001your mic. >> Good afternoon. We'd like to call this meeting of the Nicholas County Board of Education to order. And at this time, please stand and join us for a moment of silent reflection. Thank you. Please join the board with the pledge. 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. >> Mr. Cochran, it's all yours. All right. Good evening, everyone. Good evening. >> How do you wait? So, um you know, this is awesome. We uh we wanted to get some um some students this evening in front of us, some student athletes and some students to recognize their hard work. Um, we just finished Thanksgiving break and um, you know, I'm thankful this
002evening just to see this room full. This is amazing and and this is what it's about right here. We have some great kids, some great students, but it starts with all the support from the parents and guardians and and coaches. So, I would like to thank you guys for all of that. Um, we are just how we'll navigate this this evening. Um, we are going to try to get you in and out as quick as we can. So, we're going to start with some athletic teams that we would like to recognize for their hard work on the athletic fields um for either winning a conference championship at the middle school level or advancing to the state competition at the high school level. Um, I know some of our student athletes are are multi-sports athletes and
003probably can't be here this evening, which is understandable, but we will still recognize them and we'll get those certificates to those who couldn't be here this evening. We'll get those to the schools and they'll get in their hands. But we're going to start with a pretty big group. So, I'm going to ask the coaches to come up first, tell us just a little bit about the season, then we'll we'll invite all the participants from from that athletic team up and uh we have a certificate for each of those members. So, let's start with let's start with Summersville Middle School soccer. Is coach Eric, Gad, or Jeremy here this evening? No. What about any of the soccer participants? Are you guys here? Come on up. Come on up. I got all right. Just stand right there
004in front. We'll get you. We'll get you. So, this is a large group. We do have some here tonight. Um, who was Is there any team captains here? Yeah. >> What's your name? >> Elias Blake. So, tell us a little bit about your season. How'd it go? Amazing. >> Okay. Amazing. What was your overall record? >> 19 to1. That's amazing. >> Good job. >> Good work. Conference champions. Correct. All right. That's great work. So, I will Let's see. So, you guys are just going to have to tell me because we got bugs certificates here, too. Is Noah here. Timmy Timmy. Is it? How do you pronounce Elias? Elias Jax. No. Austin East Carter is it? Is it Zayen? Is Zayen here? All right. Sadler Harrison Christian. No. Is it Garrett? Paxton, Amy, Seth, Owen, Tori,
005Ross, Brooklyn, Emma, was it Ta Taylor? No, >> Paige. Haley. [laughter] Is it Amma? Maya. Timothy. Abby. Mariana. Mariana. Aubrey, Mason, Eric, and Jeremy the coach. Okay, so we heard a little about your season. Conference champions, 19-1 overall. Um, we would like to thank you for all of your hard work and your dedication. Um, it shows, right? not only in the classroom, they don't they don't in the athletic. So, we'd like to thank you for representing us well tonight. Let's give him a round of applause. >> All right. Hold your certificate up here. >> All right. Thank you guys. You guys are free to go. Okay, get going. >> Hey, Mar. or telling how many's out the hallway. [laughter] Some little middle cross country. Middle cross country. Okay. Next we have we have Summersville Middle
006School Cross Country. Summersville Middle School cross country coaches Stacy Neil and Britney De are they here tonight. What about Summersville Middle School cross country members? Come on. >> Whatever. Hey, how are you? >> Saved your life. >> Vietnam. >> We have a middle school here. Tell us a little about your season. Who wants to start? >> Yeah, we have a great season. So, we start generally in June um with athletic practices. We most kids almost all of these guys came out um twice a week to three times a week in June and we progressed throughout the season and uh their hard work shows. So our two boys on the team were second second team all conference with 16th and 17th and then our girls team champion. >> Awesome. Back to the champions to great work.
007We have a we have a certificate for each of you if she wants to pass them out and then we'll get a picture. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, go ahead. Deon, >> I'll do a round up. Summer short. Sophie Skidmore Asbury, Sophie Johnson, Mariana Williams, Player Gro, >> we'll get that. We'll get to um so the girls so um the girls I just said I don't know if we heard but three three years in a row three years in a row conference. It's good work. So we like to thank you for your work and then we're going to get a picture real quick. Appreciate all your hard work. Any places one more. All right, let's give him a round of applause. Free to go. Take care. See you. Behave yourself. Okay, next we have um
008Nicholas County High School. We had a few members of the girls um cross country team that advanced to the state championships. Are they here this evening or the coaches? Either one. If not, we'll recognize them and and move on. I had Madison Angus, Bailey Priest, Ayah Hoover, and Coach Chris, and Coach Isy. Is any of them here as well? Okay. So, I don't think they knew that they were being recognized. Okay. But I can get Will you get those? I sure will. Okay. Thank you. Okay, let's move on to Richwood High School. >> Chris, Richmond High School. We'll start with the cheerleading team who advanced to the state competition. I traveled down to watch them that Friday and they they uh they represented us well. So, coaches, members, come on up. a little bit about
009your season and how >> they worked hard from June summer practices all the way up at the field the day off. Good group of kids super proud >> and did well. So >> first time in school history went in regional >> regional champions region. >> So for all your hard work and your efforts and I know it's hard. I've seen a lot of uh long Saturday practices, a lot of after schools. It's tough. It's tough. you guys represented us well. Um, you represented the school well, the community and we're proud of you. So, we have a certificate for each of you if you want to pass them out and then we'll get a picture. >> Adriana Miller, Lily writes, Jasmine's not here. She's at work. Sophia Hall, Ariana Richardson, Ivy Russell, Abra Hammond, Victoria Tucker.
010Macy Conrad. >> H Anderson Bethany could have did anything without her. >> Board members, you want to stand up? We'll get a picture. [laughter] >> Make Avery look. >> All right. Thank you for all your work. >> Thanks for coming. >> You guys are ready. >> Thank you. >> All right. What about Richwood High School? boys across country who advanced to the state competition. Do we have any pull on up? >> How are you? >> Thank you. >> How are you? How are you? >> I'm good. I had to change a tire on my way here. >> That's not good. >> So, I have on football and so cross country. [laughter] >> All right. Thank you guys for coming. Uh, tell us a little bit about your season. >> Any of you, coach? Any thought?
011>> Oh, good group of kids. Good group of kids. If you've never ran cross country, you don't realize how much work goes into cross country. It is not, for the faint of heart, it's extremely rough. You [clears throat] come in from school or after school and you run three to 10 miles a day, just depending on the workout. And they don't hesitate. They do it. and want to do more. So, I'm proud of them. They work hard. >> It's a cross country is a tough sport. Both of my children participated in cross country and I remember the the long Saturdays and uh I I enjoy the cross country meets, but it's fun. It's a good sport. >> Yes. And they they excelled. They started off first, a lot of them are first year runners and
012they started off running in the upper 30s and then by the time they were done they were in the lower. >> Oh, it's great. >> So that yes, they worked very hard. >> Well, we have certificate for each of you. If you want to pass it on here, [laughter] >> Ethan Bonham, Raj Jarvis, he's not here. Captain Owen Wayne, >> Hayden Brown, who ran for I don't know, a couple weeks on a foot. We didn't realize. [laughter] >> All right, more numbers. [clears throat] One in the back there. I see. Right. All right. Thank you guys. >> Girls, cross country team from Richwood High School. Come on up. Oh, these pictures are going to be fantastic. [laughter] >> Yeah. >> So, I was at the school the I think was the Thursday or when did
013you leave for states? Friday. >> Friday. I was at Richwood Friday morning, the day that she was getting ready to leave. And um I was out front greeting kids that morning and I remember you coming in and coach Hall said, "Coach Hall said, "Are you ready?" He said, "Just run fast." So tell what place in the region. You want to tell us? And >> uh Brendan finished third overall in our region. And I didn't say Oh, and but our boys were regional runner up. So it was pretty awesome. But she was third. >> Awesome. She ran hard. >> Ninth grade. >> What's the name? Full name. What's his full name? >> Brenn and Chris. >> I know. [laughter] >> All right. Well, we're proud of your work. Um um you have a good future ahead
014of you, so keep it up. And let's get a picture. >> Scott, will you take a picture? I don't think so. >> Thank you all. >> [clears throat] >> And last but not least, Richwood High School Golf. >> Coach Miller, come on up. [clears throat] >> You do [laughter] not. >> All right. All right, we had one participant advanced to the state competition in golf representing Richmond High School. So, tell us about a little bit about the year, how it go. >> Great year. Most golfers we've had in eight or nine years. Um, but as far as this young man, uh, most dedicated golfer I've ever seen. He plays from daylight till dark. He won the regional >> and and he eats up at the golf course. He he does everything at the golf. Uh
015finished 21st in the state, >> but I want to say that's we should not be playing in Wheeling. It's not [clears throat] fair to any high school kid, just so y'all know. And I >> of course it's it's not for kids. It's for adults. But I'm so proud of him. I love him to death. Weston one >> cut the grass up there. It' be even better. >> I know. [laughter] >> Thank you. >> [laughter] [clears throat] >> You see they had a good time, wouldn't >> they? [laughter] He used to go up there every morning. >> Me and him used to play. He goes >> I used to I used to do that, but I'd sneak in there so I wouldn't have >> just like you always do. [laughter] >> You're not behind now, are
016you, Mr. Cochran? No, I'm I'm ready. I'm ready. >> Okay. Next, we're going to transition to our um our literature our literature fair winners at the school level and the county level. So, we're going to recognize them. I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Lee and let her run this program and I'll help giving out certificates. >> Come on up and give certificate. I'm thrilled to see so many of you here this evening. And what's even more thrilling is you're going to hear some of the names you've already heard, which is great. Our kids are excelling uh in both athletics and academics, which is really what we want to see at the end. So, what I'll do is I'm going call several up um at a time. We can let them line up. Mrs.
017Murphy will get their picture. Now, mine's a little more complicated because I'm actually going to be giving some students two certificates. Um, as you are probably aware of, we have a county literature fair and kids who receive a first place recognition in the county fair are eligible to go to the regional fair which is held at Glenville State. And we have several kids who not only got first place at our county, but they also received first place or best of show at the regional. So you'll hear me say two certificates or whatnot based on whether it was county or regional. So we'll get started here. Ezekiel Mullins for the project biscuit plays ball. Ezekiel with us. Come on up and Mrs. Murphy will get you lined up. Laney boys for Penelope. Perfect. Okay, the next
018one we have two certificates. Bacon manero. >> Did I say that right? Stop. >> The next one two certificates. So we had two first places. Adeline Smith for a book project called Taylor Swift. First place at county, Haley McMillion. First place at county, Ryan Bucks. First place at county and first place in regionals. Trevor W, first place at County, Brier Hug. First place at County, Mason Thomas. First place at County, Hadley Roberts. First place at County, Adeline Bucks. First place at county, Elijah Burn, two certificates. First place at both county and regional. Langston Groves, first place at county and regional. Jason Hickman. First place at County. Emily Cook. First place at County. Robert Neil. First place at County. Sophia Stall. >> You can stand. >> First place at County. Elena Bogs, first place at County,
019Jackson Johnson. >> Hey, Mrs. Murphy, you want to take a picture of that group and then we'll call someone members. You want to stand up so you can be seen. >> Round one. Thank you. >> Next round, first place at county, Lauren Conley. First place at county and regionals, Aaron Le. Now, this next one, even though we've got two certificates, one of them's uh a little more highly prized because not only did this one have that first place at regionals, they got one of the coveted ribbons that the all kids want to get, they earned best of show for their division. Kinley Gross. And in the same boat is Kendall Odell. Amazing project. Haley Board, first place at both. Brenley Cenuto, first place at both. Kylie Blankenship, first place in both. Elizabeth Pawkins, first place
020in vote. First place in the county, Caitlyn Bowley. First place in the county, Payton Adair. Yeah. >> First place in county and regional, Jasmine Hopson. >> First place in county and regional, Taylor Lang Scott. First place in county, Winston Haynes. First place in county, Charlotte Braun. First place in county, Gretchen McMillian. First place in county and regional, McKenna. That was a partner project. First place in both. This is another partner project. We have Audrey Nestle and Addie Le. First place in County, Avery Larose. First place in County, Ava Selby. Third place in county, Noah Thomas. first place in both. Um, Avery Stump >> first place in both and best of show at regionals. I think you've heard this name before. Eliza Skidmore, >> Matthew, they had a partner project. It will take 96. >> Okay.
021Awesome. >> Thank you. >> We also have a category there that is a considered a class project where at least half of the students in a particular teacher's class have to work collaboratively on a project. However, two of them are the ones that give the oral presentation. So, we have a class project that achieved first place at both county and regional. That is Mrs. Cook's sixth grade math class. First place county is Silus Groves. First place county, Avery Walton. First place county, Noah Jones. First Place County, Jacob Morrison. We have another class project, Mr. Wood, second grade from Zela. They earned first place at both. Awesome. And we have another one that was best of show in the county and the initial is M and last name is Barry. are the very children here. Okay,
022>> the next one was county best of show Joel Paxton and another county of best of show Morgan Roberts. I've got a couple that are really special. We were have best of show at the county and then they went on to regionals and earned best of show. Miss Emma Deas, come on down. And another one that was able to attain that fatty leg. And another one that was able to attain that Journey Morris. >> Okay, we have a one that was best of show in the county and first place at regionals. That is Summersville Elementary School's fifth grade class. Have a couple more. Mrs. Murphy. Okay. The >> next one has county and regional best of shows. Emory Hoover in knowledge and Taylor Swift on that one. Next one. County best of show first place
023regionals. Natalie Laose. Next one. County best of show. First place regional. Sophie Skidmore, but she can slide right there in the back. She's pretty tall. >> And I just took a sticker off. Maybe Chassidy Barnett, come on down. Were you best for show county? Did I already take the sticker off? Okay, I thought I did. >> And Mia Morrison, county best of show. >> Hey, Mrs. Murphy, can you squeeze them all in? Me standing there. Okay. Pretty good. All right. One, two, three. Anybody else? I don't think I got him. Can you tell me forward just a little bit? What's he? Yeah, there we go. Now I get there. That's better. >> Now clear left. big. >> Sounds good. >> Glad we got them in. >> Yeah, maybe next time. >> Stuck out the hallway.
024Sure. Yeah. >> And if we'd have done it, wouldn't >> the lights Yeah, that was funny. >> [laughter] >> Okay, next on the agenda, um we'll move to item six, which is presentations. We have with us tonight, uh Tamara Mullins with the Nicholas County Community Foundation to share some great information. First, I just want to thank uh the Nicholas County Board of Education for being a wonderful partner to the Nicholas County Community Foundations. Uh we are happy to support you and all in your all of your endeavors and we couldn't do that without our amazing fund holders. And I have two fund holders with us here tonight, Steve and Joy Ferguson. If if you guys want to come up and uh Sarah Miles, if you want to come up. um one of our This is
025a combined check and it is for $9,81926 and um I'll go down the list of uh the the detail. The first part is $1,855.14 and that's to the early learning coalition uh through the Nicholas County Board of Education and this is a donation given by Bruce and Betty Sigler fund. Um so then the next one is uh $1,500 uh for the food backpack program and that is from Bill and Nancy White Love Thy Neighbor Fund. The next uh donation is $4,2752 and that is from Lucille and Jim Ferguson fund and $3,27 of that goes to the food backpack uh program and $1,000 goes to clothing for those in need. And then 20 $2,25660 uh from the Steven Joy Ferguson fund uh of that $1,256 goes to the food backpack program and then $1,000 goes to
026clothing for those in need. And I have actual check. I'll get that in a minute. But if we could uh could I have you guys come down and in trouble. [laughter] [laughter] >> Okay. And then Sarah, you want to go on that sugar? >> And then Steve, you want to go on this? >> Where do you want to go? Rick >> and and I didn't say also that uh Steve is Steve Ferguson is also the treasurer of the foundation. He does a lot of hard volunteer work for us and we appreciate him. >> Look at Thank you guys so much. She can [laughter] >> Mrs. Mins, thank you. Thank you for that that great donation. Um, Mr. Fergus and Mr. Mr. Ferguson, thank you guys so much. That'll really support our our students here in
027Nicholas County and we will put it to use. So, thank you guys. >> Back tax program is wonderful. Middle school. I I see it going up to the students and really love that program. I think our fund holders do too. >> Thank you so much. >> Um, item number seven on the agenda. I have basically two tonight. one. Just a quick update on the construction progress. First, at Richwood Academic Complex, um I received an update this morning. They are finalizing the rest of the theater lighting and they will be conducting the owner training for the lighting in that theater shortly. Um right now, their focus now is basically working on the punch list items that were identified by ZMM. Um phase one and two are about 90% done on that punch list. the phase three
028punch list will was to be submitted today to um SQP and they will start immediately on that punch list. So, we're still looking at we're hoping by the 12th that will be that will be finished and we will have occupancy at that time we will start transitioning stuff um into the Cherry River phase three portion with the uh with the overall goal again we're on track actually a little bit ahead of schedule to get that transition second semester for Cherry River to be back in that facility. Um, we are planning right now. We met last week or right before break with the administration at all three from all three facilities and some of our directors to to work on the planning for that. Um, we're [clears throat] looking at utilizing Friday, December 19th as an
029additional day for for Cherry River Elementary to be able to uh get their rooms ready, get get stuff set up, and get ready for instruction for when we come back from break. So that'll give them December 19th, which is a Friday. Monday, December 22nd is a PL day. So we won't we won't have students that day. And then when we come back, January 2nd is also a professional learning day. So they'll have three additional day there's days there to get to get those rooms set up. And we are working with Richwood High School Middle School. There's about four classrooms there that are going to have to be transitioned into the high school middle school usage. So, we're going to work with those staff members also to get them some additional time on that 19th as
030well. Um, at the Summersville Academic Complex, again, it's still going well there. As of today, um, they started installation of the exterior light pole bases on the north side of the site. The plumbers are on site and working on the underground um, plumbing in area A. HVAC work is ongoing in area B. Electricians are pulling fire alarm wire in area C. The carpenters are framing for drywall ceilings in the locker room areas. And the steel crew are fin are finishing up the rest of the bar joes in the corridor areas of that facility. So again, hopefully it'll be closed in and uh work will continue throughout the winter there. So it's moving along nicely. Um, I did ask if if um if we would have our amazing Nicholas County Career and Technical Center administrator to
031come up and just share briefly what a success uh we witnessed right before break. We went over myself and and Mrs. Fletcher went over first time I've ever been part of or witnessed they held our career center held and Mr. Bis''s direction held I want to say it was a regional >> statewide project lead the way showcase for our students. So I I just wanted him to share briefly how that went and how many counties were involved and the overall project numbers. It was amazing. Uh yeah, so back last spring, our project leadway was labeled a distinguished project leadway high school. And as part part of that program, uh we were asked by our national project leadway office to host a project leadway showcase. And I guess we've not really done a whole lot since
032co we've done a few here and there in other states, but nothing in West Virginia. So we were the second one in the state for for this year. Uh, we had about 37 people in attendance, which I kind of thought was pretty low. I was a little bit disappointed until one of the guys from the national office said that was the second highest attended showcase he's ever been to in the last like 10 years. Wow. >> So, I thought that wasn't too bad for our little county then. So, uh, but it was mostly teachers, uh, some some principles and I think it was two or three four superintendents, I believe, uh, in attendance. Uh but basically our students just uh created project boards and they highlighted one project from their project leadway program uh to
033showcase and we had students from Somersville Middle School, Richville Middle School and our high school engineering program all there. Uh I said it was a great event. Our ProStart uh students also fed us everybody in attendance there that day. Um and kind of as a result we we found out we have a little bit of a gap in our learning. So, we were asking our middle school students who were taking flight in space to learn about these complex science concepts around Lake Flying, but some of them have never seen an airplane and a lot of them has never flown them before. So, kind of as a result of this um we had a national meeting this morning with Nancy Ritter, who's the uh head of the Marshall University aviation program, and she's agreed to do
034like a one-day tour uh multi-day summer camp for our students. uh she wants to take them flying. She wants to make sure every student in that program gets at least being in an airplane one time. >> Wow. >> Before they learn about it. So that's that's a really awesome opportunity for our students and so I'm proud of that. So >> awesome. >> Thank you. No, it was just awesome to attend. The projects were amazing. And again, they were from all over the state. I don't know how many counties were represented total, but there was quite a few. >> Quite a few. Yeah. The kids did a great job. >> Well, thank you. Thank you for your leadership. Moving on to to new business. You did have you see there in your reference there are two
035policies that will be put out for 30-day comment. I did uh just for your information I did print this off for you guys which may help help you. And real quick the two policies that will be out on comment are 5223 which is the absences for religious ordinance and instruction. that is revised a revised policy and the reason it is out for revision is just to bring it up to speed and make it consistent with West Virginia code 1881. And then policy 5460, a graduation requirement that is a revision due to the fact that the legislature changed the grade levels that the um required one full credit of personal finance can be offered. It used to be grades 9 through 12. They changed that this last session to 8 through 12. So that's the language
036that'll change within that policy. Pretty simple and basic um updates on those two policies. Um under consent agenda, the items that were approved were the current invoices, uh the monthly treasures report. We had two out ofstate travel requests, one for Nicholas County Career and Technical Center, um which is pretty amazing that I should let uh Mr. Bless share a little bit about that. and why don't you share just a little bit about that trip to DC that's coming up this week. >> It looks like uh we're going to go up on Thursday to take a modified swing to Senator Justin's office and it's going to be uh guessly staying in his office there. They also look to be creating a plaque that's going straight in the capital building. I guess probably talking about the history
037of the swings and how our students build it. >> Pretty pretty amazing. >> Stuff like that with our students. >> That's exciting. And then we had a request um item B which was approved was the next county high school band to Blackburg, Virginia. Um approval of the parent volunteers. We had three on this agenda that were approved. Personnel is a lot shorter this month. Um as you have one leave of absence request professional, we have two resignation request professional. We have two professional employments um with the WD approval date and the effective start date. On the next page, we had two leave of absence requests for service employees >> on the >> okay >> professional resignation there. There was a science teacher resigned at Richwood Middle and there was one hired at Richwood Middle. Is
038that the one to replace that one that >> it is not? >> We had multiple vacancies there. Um, under retirement for service, we had one request, Mrs. Boyce, cafeteria manager at Cherry River Elementary with the effective date at the end of the school year, 6:30. We had one transfer request um under service personnel. And then under the employment of service personnel, these are mainly substitutes or itinerant. Um, we had seven of those requests that were approved again with the WD approval date and effective date. We had three extracurricular resignation requests and under extracurricular contracts, we had 13 of those that were approved and the positions, locations, and effective dates are there for your reference as well. And for board members information, our next regular meeting will be on January 5th at 4:00 here at the
039board office. We do have a couple employees that we'll be recognizing um at that meeting as well for their for their achievements. So, we'll have those on the agenda for you as well, Mr. President. That's all I have. >> Just one question. How many how many professional uh teaching positions do we have that we have that are actually vacant filled by subs? >> I don't know that I just posted quite a few today, but some of the vacancies we had didn't have applicants this time. Estimate probably eight. >> Oh well, >> better off than >> That's not as bad as it used to. Yeah. Okay. Just a question. And like she mentioned, we did have some some applicants for this last round, which we'll probably be bringing to you for consideration at the next meeting.
040>> Okay, I guess uh we need a motion to adjurnn. >> Motion. >> Mr. Green makes a motion to adjurnn. Seconded by I'll say [clears throat] second by Mr. Seabols. All in favor? I opposed. Motion unanimous 451.