001Good. >> Yeah, I'm good. >> Good evening. It's time to call the February 17th, 2026 War County Board of Education meeting to order. Uh, first order of business is our pledge. And we're going to ask Miss Sherlock to lead us in pledge time. 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. >> Thanks, sir. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Uh tonight, Mr. uh Moore is not with us. He had a I believe a work obligation. So he is not making it this evening. Besides that, everybody else here, we do have a quorum. And we're glad to have Heather with us. We wish Sherry uh to get well. I hate to miss her because
002she's sick, but Heather, we're glad that you're here. If we get to rolling too fast and you miss a motion, you wave at us, Mr. Low will have it. I I won't I won't, but Mark will have it marked down. Okay. He He does He keeps pretty good track of that. >> Um I I'm usually going, so I I don't write it down. Okay. So, our first order of business here is our approval of the agenda. Do I have a motion to approve the agenda? >> So move. >> Okay. I see nothing that has changed since the original agenda came out last week. Would you guys concur with that? >> I don't see anything dark or anything. >> Okay. So, we have a motion. Any questions about the agenda hear? None. We have a motion
003to approve the agenda. All in favor say I. >> I. Post say nay. I have it. Motion carries. Have no recognitions tonight. Uh under information. I do not see Mr. Smith there. >> So, he I've got his attendance report to go over. He's coaching. The boys are at home with Williamstown this evening. So, um, we still need to give the monthly attendance report. It was in your packet and I could briefly discuss it. >> Go right ahead, Mr. >> Okay. So, Mr. Smith did prepare the monthly attendance report for this evening and it says since the beginning of this school year 98 student um five-day letters have been sent and year-to-ate attendance um is as follows. W County Primary Center 94.3% W County Middle School 93.3% W County High School 92.4%. 4% and the district
004average year to date 93.3%. Average attendance by school, War County Primary Center, the average attendance rate is 93.5. Work County Middle School is 93.3 and Work County High School is 92.9. The average county attendance as of February 12th is 93.2. Enrollment for the schools. Wart County Primary Center 313, W County Middle School 247, and W County High School 273. Total enrollment is 833 students as of February 12th. The total enrollment increased by three students in comparison to the last monthly report. And Wart County Primary Center increased from three students transferring in from another county. If you look at the the second page in your packet, the enrollment by grade, we have 50 kids in preK, 62 kids in kindergarten, 50 kids in first grade, 49 kids in second grade, 48 kids in third grade, 54
005kids in fourth grade, 64 in fifth, 59 in sixth, 58 in seventh, 66 in eighth, 74 in 9th, 64 and 10th 63 and 11th and 72 seniors. So that is the attendance report um prepared by Mr. Smith. I'm happy to entertain any questions you might have. >> Any questions on attendance? See, they're doing some work within our legislators on the attendance that might change how we do business. >> So they're looking to maybe change some definitions and what might be excused and unexcused. So, I I think they maybe swung the pendulum back too restrictive and now they're trying to to make some allowances there. Um, and I I'm hopeful that they will. >> Yes. >> Okay. Uh, I know Mrs. uh Cummins is not here this evening. Um, she had sent me a a text
006saying that she couldn't make it. So, do we have her record? >> Yeah, it is. It is in it was in your digital packet as well. Um, I'm not going to go through every page of that. She went into vivid detail on lots of things, but if you look at the first page of her report in um your packet, uh, if you could make note of one thing. So on the second column from the right um it is yeartodate and year-to-ate revenues total 9,249,451 and then below that year-to-ate expenditures 7,712,857. So, just to ensure that we're not spending more money than we have coming in and there's money um available to take care of the business that the the board needs to do. Um all subsequent pages just drill down into that and give you
007more. But if you would like um Mrs. Cummings should be here at the next board meeting. If you've got any specific questions, if you can let me know, we could put her going over this in detail on the next agenda if you have questions about it. But um her first page, we've got more revenue than we have expenditures. So um that's the bottom line with the that um we're not spending more money than we have. >> Okay. >> Mr. total revenues did you I think I I had 9,114,000. Did you say 200 and some or did I >> I'm looking at page one. Okay. of her very right >> the page right directly after the cover page >> year-to- date revenues >> total revenue >> well I think if you if you go over over
008to the very right hand column I'm looking at her final column Brent >> oh okay all right >> so she's kind of got things broken down there with various things and then all the way to the right she's got year-toate revenues >> okay I was looking at the wrong colum Yeah, no problem. >> I was looking at year-to- date revenues, but it wasn't the right one, I guess. >> Miss Sherlock, can >> Yes. Um, so if if we could ask her, um, I know we had more revenue than we have expenses this year. Does she anticipate a change to that next year? So, I don't want to speak for her, but she's going to tell you that that's going to change dependent on the action that we take during riff and transfer season, which is
009which letters are going to go h have to go out and then riff and transfer action is going to be on board meetings next month. So, depending upon the action that the board takes upon my recommendations for that, we'll change the answer to that question. for uh for the expense side. >> Well, the the expense side is going to be dependent if >> on the on the positions that we um decide to riff. >> Okay. Um I absolutely What I'm curious about is she anticipates a decrease in the revenues next year. Well, I think she she can project that based on what our enrollment was October 1st with with Yeah, she could project that. >> Yeah. I I would like to have her walk us through it. >> Yes. >> And um since we have
010it here and she prepared it at least one time. >> Yep. >> Okay. Walk us through it so you know we have a good idea when we look at it. So, I'll just have I'll just have her put this whole thing. We'll put it back under information the next time so she can explain to us in the subsequent pages all of that. And then if there's something else specifically that you would like her to include in that. >> Yeah. So the the specific thing that I am interested in is if there is a projected change in the revenues, how much do we need to cut through riffs or another process in order to have a uh a sustainable budget? That's really what I'm looking for. >> Thank you. >> Yep. >> Uh okay, everybody good
011there? Yeah, I I would like to have her just sort of pick through it for us. So >> as as after as we're doing it, we can ask her questions here. And okay, final copy of superintendent's contract. U Mr. and I signed the contract. Uh Heather has it. So if at some point in time you want to look, it's exactly same as what we approved at the last meeting. Um that's why it's not on here. There's an action we actually did the last meeting. Um, okay. So, no. Any questions about that? You're welcome to look at it. Heather has it. Um, okay. We have no delegations. So, we're down to agenda. Uh, need a motion to approve the minutes. February 5th, 2026 special meeting. >> So moved. Any questions, comments, corrections, concerns? Hearing none, we
012have a motion and approve the minutes of the February 5th, 2026 special meeting. All in favor say I. >> I. Post say nay. Eyes have it. Motion carries. Okay. Down. Payment of invoices. Need a motion to approve the payment of invoices in the amount of $197,7855. >> Mr. Mac. >> Okay. So, Mrs. Cummings is not here. I do have all of the expenditures that you are considering this evening here in the basket. We have four runs of expenditures for your consideration tonight. The first on 2426 totals $541.92. This is PEIA retiree billings. Then the next run on 210 2026 totals $55,78966. This is primarily utility bills. Then the next run also on 210 2026 totals $45,34249 cents. Noteworthy on this is primarily um food with Gordon Foods for the food service program. And then the
013final run of expenditures on 212 2026 totals $96,11148. Noteworthy on this. We did have um Mike Karns with Action Construction for the new BOE building renovation. They've got all of the subdivisions and new offices constructed. The drywall is up. We are in the process now of um painting and then we're going to have new flooring installed and we might possibly be in there by the end of next month if the flooring goes as quickly as the other construction did. And then also on that run, we've got um F Jones with our audit fee. And then these four runs of expenditures total $197,7855. >> Any questions on invoices? Hear none. We have a motion to approve the payment of invoices in the amount of $197,7855. All in favor say I. >> I. Say nay. Eyes have
014it. Motion carries. >> Down to budget supplements. Need a motion approve budget supplements. Supplements in amount of $2,375. >> So moved. >> Mr. Mac, >> we have one supplement. It is in the amount of $2,375 and it is from the West Virginia Department of Education, a grant for reimbursement, reimbursement for national board test expenses. >> Questions on supplements? >> Hear none. We have a motion to approve the budget supplements in the amount of $2,375. All in favor say I. I. >> I. Post say nay. I have it. Motion carries. budget transfers. I need a motion to approve budget transfers in the amount of $17,58649. >> So moved. >> So two transfers tonight. The first in the amount of $8649. This is state vocational funds being transferred for supplies. The next in the amount of $17,500.
015This is transfer of general funds to cover special ed vision services and legal fees. Any questions on budget transfers? >> Hear none. We have a motion to approve the budget transfers amount of $17,58649. All in favor say I. >> I. Post say nay. Eyes have it. Motion carries. Okay, we're down to personnel matters. resignations. Leave the absences. Need a motion to approve the resignation of Lauren Klein, assistant golf coach, War County High School, effective February 8th, 2026. >> M. >> So, her letter is in your packet and um her um school schedule has changed for the the coming year. So, um she has tendered her letter of resignation from the assistant golf coach. >> Any questions hearing? None. We have a motion to accept the resignation of Lauren Klein as assistant golf coach W County
016High School effective February 8th, 2026. All in favor say I. >> I. Post say nay. Eyes have it. Motion carries. Need a motion to accept the resignation of Jay Ewing, assistant baseball coach, War County High School, effective February 12th, 2026. >> So move. So yeah, he had been texting back and forth with the athletic director um Mr. Cheeseman and a copy of those texts um for Mr. Euing is in your packet. Questions hear? None. We have a motion to accept the resignation of Jay Euing, assistant baseball coach Kenny High School effective February the 12th, 2026. All in favor say I. >> I. Post say nay. I seven. Motion carries. under employment. Need a motion to employ Kelly White as interventionist extracurricular assignment at War County Primary Center effective upon completion of her contract. >> So
017move. >> So as you recall, we've got some school improvement funds for the primary center and one of the things Mrs. Taylor had asked for like we have a part-time reading interventionist is could we authorize a part-time math interventionist as you recall. So you authorized that. We have posted it and Mrs. White is the successful bidder of that. She is a retired teacher that spent her career in Ohio and has been subbing for us for some time. Very well experienced and credentialed and I'm happy to bring her name to you tonight. >> So this is for math. >> This is for math. >> Okay. Any questions in Mr. McC hear? None. Have motion to employ Kelly White as math interventionist extracurricular assignment war county primary center effective upon completion of her contract. All in favor
018say I. >> I. >> Post say nay. I have it. Motion carries. Okay. Need a motion to employ Abby Smith, substitute licensed practical nurse LPN for the 2526 school year. Commissioner Mac. >> So, as you recall, we authorized and posted that substitute LPN position and she is the successful bidder for that and this will be the first sub we have in that category. So, I appreciate her application. Okay. On the motion, I did not read that second line, but I will on the action. Okay. Any questions on Abby hear? None. We have a motion to approve the employment of Abby Smith, substitute licensed practical nurse, LPN for 2526 school year, effective upon completion of required new pay hire paperwork. All in favor say I. >> I. Post say nay. I have it. Motion carries. and
019need a motion to approve the employment of Matthew Ross, assistant softball coach, Fort Worth County High School, effect upon completion of required new hire paperwork. >> So moved, >> Mr. Mac. >> So I know Matt, Mr. Ross has coached in pee-wee and various and sunundry things. He's completed all of his SSAC certification and his WBDE form 39, so is good to go. questions hear none. We have a motion to accept employment of Matthew Ross, assistant softball coach for County High School, effect upon completion of his required new hire paperwork. All in favor say I. >> I. Post say nay. Eyes have it. Motion carries. Okay. Need a motion to approve an updated maintenance form and job description. account. >> Okay. So, we amended this and you authorized it and we posted it. We did have
020one certified electrician apply and we interviewed him and he came in and we showed him the salary of what the position paid and he quickly was not interested in filling the position. So after some discussion I'm I'm asking the board we have taken out the electrician portion of this and we have taken out the safety portion of this um for the if if we have electrical work that is beyond the scope of what our maintenance guys can do. We will contract that out with things and then we look to bring the safety thing as an extra duty contract that somebody might pick up and for the board to author that authorize that at a later time. I think with these two changes to this posting that we will have a certified candidate inhouse already our
021employee potentially bid on this questions. I think that's good movement. Okay, we have a motion approval of updated maintenance form and job description. All in favor say I. >> I post say nay. I have it. Motion carries. Okay, we have one volunteer chaperone this evening. Need a motion to approve the volunteer chaperone Derek Eggbert for County Middle School for school year. >> So moved. >> Mr. Mac >> known him well and I think he's going to help with the ski trip. So I appreciate I appreciate his help. I really felt we'd have several. >> I I tried to get the word out if uh you're not already on there to get on this agenda because I think this is the last one before they go. >> Any questions? Hear none. We have a motion to
022accept uh Derek Eggger as volunteer chaperon War County middle school for 2526 school year. All in favor say I. >> Post say nay. Eyes have it. Motion carries. Uh, we'll start with Mr. Stewart. >> Stewart blank. >> Board concerns. I have uh Yeah, something keeps bothering me and I might as well put it out there. U How is our foreign language Japanese? Is it well accepted or not? >> I I think we've got two sections of that with double digit kids in each one. We still have a section of kids that are doing virtual Spanish one and he is proctoring that and then I think we have several sections of kids in Spanish too. Um so there's still a section of kids that chose to do virtual Spanish instead of taking that. >> Will that
023still be available in the future? >> The virtual Spanish. >> Yes. >> Okay. because you know lot you go some places Spanish is a spoken language >> and I mean in the United States >> y >> and uh but uh anyway that's that's my concern I thought we was doing away with it and >> so it is still there I think having even though Japanese is what he if somebody chooses to take a virtual Spanish and I think we've got I some some kids doing American Sign Language, he is the facilitator for that class and the kids can be in his class and still choose if they don't want to do Japanese, they can still do a West Virginia virtual school foreign language and be in there with him with him facilitating that. Okay. >>
024But I think we've got two sections of Japanese one right now. Okay. with kids in there. And then there's one group of kids in the Spanish, one virtual, and I think we've got a group of kids in American Sign Language also. >> Okay. Thank you. Uh that if if you want, we can ask Mr. Macau have uh Mrs. Smith come in and tell us what's going on if that didn't answer your question. Well, it's just uh I I've from the meeting we had before, I thought we would be doing away with Spanish and it's just uh far as the kids are concerned, you know, that would be something we'd use way more than Japanese. >> Well, and I think it's there. Um while he's not certified to teach that, he I think he he's certified
025to teach English and he's certified to teach Japanese. If a group of kids still want to take that, they could take it with West Virginia Virtual School and be in there and he'd be the facilitator for that course. >> At the moment, >> might even be able to understand the uh the halftime of the Super Bowl. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Mr. L. >> Mr. Sherlock, >> um Mr. McCall, I just had a question. Uh I notice uh other people doing their calendar uh meetings. Okay. Yep. >> And doing the calendar. >> So I believe it is our intention. We've put that out. Staff are compiling calendars now. I think the the first and second public comment meeting will be the board meetings next month and then we will pick we will proceed with picking a
026calendar um with that. But I know um we've gotten either two or three calendars turned in that folks have submitted. So we will be bringing those for the board to review in the next two board meetings. >> Again, if you look at our legislators put out the new calendar stuff today and it is a huge major change and there if if that bill passes, which I'd say there's a good chance it'll pass. It's going right now. they have 180 days. This will go to 900 hours. And instead of counting days, we'll count hours. And uh it changes it it it changes a lot of stuff on how you could build your calendar. Might be a good thing. I don't know. We'll see. Huh. Um >> but I think that'll go through it. >> We'll see.
027Just something else to try. Huh. Okay. Anything else for the good, Mr. I will just say um to update the board members on the new board office. All of the construction there is complete. Um they've got the new offices constructed. They've got the drywall hung. We are now in the process of uh painting everything. We've got flooring coming in and going to be installed. So, I will tell you it's coming along nicely. Um, I'm not going to promise, but there's a possibility that we could be in there before the end of next month. U, it's it's coming along well. So, just wanted to give you an update. >> Yeah, if you're in Elizabeth during the day, those guys I I I went through it's probably been a week and a half, maybe two weeks ago.
028I just stopped, told them who I was, and and one of the guys that's working was a young man that I knew from school. And I walked through with him. They're more than happy to let you walk through if you're over towards Elizabeth and want to do that during the day. See what they're doing. >> Just not only is it going to have a nice big boardroom um that we can just leave everything set up and we don't have to set up and tear down, but behind the boardroom there will be a conference room. So if the board has to go into executive session, the board can go in there and the public won't have to go out into the the cold and the elements perhaps. So it's going to it's going to be it's
029going to be nice. >> Yes. >> Okay. I think we're at that point that we entertain a motion for German. >> So move. >> We are journ. Thank you, gentlemen.