> and do it on on the radio and plus you've got WVA that's doing it, they're going to be doing one game. Um, you know, I know at Bluefield, >> well, for visitors, you figure it I mean, you figure out the difference. I mean, that there are but but for home games >> e even if I mean quite frankly, if if the radio station's coming down from Woodro to to do it, they're making money

082selling ads, right? >> They're making money, too. On again, they'll say it's on Woodrow's product and I'll go, well, except that you're playing in Mercer County and it's against the Mercer County school. So yeah, you're going to have to Annie up a little bit in order to do that. >> That's why I say home games from last year to this year with video productions. Um Mr. Collins got involved [clears throat] deeply because you've got the radio station that's out selling ads. You've got their person that is is on video productions feed. So you've got anyway, he negotiated a much higher compensation for this season versus last season. And when you want to think about figuring it all out because there's a lot of different variables out there, Mike's also on the executive board of the

083WBSSAC, right? >> He could he could speak with them because now for the playoffs, you can only watch their feed, >> stream their feed, right? And that's through the National High School Federation, >> right? >> And you know, National High School Federation has their own cost >> to give us to watch to watch the game. But his compensation this year for three games for video productions [clears throat] was was a lot. >> But see that I I hear that, but when I ask principles how much you're getting, it's always vague. I never I never get a number. >> Mike Mike can I think can tell you now. I don't know about Chris here and the others, right? But I mean, you know, some schools are streaming basketball now. >> Yeah. >> Uh it needs to

084it's it's it's going to continue to grow >> uh as demand exists and people can monetize it and >> the students the student athletes need to get their share. >> Did they have an issue with the company? They didn't allow them. I think that was like two years ago. >> Two years ago. >> Yeah. >> And they were real pretty. Not to muddy the water, but another wrinkle I got the other day was overlaying the radio broadcast onto the huddle stream. So, got a school that wants to do the huddle stream that they are they use production truck. They're generating that content, but the playbyplay would be produced by the radio station. So, they've got the radio announcers overlay that school's video. >> Not Herbert Hoover. >> We're controlling the streaming. >> So, we're we're

085we're controlling the streaming. But if we're talking about char I just want to throw that out because if we're talking about charging the radio station for broadcasting rights, we would be using those to create that stream and our huddle production truck. So it gets a little money. >> That's true. But the radio station is selling ads, >> right? >> That's what I keep going back to. >> And we could potentially sell ads for this. >> Correct. And we could potentially sell ads off of our huddle stream as well, that video stream. So that >> nobody is doing this out of the goodness of their heart. It's a business model to make money. >> Okay. >> Everybody that shows up >> is doing it to make money and the student athletes need to benefit from that.

086[clears throat] >> Have we checked with other counties what they're doing? >> I mean, maybe somebody's figured this out already. >> Well, the it's it is still the wild west out there. There's still a lot of different models. I think uh Jason Butcher of the SC has a pretty good handle on it and perhaps we should get him to a meeting to really discuss it in detail with us. But the but the bottom line is is that that uh when WVA shows up, when the radio stations show up, they're doing it because they make money doing it. They're not doing it because it's a charity. and and I don't want to I don't want to impinge their right to make a profit, but by the same token, our students are the reason they're there. >>

087Well, I think there's a difference between WVA, a news organization showing up >> and they're just doing a clip. They're not >> Yeah, they're they're doing a clip and it's after the game. >> Okay. I I that's a bad example. I mean, I get that. >> No, they they do the they do the radio feed for Bluefield High School just like the one over here in Princeton does. >> Oh, WVA does. >> Yeah. Oh, not BVA. I'm sorry. J 104 100.9. >> I'm not talking about I'm not talking about a news station that's doing a a here's the score. Here's a picture of a play >> highlights, >> right? That's what I'm talking about. I'm talking about people that are monetizing. And in truth, it it it is monetizing. Even WVA is monetizing the sport,

088but but it's a little more ephemeral. it's a little harder to pinpoint, but when someone comes to stream the product >> and it's definitely a lot more traditional, it's always been done that way. >> Yeah, the media has always been that >> because we are losing gate to streaming. >> That's where my >> That's an absolute fact. There's no doubt about it. >> The the thing that we need to be concerned with is the reasons people [snorts] can are not there at the ball games buying a ticket if they're streaming. >> Age. Well, I know >> that's part of it. That's part of it. That's what people That's where the revenue comes from. That revenue is going out of our hands, our [snorts] athletic departments, our student athletes, into the hands of uh businesses outside

089of the school system. >> Well, the reason I wanted to get it on topic for discussion is I didn't want to roll around into >> midsummer and have and and we really hadn't done much with it. Uh you know, inertia is a It's tough to get moving and everybody's busy and everybody's got a million things going on. Uh so you have to kind of keep proddding and going, okay, we need to we need to start talking about this in more detail. >> So that might be an athletic director in each of the schools. >> well, I know I think it needs to happen at the county level. I think the >> but to gather the information and make the recommendations, >> right? I agree with that. But you may get four different recommendations, too. >>

090Uh because every that's why I'm saying it's still the wild west out there. Everybody's doing different things. I know. I've watched basketball games at MCOM and it's just the camera going back and forth. They've mounted a camera in the in the gym and it follows the action and that's all it does. There's nothing else. >> When Bluefield played Nicholas County, I watched the game and they had three students that did a heck of a job. >> They did they did a great job. >> It was really good. And they that was one of the community helped them with with the live streaming part. Helped the expense of the live streaming and they got some advertisements. I mean, if you didn't get to go to the Bluefield High School game last Saturday, but I've never heard

091I've never heard the guy that does the p the PA announcing say more stuff about, you know, want to thank, you know, Greg Prudage for his support of WBSSAC activity. I bet there was every time there was something in between plays, >> they were giving something >> that somebody had [cough] done or committed to supporting WBSSAC activities. So from when the when your our local stuff ends at the end of the 10 game 10ame season. Now, regardless of who's playing tonight, tomorrow, same thing last week, moving all the way to Charleston, it all is WBSSAC sanctioned, you can't get video productions to be a part. >> Well, it's one of the it's one of the last areas of untapped income for school systems, and that is their events. >> Okay? >> And uh and again,

092if if everybody's doing it for free, I'd say, you know, that's great. We just why bother the model? but they're not. They're making money on it. Uh and so we have to be mindful of that and the money needs to be funneled to the the the uh >> okay >> the students. >> It seems to me that it would be very difficult to basis on a percentage model of income because you'd almost have to have audited financial statements from the providers to be able to get an accurate accounting of what they're taking in. That's why you do an RFP because then it's it's competition. >> Yeah. Well, I'm just saying though. I'm just saying to account for it on the back end. If you do a percentage, how do we know? We'd have to have

093some assurance that the percentages that are being reported are accurate. And so, unless we specify in RFP that they're going to have to I'm not sure how most of these companies are. >> The question is how accurate. >> That's what I'm saying. You don't know that it's accurate. They could say they're making $1,000 an hour and they could be making 20,000. >> Well, I'm going to about it. They're giving them that information. But then I said, "Well, do we know if that's really how >> they don't unless you have some type of audit of financial statements, which they're probably not going to get or in a timely manner. So, it might be more feasible to do some type of base rate is what I'm saying as opposed to a percentage a set fee for the

094season or something." >> Again, that's the benefit of an RFP. You may have one proposed a percentage. You may have one proposed a flat fee. >> Um >> I just think if we accept a percentage, you have to have some type of assurance that is accurate. And I I think there's a high risk of it. >> Then it's a settlement up at the end of the season. >> Yeah. But you still it still has to be based on something. You can't it can't just be them telling you I made $1,000 on ads or $10,000 on ads. You don't I mean they could say whatever they want. We'd have to have a system in place to verify that. Two seasons ago, um, Mr. Collins contacted the radio station in Bluefield after before right before season started

095and the the salesperson for the radio station went ballistic because she had already gone out and sold all the ads. So, you know, there needs to be a partnership on the front end um or some some language that explains, okay, we're the product, you're going to sell the sell the product, and be compensated for it. So, you know, we need to we need to know that information. >> What information? >> What what they're what ads they're selling, who they're selling to, how often. >> I don't think that's our business. I really don't. >> Well, then how are we going to be compensated? I I still like the idea of of to make it more simple to using the kids principle to try to do something simple to begin with whether we sell a a license

096fee or something at at the for each game or whether we do it for a season to >> I think you're leaving too much money on the table. >> I some schools they may not have 15 people watching. So if you said if you >> I know. So you're going to Well, >> but where do you But the I guess my concern is you say you set the licensing fee at $2,500 a season and they make $50,000 >> then if if you get >> But you how do you know if you don't if you don't do something? How do you know they made $50,000 is my question. >> I don't know that it's the school system's business. How much a business is making >> if they're >> off of a product? >> We're the product.

097wear the product. >> But again, that's up to the business to get off their um their people to sell the product that we're producing. Well, I think I know last year Jason told me that they looked into a specific game in another county and when they discovered the amount of money that the the streaming service made off of that game, the schools went ballistic. They absolutely lost their minds. They're like, "You made how much off our game and you gave us this?" >> So they there's a way to find out what they're what they're getting. I mean, the simple solution is you look at them and go, you know, it's a percentage. You have to show us what you're selling and how much you're getting and we get an X percentage of that. And we

098have to trust that they're honest business people. If they're not, then they're violation of the contract. And if we find out, that's what we have lawyers for. >> Well, then maybe moving forward, not to beat this dead horse. We're going to have to figure out some way to begin the process and then come to Mr. commen >> and that that's um ultimately the concern >> and Mr. The conversation we had with him about probably two years ago was and I don't know if he's changed since then. He may have learned from from those two years but it was he he was wanting promoting heavily promoting in-house production of the video. So not and his his stance was we are giving it away by subbing it out to other production other video. He was adamantly he

099was suggesting out of MCTech that um they would be a production class all in house and then we can sell that is truly our product and ads and whatever after that is that's our product at that point I think is still his stance of >> well but he would also know he would also know the other options though I mean >> we don't have the potential go out and sell ad we don't have the resources >> we have marketing classes They Well, I better >> Oh, okay. >> So, they're doing like what Brent's talking about where they're overlaying the radio. >> We have one of the teachers that does the commentary to do that, >> but it's on the radio also. as >> it's on the radio. >> I don't know Eric's on the board,

100so I don't know what all he does. Okay. >> But as far as NFHS, it's through an inhouse. >> As with all things, it's complicated. >> Yeah. >> So, I'm going to move on because we've got two more big things we need to talk about. Let's do we'll save expulsions for last. Let's do dual credit rig. Um, [clears throat] you want to speak? >> Yeah. I I've had um a couple parents of recent graduates approach me um who have had kids in the dual credit programs who have college this year and they several I've talked to three in particular directly but they were concerned that their students are going into an upper level class based on what dual credits they have from MCT and they're not prepared in their opinion opinion and the three that

101I spoke to I'm familiar with the students and they're very top level performing students so um they're they were cons ones I spoke to were in the medical and then the education programs those were the two that I spoke to two in the medical one in the so for instance if a kid is getting credit for what they've done at MCT for chem 1 and then they're going to WVU and they're in chem 2 and they're not prepared because the rigor was not there and the material was not covered equivalent to what would have been taught in chem1 at WVU. >> What I can say to speak to that um in my and I've been tracking that's what I've been doing. This is the first year I'm tracking the uh healthc care because we it

102was the first year we had those students finished and then second year with the grow your own the grow your own um according to the people that I have spoken with the parents and and the students and a few of them that are at Concord. They're doing very well in the grow your own. >> Okay. >> Um >> the one I spoke to in education was at Concord as well. I've had some concerns just so you know. And the and then as far as the others, I've really been watching their their um in particular chemistry if they took it. >> Yeah. >> And I know of two that are having some difficulty, but >> one of the parents is in medicine and said to me, you know, well, we told our child that you're in

103a higher level class now, you're going to have to work harder. It's not that it's material they've not seen. It's just they're not used to the type of of time and commitment you have to take. But I will tell you that I know of six that are between Concord, um, WVU, Marshall, those three schools that are doing very very well. Well, >> that's good to hear. >> And one of them actually has the highest uh grade in the class and they're they're bumping that person up to the next level next semester. They're skipping a class. >> Oh, wow. >> So, but now those students also had the same instructor, you I don't know depending on who's they had an instructor who has their doctorate in chemistry that did that class with them. I don't know

104with like kids now that will be coming up that may have had a different instructor than >> than who they had, but the proximity with the ones we had were great. >> We haven't had anybody in chemistry since that very first group. >> Um and that was a conversation that Rosemary and I had. They were kind of our guinea pigs. >> Yeah. Um, we weren't particularly fond of putting juniors in that class, so we quit doing it. So, we don't have anybody in chemistry right now. >> Um, if they take chemistry, they take it at their home high schools, and I know Pike View is working on getting a dual credit chemistry class with Kenneth Kenneth Klein. Um, but we don't have any here at MCT. So, Joseph, I'll pick on Joseph. even just specifically

105MCT. I'm just talking about dual credit and Mercer County and only one of the three that I've talked to mentioned chemistry specific which is why I mentioned that >> and I do know one that that I know very very well who is struggling but they did the chemistry online. They didn't do a chemistry. They did it in their home school in the library as a true online class and that student is struggling >> but it wasn't an inerson it wasn't facilitated. >> It wasn't proximity or in person. It wasn't facilitated through >> no anything with their dual credit. It was taking a college class, an online college class >> from wherever. >> And I I've got I have a grandson right now that's in a online class has nothing to do with dual credit. It's

106a Spanish class, right? >> But it is truly online that he goes to the library during that period and he works on his Spanish during that period. So >> Well, I know you have some good connections with the recent graduates. So and I really am tracking. I'm sure you have your finger on what's happening and >> it's kind of funny this this topic because this is what my dissertation was on >> was um the rigor of dual credit and like the perceptions of teachers and students who have gone through that. So I analyzed like four years of data from Mercer and Raleigh County and students that are in those programs. Um and for the most part you know you get about I think it was 81% was like yes this is great. you know, the

107other percent is like, "No, I wouldn't do it over." So, I mean, you kind of have you have that with everything. We start with >> The students perspective. Yeah. It's students and then teachers who teach in it. So, you know, like with our partnerships with New River, I used like the the instructors that came like Dr. Lambert, Angie Lambert, she came in person and gave instruction. Um Dr. Alicia Anderson came and did anatomy. So I got their perspectives as well on when these students move into the second level courses, are they ready? And so that was um you get you get mixed reviews, but overwhelmingly for the most part it was that they felt prepared. I have heard um and we've had a conversation with a couple teachers at Princeton High who do not feel

108like our dual credit classes are rigorous. So we have had those conversations um with them. Right now, there's a big difference between fact and opinion. So, a fact that we have in dual credit is that a couple years ago, the board tasked us with figuring out how to get kids associate degrees. So, we're working on that. That's a process. We change something every year. We don't like this class. We don't like this school. We don't like how this is. So, we try to make that product better every year. And it's a continual analysis of what's working and what's not. Then there's opinion. And a lot of times, you know, people just throw out an opinion, an opinion, and they don't have anything to back that. And so that's what we found. You know, I I

109make an opinion all the time like excessive numbers of pep rallies affect SAT scores. That doesn't mean it's true. That's just my opinion. So that's kind of where we're at. Would never ever ever could not put it on my heart to put a kid in a situation that I thought they weren't going to be successful or to set them up to fail. And we haven't seen that from the data that we have from the students who we talked to. I mean, every day we have a kid come back. Um, we had a parent yesterday come in and her kid is at Coastal Carolina and she took dual credit with us and she went straight into a medical program there and she she didn't get an associate degree. She didn't take all the classes. She just

110took a few. But she was like, she she is doing wonderful. She is so prepared and she just came in to thank us. she dropped us off a little cake and I and you know those things make you think okay you are doing the right thing but I'm sure there are kids who don't get the same thing out of it that other kids get out of it class or any it is one of >> that be the same with AP some kids get more out of AP than others >> when we started the dual credit one of the concerns was will they get what they need will they be rigorous enough right and and I can tell you there are kids I know of one right now that Daniel's discussed with me that will go

111back to the home school next semester or they're not successful, but you know, they kind of by that first year if they're doing the two-year programs, you they start seeing themselves, I'm not able to keep up with this or I I don't feel like I can do this, right? >> And so then rather than let them be a failure at it, then they start working with the homeschool, the counselor, the principal, and say, "Hey, you know, this child's not doing very good in this class. Can we give them back something? >> Position them back." >> Yes. So, I mean, we really are trying to watch monitoring it. Yeah, it's a continual process. We're changing things all the time, but you know, like right now, we've got um a 50/50 split on our college algebra. And

112that's one of the classes that um the teachers at Princeton that said was not rigorous. >> 5050 split on on >> and some are taking Blue State and some are taking New River. Okay. >> Um and for Bluefield State, the ones that are in that program have Dr. Amanda Reid and she was last year and I found out um Princeton Highs actually has kids in that same class because she left and left the vacancy and there was no one there to teach it. So we're teaching, you know, the same class that that the home high schools have right now. I know Pike View when they lost Mr. Bowman, their college algebra classes through New River. So it's the same class that's getting taught at the high schools. So, you know, I know Miss Mitchell relayed

113that information to the teachers at Princeton, but we always >> of course not. Absolutely. >> Sometimes parents, >> parents and their children have to make a decision about the classes because we don't want it to be a thing where everybody just wants to dual do dual credit and AP because they get those extra points. Um, and I can tell you of a couple kids right now that are at the high school, um, at one of the high schools that the parents