001to order. All members are present. Please stand. Pledge allegiance to the flag. I pledge algiance 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. Next is delegations Josh Hardy. >> Thank you. uh for the opportunity to appear uh this evening uh as a for a delegation here. I I'm kind of appearing, if you forgive me, I'm wearing two hats. I'm a parent. I'm also the LSIC president for the high school. So, I'm kind of speaking in both both of those realms. Uh, I'm here tonight to express what I can't say is more opposition than I've ever felt to what I think is a greatly misguided policy regarding communication in our school system. Uh, this looks to
002me like a vestage of the old Pocahontas County High School and the old Pocahontas County Board of Education. This is a vestage of what it was like when we had a superintendent who did not communicate with the board with people with anyone. Uh this is something that I thought we were all getting away from. This is something that the state came in and told us all our communication stinks. We don't do a good job of it. Some of us even ran for this position on the board promising to be a voice for the staff and teachers and to listen. This is not that. Um, I would also like to hand out something that I think really needs to be brought to the board's attention because I think it's a serious we're going to hopefully call
003it a mistake. >> You those out? >> Yes. I would like to say that I've sent a staff memo out that the policy 3112 that you're discussing will be pulled from the agenda. So probably comments on that are not necessary. >> Well, I'm going to make them. >> Okay. What I've handed you is what is the current policy in place regarding staff communication and the second page of the proposed policy as was drafted and I guess now being withdrawn. But let's look at the current policy which has been in place since July 1st of 2020. And I want to make it very clear that I understand this board's concerned about chain of command and it's important and you all know that and that's why this policy was put in place in 2020 to try to
004encourage that the chain of command be obeyed. But this policy regarding communication, this is an advisory policy. It is not a mandatory one. And the language is plain and simple in it and you can read it because it says that um that that staff members should should preferably submit their communications through the board. It does not require them to. It says they should. If there's any doubt about that, the third paragraph, the communication protocol, and I highlighted this in green, should not be construed to prohibit direct communication by staff members with members of the board. Now, I want you to all look at the policy that you've that was now being withdrawn. But as you have proposed that policy, you will notice that that very very important language should not be construed to prohibit direct
005communication by staff members with members of the board has is it's not even on your proposed policy. In other words, whoever drafted your proposed policy didn't even include the right language of the old policy that was being changed. And the reason why the old policy works and why it's constitutional is because it clearly states that you cannot prohibit direct communication between staff and the board. You can't do that and that policy makes that clear. The new policy that you are now withdrawing simply forgot about that. So, I'd like to think that the person who drafted this just made a mistake and did a bad job. I sure would hate to think that they intentionally left that language off to misguide and misinform the board, but it's that type of communication that we're talking about. Two
006more things and I'm going to get out of your hair. To get on the delegation tonight, I called I called the superintendent's office yesterday and sent an email to get on I was informed that I had to be here in personif at least 15 minutes tonight to make this delegation. That is a complete departure from how we've done things. I I know you guys are probably sick of me being here in this delegation, but every time I have always emailed somebody a day or two before and requested that. I would also note that on tonight's agenda, it states very clearly that you can provide written communication ahead of time to inform the staff that you wish to be on the delegation. So, somebody made a change without this board's approval and without telling anyone in
007the community and to basically now say that community members just to speak to you have to show up here essentially leave wherever they are. now a half an hour and even more so that they can been certain to be here by 5:45. That's ridiculous. Board members are allowed to participate and vote elect by over over electronic means as long as they can be seen and heard. And there's no reason why members of the public should not have the same should have the same benefit. And if you're going to require us to be here, I'm speaking also as the PSC. So I make my last comment. The special meeting that you're holding on Friday is a travesty. To call that, to call that a special meeting about the high school, not even inform the LSIC, and
008hold that on 9:00 a.m. on Friday, that's an absolute travesty, and that's disgusting. And you guys need to do a better job. Thank you, >> Ramona Harvesty. My name is Ramona Hardy and I'm a senior at Pocahontas County High School and I am very, very disappointed in the state of our school. I'm here today to speak for myself and my classmates. We feel as though our board of education has let us down at PCHS. There is currently no full-time counselor. There is no direct answers as to who to put on my college applications. No one familiar with the websites used to apply to college and no sense of stability or care. Why is hiring a counselor not a priority to the board of education? You find the time to hire a new superintendent to renovate
009the board office. Meanwhile, our school is not properly staffed. West Virginia state law requires schools to have a full-time counselor. Your administrative agenda has taken priority over the students. In my four years at the high school, we have had four principles. This year, the high school administration felt very strong and secure. They listened, they learned, and they did everything they could to ensure that we were successful. But now, we have lost another great principal. I had hoped that our new superintendent and elected board members would improve our school system and fix the issues and listen to the people. Clearly, I was wrong. Staff, students, and parents should be able to speak to our board members and feel heard. I should be able to go to school and not be worried about having no counselor to
010verify my college applications. The definition of a board of education is a governing body that represents the community's interest in public education. I hope that each of you take your jobs very seriously because it directly affects real people. The fact that a policy to stop communication between board members and faculty was even proposed is an embarrassment. Communication is what holds us all together. I hope that this board understands moving forward the level to which your decisions matter. We are watching. We are listening. And we will not back down until our voices are heard and our education becomes a priority to you. Morale has never been this low at my school. In the past two years, we have lost two very capable principles. The common denominator lies with you. Aside from Mr. Gibson, I cannot recall
011the last time I saw any board member in my classroom watching our teachers doing what they are already so underappreciated for. Where are any of you when we can't get substitutes for classes and teachers are forced to cover classes and lose their plannings? As a student, I am taking the time out of my evening to come here and ask you to do better. Your actions determine mine moving forward. I would love to call this place somewhere that I can be proud of. It's been a long-term goal of mine to come back here after I get my degree and start my family. With the decisions you are making regarding education in this county, I don't think that's going to be my reality. Do not let us use another valuable member of our county. make decisions that
012will push us forward and help our children succeed. I would love to be in a school where the board supports us and gives students the priority. Let's move forward with transparency before we let lose sight of what's important. And please do not make the same mistake twice. Thank you, >> Joey Van Mater. >> Most of you know me by now. For community members who may not, my name is Joseph Van Meter and I served as the student representative during the 2024 2025 school year. I intended to serve again for the 2025 school year, though that process was understandably disrupted during the state of emergency and leadership transition. I want to begin by saying that I've developed a deep love for West Virginia. I moved here from New Jersey, convinced I would never truly embrace Appalachia,
013but I was wrong. I'm proud to live here. I'm proud of Appalachin roots, values, and traditions. However, I cannot say I'm fully proud of the state of public education in Pocgonis County. I've not experienced a stable year of high school since my freshman year, and I'm now a senior. During my sophomore year, students faced the potential loss of valued teachers. We organized, protest, and spoke up about students that should not feel uncertain about whether programs or educators that rely on that will still exist the following year. My junior year, we had two principles and no vice principal for the second semester. This year, we have lost a principal. Currently have a temporary principal and may soon have another depending on whether the position is posted. That amounts to five principles in four years of high
014school. In that same period, our county has had three superintendent. This level of turnover creates more than inconvenience. It creates instability. Constant leadership changes result in shifting priorities, inconsistent policy enforcement, and increased stress for students, staff, and families who are continually asked to adapt to new expectations. Schools cannot move forward when they are consistently trying to regain their footing. One very real consequence of this instability is currently affecting seniors applying to college. Many colleges require a mid-year report as part of their application process. The individual responsible for submitting transcripts and recommendations for the common app is no longer in that role. Because students cannot remove a listed school administrator from their application, teachers and our counselor have had to coordinate directly with common app to find workarounds so students can meet deadlines. This is not
015a hypothetical issue. It is happening right now and it places unnecessary stress on students during an already critical time. At the same time, we continue to face shortages of certified teachers and a counseling system stressed across multiple schools. These conditions do not improve student outcomes, nor do they make our county more attractive to new families, educators, or administrators. I would also like to briefly address proposed policy 3112, even though it's on agenda. Um, you have 30 days after, I believe, December 19th to comment. uh at this time when our our county is experiencing significant leadership turnover requiring communication to pass through a single administrative channel risks reducing transparency rather than strengthening it. If the intent of the policy is awareness and coordination, I urge consideration of language that allows our staff to communicate with both
016board members and the superintendent simultaneously rather than requiring concerns to go through one gatekeeper first. Students notice instability. We feel it in our classrooms, in our counseling office when we have a counselor, and in moments that direct affect that directly affect our future. What we need most is consistency, transparency, and leadership structures that prioritize communication rather than restricting it. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you, >> recognitions. A Poconus County All State Fall Athletics P. >> Yes. >> Okay. And the other one too, the recognition of professional and service staff. >> So that's okay. We're going down to number five is a a special education report on comprehensive coordation early intervention services CCIS. >> Okay. So in your packet you have turn back a few pages you have the West Virginia Department of Education
017on um this is our disproportionality report and your disproportionality report is a risk analysis report based on ratio ratios and disproportions in racial and ethnic groups in West Virginia and LEA is identified as having significantly make this before frequently identified people by ratios. Um, if you have any subgroup that's listed on this for three or more years, you have to propose a plan. Um, as you can see, if you look down through all of our subgroups, the first one being white um, for 22, 23, 23, 24, 24, 25, we did not meet the threshold of three. If you go down to the next group of subgroups identified by category, autism, emotionally disturbed, intellectually disturbed, other health impaired, speech and language impairment, uh specific learning disability, we did not have any that were identified for three
018or more years in that area. Moving on to the racial and ethnic group and this is about discipline in our school system. we did not have any areas. Um, racial groups, we did not have any areas. And then when we go to the total ethnic groups across all three years, we did not have any areas. So, I think this is a really great thing for our county, especially in special ed, that we did not meet any of those thresholds. Some counties did, but we did not. So, very pleased to report that out. Autism is now >> it's it's a subject for all special ed. >> Item number six on the agenda is consent agenda items. Approval of agenda. Approval of the agenda minutes for November the 18th, 2025 to December the 2nd, 2025 and December
01916th, 2025. Payment of bills subject to additions, deletions, or other changes prior to the board meeting. A payment of vendor listing $179,5986. B payment of public the PC card 52424 December 17th 2025 employee payroll 287,531.30 D is extra duty pay for November 2025 $40,894. E is bank consolidation consolidation consolidation >> and grant awards budget adjustments and budget transfers and supplements subject to additions, deletions or other changes prior to the board meeting. Do I have a motion? >> Mr. Mcomes made the motion. Do I have a second? >> I'll second. >> Mr. Gibson seconded. Any any questions on any of these that we have to go through duty pay separate things. >> Okay, we will do that. Any other ones that anybody need has any questions about on this one? All right, we're going to pull
020D, which is extra duty pay for November 2025, and let the record show that Mr. uh we're going to vote on all of them first. So, all those in favor of them signify by saying I I >> I >> Okay, now we're going to vote on extra duty pay. Let the record show that Mr. McCome says he sell. All those in favor signify by saying I. Motion carries. You can now come back, Mr. McConn. Number seven is uh personnel matters. >> At this time, I'd like to make a motion we go into executive session for personnel matters. >> Mr. M second. Mr. McNeb has made the motion to go on into executive session on a personnel matter and Mr. Gibson has seconded. >> All those in favor sign by saying I. I. We will now
021go into it. Mr. Colmes made a motion. Do I have a second? >> Mr. Gibson second it. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Motion carried. Out of executive session at 6:40. Personnel matters. Holly. Campbell, principal of Pence County High School, resigns her position effective June 30th, 2026 due to retirement. Jennifer Stewart, teacher of alternative education at Arlington Middle School, pending a successful background check. And then we have the addition Colon Sanders as the >> as a a substitute >> substitute principal for Popus County High School. Uh again effective pending successful background check. We still have the open positions. Third recommendations we have secretary 2 account to open resigns her position for person 2025. We have Melissa Taylor head coach basketball at Greenback Elementary School of the 2526 school year. Megan Patique is
022in $1 coach basketball team for the remainder of the year. We have Harvey Barlo as the the $1 coach of the boys basketball team at Barlington Middle School effective for the remainder of the 25 26 school year. We also have um the bone substitute secretary accountants and some of these came about. We were having trouble with our ident case being able to get our background check. So some of these were added u in after we received those background check fees. The following substitute secretary account schools state basic personnel salary for 256 school year as needed. Brenda Murphy and Amber Sharp and then also Amber Sharp as a substitute paid. We also have the 21st century grant position uh number of students for the teacher greenback to be Patricia. Any questions on personnel hearing? None. All
023those in favor signify by saying I. Motion carries. Superintendent updates. >> Um, first thing I wanted to update everybody on is our bus routes for snow days and I ask Miss Hammonds if she could pull those up for us and show those where those are on the website. Um, we have revived our bus route. I don't think they've been used for a couple of years, maybe two, three years, but I spoke with Mr. Gibson and there are some days that we could have school and just run our our snow routes that we've had in the past. So, I wanted the public to know where the snow routes are um posted on our website so that when we send this notification out, you'll know where to locate it. We will also send out an announcement that
024snow routes have been posted on the Pocahontas County website. Do you have any questions about the snow routes or comments? Okay. And then I I would also like to address the public. Um I have a statement to read. I have already addressed the Pocahontas County School staff. Um so I'm going to address the misinformation circulating about the recent proposed policy revision to 3112. This proposed revision does not restrict staff or citizens from speaking individually with elected board members. rather is rooted in the concerns arising from the West Virginia Department of Education state of emergency and the erosion of chain command. As your leader in the school system, I am committed to keeping Pocahontas County schools on the right track and addressing issues stemming from the West Virginia Department of Education state of emergency, including clarifying
025and enforcing chain of command and establishing a communication structure that supports that. I respect the challenges faced by Pocahontas County Board of Education and staff and students during the special circumstance review. which includes, as we have heard tonight, board superintendent relationships, central office communication with our schools, school support, and special education compliance. I am mindful of the distress our county has endured and have worked to ensure transparency in reporting and decision-making in all things that I am doing. Those times of poor communication and lack of transparency are behind us. Together we are building a stronger system with common practices, clear communication, high expectations, and policydriven decisionmaking. This will foster a better working climate for our staff, a healthier culture, and an evidence-based organization focused on serving our students. I understand this is not not every
026answer will be what you our folks have hoped to hear but we must accept the outcomes and move forward together. So I want to talk a little bit about the policy and what was in the policy. The policy has existed since 2020 20. So, social interactions, the policy reads, staff and board members may discuss general education matters informally at all social events, any social events. However, board members cannot act on behalf of the board except by quorum in open session and when specifically authorized. It is unacceptable for individual board members to discuss personal grievances or personnel grievances or complaints if established procedures exist. West Virginia Code 6C-2 and state policy 7211 deals with the grievance process and the complaint process. Those are outlined. Communication. All official Pocahontas County Schools business communication from staff to board
027and its committees should preferably be submitted through the superintendent. It will forward them within 7 days of one receipt if the staff member chooses communication directly with the board. The message must be sent to all the board members and copy to superintendent. Please note the proposed policy revision only changed one section. If a staff member chooses to communicate directly with the board regarding county business, then that communication be should be sent to all board members and the superintendent should be copied as well. Out of concern for the health of our county, I will remove this proposed revision from the agenda. My goal is to unite our county and our school system. We will enforce chain of command but we will not do it at the expense of the relationships and this policy if it is
028that strongly felt about we can remove it. I consistently maintain an open door practice and I'm always willing to meet with staff and citizens to discuss issues and solve problems. Again, strong leadership means there are times I cannot provide the answer that folks want to hear, but the guidance will always be rooted in policy. As a final thought, I am truly grateful for each staff member, for each community member in our county. I know that great progress is occurring in our school system and will continue to occur. A quote that seems fitting as we begin our second semester and start the new calendar year. The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but building the new. Socrates, we are stronger together when we work together, pull together,
029and understand the parameters of how our organization functions. Thank you for all I have. Okay. Number nine is old business discussion or action of policy 5223 absence for religious ordinance or instruction second reading. >> B is discussion action of 3112 board staff communication second reading. >> That was the one we pulled. >> And that third one is discussing action policy 7540-2 digital contents and accessibility. the second reading. Do I have a motion? They move. Mr. Mcomes made a motion. Do I have a second? >> Dr. Hollings were seconded. Any questions? Any old business? >> Yes. Replies on. >> Uh, most of our replies was on 3112. >> So, I pulled that Any other questions? >> Those are great questions. >> Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. Motion carries. New business. Approval
030of fundraisers. Approval of out of county out of state and overnight field trips. Discussion action. Early retirement incendities. $500 for personnel and service personnel services and other professional personnel to be paid for from local funds. D discussion independent school audits by education consulting team LLC. E is discussion and action federal guidance to adjust standard mileage travel reimbursement from 70 cents a mile to 72.5 7. How's that supposed to read Sarah? 7.25 725. Do I have a motion to move on a second? I'll second Mr. McNab second. Any questions on this one? >> Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> No. I was looking. >> Good. >> Go ahead. >> Just this $500 is the same as we've been doing. >> It's the same as you've been doing, but then
031we only get it for professionals. So, you have to approve it for the service. >> Yeah. Right. Okay. >> Okay. Board members remarks. Uh, Mr. Mcomes, I really don't have anything to, >> Dr. Hollenssworth. Things are so chaotic of my life that it's hard for me to not feel chaotic about this. But, uh, I think regardless of what some of you think, you know, we're we're doing the best we can with what we have to work with and trying hard to please as many people as we can while at the same time doing what's legal. You also want to ask for a moment of silence for John Burns. Go ahead. Go ahead. >> And also we would like to ask for a moment of silence for John Burns. He served on this board for four
032years and made a big difference while he was on. If we >> could could we hear that now? Mr. Gibson holidays. Um we two weeks feel going back to school and our students. We at number six school day snow day number six right now. >> Yes, Mr. Dix. >> Snow packets are going. That's all going good. >> Snow packets are out. All right, that's really all I have. I mean, I I want to encourage everybody just do their best. That's all I need. >> But thank you, M. >> I just got a couple things. One thing I I keep hearing from from here and from the public about transparency. Okay. I can assure you that we are being as transparent as we possibly can and stay liberal. I can assure you that if that'll put
033any of your minds to rest there, Mr. Hardy, you know, there's things you can't discuss. You know, if we can't, you know, there's things we can't discuss. It's legal. Okay. We can get in trouble and we don't need any more trouble. Okay. The other thing that I think we need to look at is we keep, you know, since I've come on here, there were a lot of problems. There's still a lot of problems, but we are making progress. You know, like I say, I think I said it one other time, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, okay? And things just keep coming up. This problem is going deeper and deeper and deeper. And please be patient. Dr. Williams has all of our support and she's doing the very best that
034she can and we're going to get it fixed. You know, it's I don't know how long this has been going. 20, 30 years. Okay. And should Dr. Williams comes in. How long you been here now? How many months? >> About 6 months. >> Six months. Okay. >> How long? >> And we're still finding stuff. Every day she deals with something instead of what she we're working on that stuff instead of trying to get quality education for our kids. We can't do that because we're trying to fix stuff that went on 20 years ago a year ago. Okay. Please be patient. But I can assure you we are doing all we can. I know you're sitting there shaking your head at a moment, but I'm I guarantee you we are. I ask you to be patient
035and and work with it. And as far as the policy, there is nothing in that policy says that you can't talk today. There's nothing in there. Anyway, I I have read it. I have read it over and over and over. There's nothing in there says you can. You go through the correct chain of command. Whenever I worked for the power company, I had a chain of command. Any big company, any big outfit, you go through the proper process and you get to the board members. We're the last ones. Okay? That's how it works in the real world. We want to talk real world. We want to talk fantasy land. Fantasy land is I get to do whatever I want, change whatever I want, make whatever rule I want. We're not in fantasy land. We're in
036a real world. Okay? It's all Thank you, Dr. Williams. >> Thank you. >> Uh the decisions that comes before this board is hard. They're hard decisions for us. We try and we suffer over these to make the right call. Being under the state of emergency, it it has put extra pressure on all of us, especially the five of us and and Dr. Williams because she come in in the middle of this. >> Uh whenever we was hire a superintendent, we was looking for somebody that had been through the ranks and somebody that and she come recommended. I hired a call and a lot of them to to come in to fix our problems. She's worked for the state. She knows what they're going to ask for. But these decisions that the world making is not
037easy on any of us. And I get messages off of Facebook every day. I don't always respond to them because the more you, you know, the more you talk about it, the more they come back. I heard, well, they're redoing the board office. Nobody voted for the board office. You elected us. We voted to fix the board office because the state told us we had to fix the board office. >> We also put a gym new floor in the gym. We painted the gym. We fixed the offices at Pakos County High School. We fixed the bathrooms at Poconos County High School. That was all in one agenda that we all voted on. We are elected, the five of us, to represent the citizens of Poconus County, and we take it very seriously. You know, whenever
038you say, well, you have two meetings a month. That's not how it works. we are on the phone two or three nights a week with different things going on in the community, you know, and maybe a teacher's upset or maybe it's a parent that's upset with the teacher, but we do have to follow chain of command. We do have to do that because we can't you don't start at the top and go down, you start at the bottom and go up. And that's what we need to do. But we take these decisions seriously that we have to make. And I want you all to know that. And what Mr. said is absolutely the truth. There's a lot of stuff that the the state law will not let us talk about and it worries us because
039you know sometimes you're saying you're not being transparent. We can't be and we don't go out there and tell you a story. We just can't say anything about it. So that's that's the way it is whenever you're sitting on the board of education and it's not always easy. >> Wait, would it be appropriate for me to say >> to the to the students? I have been at your school the last two days, multiple occasions. I've talked to Miss Bland specifically about several of you. I assure you, every avenue is being pursued to make sure no law hits the ground. I am personally coming and overseeing that. That has not happened in the past. You will not not get your college stuff submitted. We are in the process if it's not already done. Miss Bland had
040already taken care of and I believe she had talked to some of you students, right? So, we are on top of it. And I hate this for you. This is a terrible situation you're in. And when you spoke about the last several years, it is I would not have wanted this for my child, but I want better for that school system, for our school system, but I want better for you. And if you feel like something's dropping the ground and Miss Flynn's not taking care of it, your parents, I've talked to Miss Burke Kinderman on multiple occasions. She can walk into my office and say, "I'm concerned and I will help you. I am here for you. I love the school. I love the students. When I came in and saw how your school looked,
041I started working right away to give you a better environment. So, if you need me when I'm there, stop me and talk to me cuz I've been there every day this week. I'll be gone the next two days, but I'll be back up on Friday. You need me, come see me. All right. Our next board of education meeting will be held on January 20th, 2026 at Poconus County Board of Board Office Conference room at 6 PM. We are hereby