001You did it. I'd like to call the meeting of the Poconus County Board of Education for Tuesday, September the 16th together. All members are present. Let's stand and say I pledge allegiance to the flag. >> 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. >> Okay. Delegations, recognition, none. Uh under number five, we have school improvement updates. A general updates on school openings. B release of balance scorecard Pokemon status. C. Spatial education update and progress. Do I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Mr. McConnell's made the motion. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Dr. Hollingsworth. Second. Taking a first general updates on school openings. >> So with our school opening,
002we completed all of our initial trainings for special education and all of our initial staff development for staff. Over the last few weeks, I have visited every school in the county. I visited them the day before opening, the day of opening, and this past week, and I visited the high school multiple times in the last citizen school opened. I've started policy procedures and reviews, which you know, that was an area of the county that we had to be concerned with. The first two policies that I have worked on making sure that we are fully implementing those and adhering to what we have in the policy is our fundraiser policy and recently this week field trips. It's required for out of county out of state and overnight field trips to come before the board. I sent
003out uh a newly developed field trip form to all the schools to the entire county actually um just that we are going to start enforcing that policy because we can't just list a list of field trips without knowing the chaperos if they've had the background checks where they're going when they're coming back. There's a lot of information we have to take into consideration. So, starting the we have a a batch of field trips for you to approve this time, but starting the second board meeting in October. Um, everybody will have their field trips to me. Those will be listed individually as individual items so that you are aware of where folks are going and all of the parameters of that because ultimately policy oversight's our responsibility to make sure our students are safe. Um, any
004questions about that or comments or >> That's sounds good. >> Yeah, sounds real good. >> Everybody. >> Yeah. B is release of balance scorec card status. >> I do have one thing. What about the u the uh attendance policy? Have you got is that squared away? >> We are working on the attendance policy. I have asked Julie to pull the code and to align our policy with code. So she was working on that as of yesterday getting the final touches on that. Um we have also spoken and I can't remember the name of the folks that does the student placement through the >> youth health services. No, >> the YRC. I had a meeting with the YRC. Um, we did not meet the full capacity of students there. So, we're looking at utilizing that organization
005as a tier three attendance to provide some special intervention. So, we are working on a really solid plan and we should have that very soon. Um, each of the schools are required to submit a three- tiered attendance plan. Something for the general population, something for those bubble kids, and something for those extreme circumstances. >> So, we had to completely revise some of that and get it in place. >> I know that a couple of the agricultural citizens had asked about the FFA thing and I think 4 is an exception. some legislation on that brought in this summer, I think. >> And that's what she was aligning our policy with to make that change to bring before the board. >> All right. That's Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> It's a release of the balance scorecard
006if I'm going to status. >> Okay. So what I wanted to share with you um and the public is where we are with our student achievement in terms of proficiency, student progress. I wanted to look at our uh in student success indicators. So I'm going to go look at last year's and then we'll look at this year's see the changes in those two two elements. So Chrissy, if you could pull up last year, please scroll down till we can see the colors. So, if you can see last year's um at our middle school, we had quite a bit of red in uh academic achievement for math, academic progress for ELA and for math and attendance was also a concern at the high school. We had uh concerns with academic achievement in math and we had
007concerns with attendance. Um so this year's report card we have made um significant progress in our middle school area. We have turned our red. Now remember the the closer the box is to being filled is the closer you are to the next level. So now we're partially meet standards in all of our middle school uh academic achievement and academic progress which is a huge celebration for the increase in our scores. AC attendance is still a significant um issue at elementary, middle, and the high school and mathematics is still a concern at the high school. I did meet with um Miss Burns and Miss Joanna B Kinderman. We drilled down into the data. We talked about some plans that we can implement at the high school to address the intervention that's needed with our students. And
008can you expand that to the subgroup for the math? >> Do we have that? Is that a handout in here? Is that thing? >> It's not a handout. It's on the website. >> It's on the website. Okay. >> So, if you look at our indicators up here and I can make a handout and email it to you, Mr. You're welcome. But we can see that the students that are our greatest concern, we have our greatest concern in English language arts with our um economically disadvantaged students. And then our economically disadvantaged and white students we have a a concern with as far as math goes. And then attendance. We all know that our attendance was our chronically absentee rate was around 50% last year. So, we know that attendance is a huge issue at the high
009schools that you have to be in your seat to learn. And we know that attendance was a problem because we had that extra planning day and our special education students was missing an astronomical amount of time on the days that they weren't being served. And we have removed that. So, that alone should assist us. But I wanted to point out another thing that you don't see in the data unless you drill down. Who are economically disadvantaged on track to graduate is a concern. It is red. And here's why it's a concern. Because by the end of 10th grade, students should have um four two credits in English, two credits in math, two credits in science, and two credits on in social studies in order to be on track to graduate um at the end of
010their 12th grade year. We are have a significant amount of students that are not on track to graduate. That means that they have not earned those eight credits. So, we have to explore other avenues. We did offer summer credit recovery. Everybody that was offered summer credit recovery did not take those courses. So, I just want to alert you in advance that there's been multiple opportunities to pass courses and we have some students that are in jeopardy. We are working with the schedules. We have they're looking at them to make sure that they have what they need to graduate. But you're kind of at the 11th hour and now you're having to make up classes that you didn't have before. So they have to pass everything or they won't graduate. >> Now does this this go
011back to some of the scheduling problems that we've had up there in the past? Is that what this goes back to? >> No, it it doesn't go back to that. It just goes that students have not passed um their courses. They haven't gotten A's, B, C. >> They've taken them. They just didn't pass. >> Correct. And I would think that the if I had to I mean I don't know this I I'm pontificating here but I would say not coming to school >> Yeah. >> and not being exposed to the content has contributed to not being able to pass the course. >> So we're looking >> the third one. Go ahead. >> Does anybody have questions on this? actually if they're missing 50% of the time and no one's addressing it, your kids probably feel
012like nobody's care, so why work? >> That's exactly right. You know, it's that what is it? If you miss uh 18 days or more is what considered chronically absent. >> That's correct. >> Yeah. So, >> and we had 48% of the kids chronically absent. >> Right. That's that's the thing right there. >> If nobody's watching this store >> Mhm. Mhm. >> And you're going to pass anyway. Why would you do it? Come, >> you know. >> Mhm. >> Now, all that's changing. >> All that's changing. We got our attendance plans. We will have that to you in October. We have a very robust plan that we think is going to going to assist us with this. And that was one of your board goals and that was one of my superintendent's goals. >> And it
013will be one of Miss Dunlap's goals. And each of the principles will have a goal. We're all going to be moving in the same direction. >> Yeah. So it looks like would you would you are we in the middle middle of the row there with your does it look like kind of in the middle or are we >> and was you are talking about attendance >> no in your balance scorecard does it look like would you say we're in the middle of >> Pocahontas County um not according to the accountability website but straight score numbers we are ranked 14th in the state of West Virginia 14th out of 55 counties >> so we're a little ahead of of the pack. >> We're a little ahead of the pack, but that that only takes math reading.
014Yeah. >> Any other questions? >> No. No, not for me, sir. >> C special education updates and progress. >> So, um Miss Miss Young, um our consultant has u been working on special education. Right now, we are working on the October 1 count. And what that means is getting all of our IEPs corrected and she's going from school to school. She was in the county visiting today. She was also in the county working with us on some funding. Um Sarah and I was helping her pull so we could get some reimbursement rates. Um so we are diligently working on phase two of the plan which is error correction on all those findings that I addressed before. Um, and we will have the IEPs that were found to be non-compliant. We should have those compliant October
015one for our October count. >> Any questions? >> Great. Thank you. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Motion carries. Item number six on the agenda. Approval of the agenda. >> Commissioner Cole made a motion. Do I have a second? A second. >> Mr. McName second. Any additions or corrections to the agenda? >> The on number 10. Um E, I'm just going to give a report out on this letter. Um and then I would like to add a discussion item as F. We need to talk about a special meeting for finances. >> F is meeting for finances. and scratch D. >> Scratch what? >> Scratch. Well, actually, we'll modify D. D will be an action and discussion about the point. It'll be fine. We'll just leave. >> Okay, we'll just go
016to D. We can say that. Leave it off or only. >> Leave F off. Okay. >> Okay, that'll work. Okay. Any other additions or correction? >> No. >> Hear none. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Motion carries. They're messed up all budget stuff. So we'll wait on one time. Payment of bills subject to additions, deletions, or other charges prior to the board meeting. Payment of vendor listing 48,231.66. Payment of local government purchasing card 72,72462. September the 3rd, 2025. Employee payroll 27050547 grant awards and C is budget transfers and supplements subject to additions, deletions or other changes prior to the board meeting. Do I have a motion? >> Second. >> Mr. McCall's made a motion. Do I have a second? >> I'll second. >> Mr. McNab second it. Okay. Any questions on
017these items? Any hearing? None. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Motion carries. Item number seven is personnel. Do I have a motion? >> Made a motion. Do I have a second? >> I'll second it. >> Mr. McNab. Second it. Any questions on the personnel? >> At this time, I'd request a uh executive session on discuss personnel matters. >> I second that. But Mr. McNab has asked for an executive session on personnel. Mr. Gibson has seconded. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Motion carries. We will now go into executive session at 6:15. Then the Mr. McColl's made the motion. Do I have a second? >> I second it. >> Mr. Gibson second it. All those in favor by saying I. >> No. >> We come out of
018executive session at 6:26. Okay. Personnel matters. We need to The motion is we we need a motion. >> Okay. Um I make a motion to uphold the superintendent's recommendation of suspension of Crystal Lewis for one day without payment. >> I have a motion. Do I have a second? >> I'll second. >> Mr. McNab seconded. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Motion carries. Other personnel matters. Uh >> personnel agenda for September 16th, 2025. Resignation of Jennifer Stewart, a special education teacher county high school effective September the 19th of 2025. We have the following positions that are still not filled. Teacher special education learning through multi subjects at Hillsboro. teacher of special education, Greenbank, teacher of social studies, Poplands County High School, director of special education, preschool and student support for the central office,
019a special education teacher at Poplands County High School, teacher of multi-ubjects, fourth grade at Greenbank, special education, Pome County High School, teacher of science at Greenbank Elementary, Middle School, counselor, attendant positions county schools. We also have the hiring of Melissa Hill Doss, the school counselor/program monitor for Poconus County High School, Poconus County Schools. We have an academic interventionist for Greenbank Elementary Middle School that is being considered for um re >> reposting that position. academic interventionist for the Marlington Elementary School, the Hillsboro School, and the Greenbank Elementary School. We have a recommendation for Derek Hannah as the head basketball coach of Copelan County High School, pending a successful background check and his certification. We have an assistant basketball and a head baseball coach position open at the high school as well. We also have the following.
020have a substitute custodian for Popus County schools to be added to be Jason in place for the 2526 school year as needed. And then on the 2026 Popus County Board of Education, the three-step box and you can see that attachment with your personnel. >> Do we have any questions? Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> Motion carries. Number eight, superintendent updates. So, I thought it would be great for us to look at the floor choices for the gym and get some input. So, Mr. Gibson is going to show us some examples of the stains that we have to offer back a couple. So, this is what they said. Uh we looked at the G4 the logos um different things with it. So they sent us samples of golden oak early American
021provincial and latest sample was chariot guntock and mahogany and this of course is the plain just polyurethane or maple gym floor. So we were looking for main floor three point line whichever ones we want and then also something for the lanes. >> Those areas will be stained different those colors. >> Yeah, that was the flag be stained different choices. >> That's kind of cool. So >> kind of felt like the three point should be the darker. What is this one, Mr. Gibson? >> This one that's mahogany. And then maybe the the lane could be the >> The guntock. Or you could reverse those sort of I think it's too late. That's the personal opinion. >> Yeah. >> Let me see this. >> Yep. >> Okay. >> This is the lines will be the lines on
022top of that. >> Yes. Correct. >> Which one's which stock? Cherry. No, that's too light for cherry. That's not cherry. >> Doesn't look good on that at all. >> No, they got something. >> But with that light over there, we wanted something that really popped out. It was beautiful. >> The only trouble about to read a dark wood mahogany is not great in the United States. Comes from South America and Africa. >> Mhm. >> Okay. >> A wood man. >> That's a wood man right there. >> You should know. >> Well, I've ordered a pile of mahogany and I know where it comes from. So what are you saying? You want American made wood in your gym floor? >> Absolutely. >> It's just a West Virginia being what it is. It's just a state. >>
023It's a state. >> So that that's going to be a choice that you snake as a board as far as being aware. >> West Virginia is one of the few states that is solely in the Appalachin Mountain area. The Appalachian hardwood. >> Yes. >> Uh, so that's, you know, >> so which one would you like? >> I like I like this one better than I do the rest. >> This one for the gun stock. >> For the lane or for the >> I'd say for the lanes. >> Lane. We put for three-point line. And uh, >> yeah, you got >> volleyball. >> Yeah, you might have to put something darker so the ref can see the make it easier. >> You might have coach the mahogany. That's why they've probably got it on there. Well,
024we talk about something darker. Yeah. >> Like I say, cherry just doesn't do it for me. >> They don't do it. That's, you know, that's a personal opinion there. >> No, not enough contrast. >> There's not enough difference. Uh >> you could make the threepoint line the cherry and the lane just mong. >> So the bigger area is >> Yeah, it don't matter. >> Cherry or stock? >> Look. I'm sorry. Okay. >> Mr. Gibson. >> If you look at that, it looks to me like they got them two backwards. >> Don't do to you, Dwayne? >> Not really. I've used a lot of gun stocks and this is all been wax stands, too. >> Yeah. >> So, it really going to make any difference what we put on it. as a as a floor sleeper,
025gym floor sleeper. I think I'd rather have the middle one myself >> in the lanes or where's >> I think more dirt would show up on the dark mahogany over there on the right. >> So maybe the three point the guntock and then the mahogany just in the lane >> maybe. I can't I can't figure out what's what's the lane. I don't know anything about the foul line. Yeah. >> 3 second lane. >> Oh, so inside in there. Okay. >> I mean, it bear be the next biggest area >> right down next to the basket. >> All right. Okay. >> Up to the foul. >> That's the lane. >> I don't care. Whatever you want. I want >> I'm with Dr. Williams. Mahogany in the lane and three-point line. >> I'm going to defer my
026vote. >> I'll go along with that. >> Okay. Yeah, I'm okay with that. >> Yeah. Yeah, we're good. >> All right. And Mr. Gibson, would you like to give another update on the rest of the gym? I >> could. I mean, I have watching the floor go down for a while. I've had a lot of people question things. I question things. Once you walk through, you find a pastor or something they forgot and actually stuck some of the floor taking pictures of it. U we try to keep a place watchful on what they're doing and raised a lot of questions. Every time I question what they're doing, they get aggravated with me. They're the professionals and that's not >> But you're paying. >> What's that? We're paying. >> We're paying for the floor. >> That's
027a raw floor. >> They can get aggravated. >> There's there's a few burnt places where they the planer burnt. So, are they going to sand that all that's going to come down? >> That all has to be sanded out. The one he told me we sand it. Um he said then we will wet it down and soak it. and a bunch of grain rays on it. Sand it again before they put the seals on it. Put two coats of that on. Put the decals and logos on it and put two more coats on top of that. >> Now wait a minute, Dwayne. They're going to put water on top of that floor. >> Yeah. >> To raise the grade before they say the second of it. >> It probably won't be a lot of water.
028I'd say they're just damp. >> Here's the problem with that. Whenever you put water, if you're drying anything, which this is dry >> and you put water on it, what happened? >> You've done opened up the pores by dry. >> That's right. Mr. Mr. B. It also with the new with the new stains and polyurethanes, but they suck down in that with that. >> I went I went and looked at it. Mr. McNab asked me if I'd run down looked at a gym for and uh I took some pictures. Of course, you were probably aware of them. I Well, I don't whether you are or not. Let me see if I can find them. And uh I was wanting you to look at this, Dwayne. >> And uh just flip through with this. Well, I
029don't know whether that's it or not. The cracks I was worried about. >> They have a a jig that they put in there for spacing those. Well, >> you'll see it. >> And they're they're larger than what you know you see like on a roof or or usually think they spacing it. >> I know absolutely nothing about putting down that floor. Yeah, I've asked questions about this stuff and they assured me this is the way they do things. >> See the spacers in here? >> Yeah, you can see the sleepers down underneath of it. I've questioned some of this where there's not much of an offset on those. >> Um, and they we had them change some that they brought four quarters together with some just needs changed. >> Well, is this I mean, is
030this what we're getting? >> This is this is what we're getting. >> That's what you're getting. >> I mean, we're getting the plywood and all that. I was under the understanding we're getting all those layers. That's >> Yeah. Well, they've got the rubber base or rubber bottom >> for the spacer. Um the 3/4 sleeper and then we have 1/2 in CDX. Well, I say I'm going to say rated sheeting, not necessarily CDX. Doesn't matter which side's up on plywood. I questioned that, too. >> Well, with that much of a buffer, your floor wouldn't roll. >> No, it shouldn't. >> It It shouldn't move. >> I went up last Saturday evening and I took a basketball. It didn't have all the air in it. probably shouldn't have and I dribbled around for probably 15 minutes just
031to see what that floor felt like responding right beside where you dribble is more bouncing if there's anybody away from it but that floor is supposed to have a lot of give to it for ergonomics for players when they jump up for rebounds on their knees ankles and all that so >> as long as we're getting we're getting what we're paying for. >> Yeah, as far as I know they're >> on a warranty there. Yeah, we have a it should be one year warranty. That's all we get with that one year floor. One year warranty on material, one year warranty on floor itself. >> Wow. >> Okay. >> It was all architect approved. So, >> and I just want to say that Mr. Gibson has done such a fantastic job monitoring it, looking at it,
032being very conscientious that everything's being done correctly and decode. I mean, I just can't say enough nice things about Mr. Let's say I'm general expert. >> None of us are asking questions. >> Don't ask the question. >> And when you ask questions, it makes the people work be on their toes should be. >> Whether you know what you're asking or not to know what's like the fasteners that go down in these slots and there's a couple Darren McKenna has also been going up and walking up. We're looking at it. Christopher Urban was up there and there worked multiple there one day, you know, raised some questions. even where they were going in cutting their material on the plywood between the sleepers was was bow and nail. I questioned that they said they done snap axle
033change the sheets. So, and I can't be there every moment working. You have to trust them that they're doing the right things as well. >> Yeah. >> Well, you got a year, >> right? >> If something happens, >> the good thing is we have, you know, the full basketball season, we'll have a summer for expansion contraction. >> Yeah. >> And there, you know, there's a lot of things to consider like humidity as they land. They wanted between 50 and 60% humidity. They're putting in um weed ether string. It's 0.080 weed eater string. I think it's every three feet. They put that strip in it for floor. So when you look at it, there's small gaps in it. But that's still allow for expansion and contraction. So they put that in, nail the floor, then they
034pull it right back out on the top. >> Yeah. But if you didn't, >> right? If you didn't do that, you you could have more issues with it. >> Weed eater screen. >> Uhhuh. That's what they're using for Yep. It's just a 08. >> I took a picture of it, too. And it's on taking a lot of pictures for things. >> Mrs. Mrs. Holland, the reason we're asking so many questions about short M and Dr. Hollandsworth will tell us is they put a new floor in that Hillsburg and in about 3 months it went wound >> In the gym. Yeah. Didn't it? So they had to take it up and redo it. >> And it was high moisture. Well, what they did, one of the hurricanes came through and it handpicked this one alley right
035through Hillsboro and hit the gym. Took the gym partially off and of course it came with rain. >> Yeah. So it it poured Jim forbo, but they never bothered to dry out what was underneath the gym. So we just steal the water right in there. >> Yeah. >> Bow again. >> Bo again. >> I've seen floors do that when I work at stationary. >> There's a place, you know, that drew a lot of moisture and they popped the whole section of it loose. A lot of people I've had the one to high school. What's that? >> Remember you tried one time. A lot of people didn't know it happened at the high school. That's one reason why that floor needed replaced in my opinion. >> Well, that's >> that's >> years ago. I mean some
036place I have pictures where I built a plan out of as many fans as I could find. >> It suck water back out from underneath of that floor. >> But I was up there coaching then. >> Okay. Remember that one I had built over there suck water out. >> Yeah. >> Then we had flood that got into the gym. >> Tell you, I've had more people complain about why are you spending money? But a lot of them don't know that all that happened. >> And that gym right down under that one basket, the floor was dead. >> Yeah. >> And we replaced that. It didn't help. I remember when >> Yeah. We replaced flames on both ends. I think >> because it was dead. >> Here's bottom line. We got a new gym floor and
037we got a year. >> So we need to we need people watching it and you'll be the first to know. I'm sure when they go back lot of people looking at it all. Well, and everybody's got an opinion. >> They do. >> And everybody thinks the school does everything wrong. >> Yeah, they do. >> But but I know nothing about putting floor down. I can tell you that. >> During it closely, we have on Thursday we have another afternoon meeting here. >> We're meeting manager. >> Yes. >> Guy from final floor. There's going to be a group of them there at the hospital. >> Well, speak up and ask questions. Oh, I have >> Do they have a completion date? You have they have gone mid October to be complete. These guys were laying a
038lot of floor in a quick amount of time. >> Yeah, >> they put a lot of nails in it. >> Great. Thank you. Thank you, Dwayne. >> Thank you, Dwayne. Okay, old business. >> Yes, we appreciate it. And while I'm got a moment, I just want to commend our maintenance crew and the custodians. Last time we had a meeting was before school started the following day. They were putting in paper towel racks and hand soap dispensers knocking things out at the hospital at 7 o'clock that morning. >> Yeah. >> So, I want to commend all our maintenance crew and all our custodian services for getting our schools ready to check they were. >> Some of them were still a disaster bottom line. So, you know, if you see your custodians, tell them you appreciate them
039and also make maintenance cruise. >> Uh, I was at the high school one day last week. The restrooms look nice. >> They do. The office. I went into the office. Everything looks good. Lane, you they've done a good job. >> Well, there was a team team effort, a lot of people involved in it. >> We really didn't start on that till it was after I got here. >> Mid July. It was mid July when we got our ducks in a row. >> Looks really good. >> Asbesus mitigation which just really knocked us in the head at the hospital. >> But everybody pulled together. Did not have any other tests. We're working at other schools helping out. Everybody pitched in >> together. We're stronger. We're stronger together. >> We should We should bring them in. >>
040You know what? That's an excellent idea. >> Just bring them in next time. You know, >> bring him in and tell them. >> Yes, we'll do that. Okay. Uh, number nine is old business an action discussion regarding potential dis disposition of real estate map 2 partial 175 located in the town of Martington approximately 72 ft by 120 ft to the town of Martington for the purpose of the town's arc grant. That's a b is approval of trips for natural mountain playground. And we got another B out here which should be C probably. Action discussion or director of special education job description. Do I have a motion? >> Mr. McCull's made the motion. Do I have a second? >> Have a second. >> Mr. Be second. Any questions or >> we need to discuss this? So,
041we need an executive session to discuss a the >> real estate >> the real estate. >> I'll second. Dr. After Hollsworth has made a motion Man, So move made a motion. Do I have a second? Second. Mr. Mcome second. All those in favor. >> All right. We are back in regular session. The first order of action was action discussion regarding potential disposition of real estate. Map two, partial 175 locally located in the town of Arlington, approximately 72 feet times 120 to the town of Arlington for the purpose of the town's ARC grant. >> Okay. Uh sir, I'd like to make a motion to convey board of education property to the town of Marlington subject to reversal clause and other requirements. >> Okay. And we can only do this for two and a half years. >>
042Two and a half years. >> If it's not done by then, it reverts back to the Pnas County Board of Education. >> Okay, sir. >> I'll second it. >> Mr. Gibson made the motion and Mr. McNab seconded. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Motion carries. I think it's important to let the public know that if that grant don't go through and they can try again next year but don't go through then it reverts back to the Ponos County Board of Education to let >> citizens students and stuff can still use >> they still position of the piece of property. Item number B is approval of trips for natural mountain playground. >> Move. >> I'm just going to read them all here. >> And then action to discussion of director special education
043job and description. And do you have anything to say about that? >> Yes. Um we have posted >> Go ahead. Oh, we have posted a special education job multiple times. We have at no point in time had three certified applicants to interview. Um therefore, after uh consideration of the position that I posted, I did have some pretty stringent requirements on it. Um, I would like to modify the posting and only in the essence to open it up to a larger applicant pool. I feel strongly that anybody that's going to be in a director's position should have been a principal first. They should have leadership and management and had to have managed multiple projects and across multiple topics. And this job is for special ed, it's for 504, it's for prek, it's for 503, and it's
044for other student services. So the one thing that I feel like we can change to broaden the applicant pool because special education is very difficult to get people certified in special education is to change special education teaching experience and certification from required and I highlighted it right there for the board and just put preferred. And I wanted to bring the job um description and posting back before the board since this was created out of the necessity of our state of emergency, our special circumstances review and make sure that I had your approval to take that off and put prefer to open the applicant port. >> Any questions on that? >> I don't have a question here. All those in favor signify by saying I. Motion carries. 10. New business. A is a approval of an
045overnight trip to Cedar Lake Conference Skills USA fall leadership October the 14th 15 2025 with six students. B is approval of fundraisers. C is a schoolboard authority project submission and D is action discussion preliminary for the two 2025 financial statement and E is ESG statements taking number A. Anybody have any questions on them going on the trip? >> I do not, sir. >> Okay. On B, approval of fundraisers. Anybody got any questions on the fundraisers? >> I do not, sir. >> Hearing none. Okay. The county board authority project sub commmission. And I think we got a copy of that. >> You got a copy of it. >> And u if I can find out what I done with it. I had a different >> You want to look at mine? I can talk about it.
046>> Go ahead and talk. >> So, we submitted um an HVAC uh renovation project for the high school. We are requesting roughly $2.3 million from the SBA, the schoolboard authority. our local shares commitment um $450,000. Our total project cost is estimated to be $2,827 $27,050. Um we feel good about this project. We have spoken with our SBA representative that recommend that we submit our most our our area of most need. We do have some pictures that um of the HVAC and the condition that it's in that we provided to the SBA. They will look over these and we will get some feedback. >> Do we know when we'll hear something? >> We should hear something. I think we're going to have for presentations in November >> and that will be when Mr. McN will go
047with me school board. We >> we had a SBA grant which was mees boiler and roof. What was that the last one we had? >> We talked about >> that's a needs project. >> That was a needs project. >> This was part of it but we pulled out one thing under the recommendation of our SBA representative. Sarah and I talked to him. We were going to put three things through. We were going to put the HVAC, the men school roof, and electrical upgrades at Mileson River Elementary. >> Thank you. >> Any questions on any of the action to discuss preliminary 2025 financial statement? Anybody have any questions about it? >> Well, that um May I say something? >> Yes. >> Okay. Um, we would like to have a special uh meeting to go over that
048in depth. Um, while that financial statement recently was available as of last night, um, we would like for Mr. Mccor and Miss Hamilton to have time to review it and her prepare a strong um presentation, not necessarily a PowerPoint, but to be able to answer questions and let the board know what our bottom line is, how much carryover we have, how much money we have, and where we stand. So, we need a meeting. We need some time to deal with that. So, we would like to have a special meeting on September the 26th because it is due to the state department on September 29th. >> September 26th. What day is that on? >> On a Friday. >> I'm so sorry. Can we If we could have it in the day, that would make it even
049better. >> Make it morning. Morning. >> Morning would be perfect. >> Afternoon. I'm cut up till noon. Three three or four >> senior citizen board meeting. >> Let's see what day the 26th >> four three is fine. Three. Would that work? >> No. On a Friday night's going to have a ball game. Football game. >> That's what I know. >> So I don't want to do it at night. >> You want to do it earlier? What time is your board meeting? My board meeting will be over around noon. So we could do it at >> 1:00. be perfect. >> Okay, Sam, can you do that? >> Uh, it'd be tough, but No. >> Well, wait, wait, wait. >> Did you say pretty freeze, Mr. G? Somebody >> No, she hers lets out at 12. >>
050Oh, let out at your 24. >> Uh, who we doing on Thursday the 25th? Has somebody got something that time? I I can't. Huh? >> Can't go out. A meeting with David >> special meeting. >> Yeah, you got to have the agenda go out. That's true. And you got to have three full work days. I can do it on the 26th. We can do it at 1:00 if Mr. Gibson can be there. I mean, I can do it. >> I can do it. >> You can just take take that whole afternoon and go to the then go to the ball game and just make a day of it. >> A play day. >> Don't let money get in the way. Uh, I can't take that stuff with you. >> Has anybody got any questions with
051having a special meeting on the 26th at 1:00 in the afternoon? >> Very good. >> You I'm good. >> You good, Dr. Hollinssworth? >> Okay. >> All right. We're voting on all the I I don't know what this ESG letter of intent. >> Well, I'm modifying that to I just wanted to let you know that there will be a contract coming for the boiler. >> Oh, okay. for the electrical the electric water heaters and for the board renovations. So hopefully I will have that on the special meeting for you to look over as well. A contractor. >> All right. Did we get a We didn't get a motion on that, did we? I don't have it wrote down. Do I have a motion on these? >> So move. >> Mr. May made the motion have
052a second. >> That is a second. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> All right. So, he'll be doing >> We took it off. >> Okay. Board remarks. Mr. Gibson. >> Well, we have uh >> Mrs. Hamilton's here. Have you been getting any replies back from the JOTC? I mean, what's the survey say on that? Is it >> That will go to Mrs. Dunlap. >> Yeah. to Miss Julie will have that the new girl. >> She's back to >> Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. So, um >> that was submitted on time. >> Yeah. >> We melted in. It was due September the 15th and we have her back. >> Okay. Okay. Okay. And it's been quiet in my world. I want to I tell you who I want to commend is um our
053new athletic director. That guy is doing a gang buster job. Him and his wife. They have a they're a very unified team and I think doing I think it's the best service we've ever had in that position ever. Quite frankly, they're doing great. Facilities look great. Kids look good. Everything's smooth. Um, and the schools look good on the outside. I haven't been inside any of the new since we opened, but I've been cutting grass and weed eating. And so, thank you, >> Mr. McD. >> Uh, I just like to I like the way things are going. Uh, it's still positive. I get a lot of positive feedback from everything that we're doing. >> Yeah. I would like to reach out to the parents and the uh the u custodians and stuff. Please get your children
054to to school. Please. We can't we can't fix these numbers and everything and we can't teach them if they're not here. So, I implore you, please do everything you can to get them here. Uh this is the most important time of these young people's lives. Uh if they if they don't keep up now, they never will catch back up. So, please, whatever we can do to help you and whatever you need to do, let's let's get them at school. >> Yeah. I've got one thing I thought of after we done finished talking about on absentis and it used to be a big thing kids lost their driver's license if they missed more than so many days. Did they change that or still? >> Yes, that was how it was when I was the nth principal
055at Eastern Green Middle School. Um, but it wasn't too long ago that they took that >> you can no longer do that >> because that's a huge incentive for high school. >> It was a huge incentive. >> We have any I mean J can we can we like get I'm just trying to think of ways could we get the coaches to lean on some of the kids that's you know they have to have a C average. I guess that's that's how they can that's how they can >> Your sports kids probably not. That's what I was going to say. your sports kids probably not the ones missing. I think a whole a lot of it comes down to the climate of our schools because I know years it's been eight years since I've been there
056but that time if you had a kid missing someone on the staff the teacher me someone will be pulling them aside saying hey >> a lot of times that goes a lot further than the tendance director or the principal or whoever making them feel like it's important for them to be there and our staff may work on that some >> we may ask you something this appropriate Um, we are having an administrative meeting on Thursday from 8:30 to 12:30 and what we are going to look at is our data and we're going to identify our kids that are on the bubble >> academically and we are going to talk about kids how we monitor chronically absent. Um, I've asked Miss Shifflet to start pulling that weekly and sending it out. And you can monitor who's
057on the list that you can move off the list and who is off the list that's getting ready to move on the list. Those are called the bubble kids. And I am going to ask the principles to ask each of their staff members to adopt a bubble kid and make daily contact with them to form a relationship and talk about their grades and coming to school. Because relationships for our opening of school is critical and sometimes kids have to know that somebody cares if they're there when nobody else cares. >> Well, I remember this was years Mr. Vance was still there and I remember doing it one year. They took the entire student population and everybody had four or five kids, the cook, me, the secretaries, everybody in school had >> it wasn't kids you
058normally interacted with >> and you just >> and that's why we did that that opening at the beginning of school with Larry Bell >> and how he really talked about >> the cooks are important to relationships, the bus drivers are important to relationships, the custodians, the teachers. And that's really the backbone of our theme. We're stronger together because everybody has the ability to connect with the students, to care about them, to check on them, um, and to change their lives. And I I will say that um I've seen Mr. Williams do this as a coach, connecting with those kids and our coaches and our athletic directors. So once we start to f build build those relationships and really care, I think it will make a difference. I believe it in my heart and I I
059think we have established the tone for that at the beginning of our school year. >> Great. Great. I just um when I was listening to Larry Bell speak, it just reminded me of a professional development we had in Hillsboro. I'm not sure we had countywide, >> but I found my pin and it is your hand with a heart in it. Mhm. >> And the whole idea was, you know, we could uh watch hugging and all that and you could shake their hand. >> And if teachers would shake the kids' hands when they walked in the classroom or you saw them wandering in the hall and they shouldn't be there, >> shake their hand and then ask them why they're there. But first show them you care and then makes >> sense >> send them back
060with. Yeah. >> But that's something I've asked every every every school to do to make sure that they greet every student every morning and send students home every evening. I did that for five years as a principal. >> I welcomed every kid off the bus. I thanked them for coming to school and I put them on the bus and that that evening and said, "Thank you for coming. come back tomorrow. And I built a lot of relationships with Rupert, my students at Rickert Elementary, and we moved to a top performing school, a school of excellence, and it was because everybody knew we cared and we really worked hard on that. >> Me and Mr. McNab went up, this is for you, too, so you chip in at any time and talk to the head coach,
061Doug Burns, and we also I got a call from the athletic director last night. They have changed the ball games from going to Worth County next year to Batstown. Am I correct in that here? >> So instead of going that three and a half or four hours, you will go 45 minutes. And they are trying to change uh what was what? Sherman. >> Sherman >> to uh to Summers County. >> Yeah. Uh the the athletic director sent me a email last night and he was talking about how many minutes it was to each one of these places and you know it it's knocking at half basically. Sherman was three three and a half >> last that was last Friday. >> Yeah. Yeah. And I think the kids had to leave at noon. >> My bus
062driver down there. He went to Boom County again. >> Exactly. >> It's like it is. And you know the kids had to leave at noon and you know we was me and Mr. McNav was talking about this and when we went and talked to the coach uh unfortunately the athletic record wasn't there but the coach had called him and talked to him about it but not only in football but we're looking at this in basketball too to see if we can get some games don't cost as much money to go as far you know uh of course there's going to be some routine ones that we have to play the green bar west and Tigers Valley and you know uh somebody said we had to play so many games in our conference >> uh in
063that PVC which we're in let's say we're in that PBC conference and I like say I coached for 20ome years up there and I mean it does you a little bit of good but it doesn't really do anything for us. Um I mean we really don't they don't recognize Pocahontas County very much like they do Morfield, Petersburg, Pendleton all those we don't get near the accolades that that the other schools do. So, I mean there some of those games are close, but as far as being in a conference nowadays, I don't know that it's worth it. >> We're playing games out of what up there and also out of the cold field. >> Yeah. >> Uh he was telling me last night, this was a big issue and he wanted me to look it up.
064He said, "How many games do we have to play in the BTOIC conference? Is it written anywhere?" He said, "I can't find it." >> Yeah. I used to know it. there's there's a certain percentage you have to play to stay in it, but like I say, I don't know >> that it's doing us any good in it. >> I don't know that it's doing I don't know that it's doing us any good. >> They're probably still going to play us in the conference or not. >> Really not >> cuz they can't get games either. >> And that's it's tough. And we're, you know, there's less and less single A schools. Now, you can move up and play a double A team if you're you not going to say anything about it if you can. We
065used to do that all the time, you know, that we played Nicholas County and which was double A and a lot of schools double A, but now double A schools don't want to play you because they don't get the points unless you're a winner, you know. So that's >> Well, I got Let me interrupt you just for a second. I don't know if a lot of you know this or not, but uh the SSAC put out the rankings for sing for the football classes of football and we're single. Okay, we play eight teams that are now ranked in the top 16. We could play eight of them. >> We've got a very tough schedule. We don't have a lot of kids. That's another thing that we need to work on. We need to work with
066our middle school program. We need to get these kids out. We need to work with our youth leagues. Uh you know, we're I'm sportsoriented. Always have been. But it's it it's a process. It doesn't happen overnight. Uh we've got some good people in place. We just need to we need to get the numbers the kids out and work these programs to to get back to be where we're where we're competitive where we can go we want to go to the playoffs too, you know. >> Absolutely. >> And we have in years past. >> Oh yeah. >> Excuse me. Maybe soccer will go to the playoffs before football team will. >> They're going they're doing good. >> Soccer's doing good. >> Soccer is good. And we're traveling too. Now one thing about the soccer world is
067they redid the they're not having sectionals anymore. It's it's have a different playoff structure and it's got things all scrambled. Everybody's playing different teams. It's not just football. >> It's man, >> it's across the board. >> But soccer players are were cooler to travel. Yeah, we can do that. >> Okay. Uh, one other one other thing that you brought. We was discussing this somewhere along the way and you said we could put in God we trust signs up at schools now. >> We we have we have those. Mr. Gibson, would you please get those and Mr. Gibson has ordered the frames for them and hopefully we're going to put those up with a little flag beside them. But these are our sites that's going up in our >> fold. They're got a lot of extras
068too for maybe civic organizations. Turn them towards your camera you guys first. >> That'll be great. When can we get those up? >> Our friends come in order frames today. Nothing fancy, but order frames. >> One's going in every school. >> Yeah. Well, every building. So every building. >> I've got two for every school right now. one for the world office here 15 frames and like I say I have a lot of extras that I picked up >> and they have to be permanently displayed. >> That's great. >> That's the new >> that's absolutely terrific. Okay. Our next board meeting will be a special meeting held on finance on September the 26th at 1:00 in the afternoon at the board of education conference room. We are hereby adjourned. Yes.