001You good, M. Stewart? You good? Okay. Good evening. It's time to call the April 15, 2025 War County Board of Education meeting to order. Our first order of business is our pledge of allegiance. And we have lots of people to pick from tonight, but I'm going to pick on the FPLA students. If you guys will lead us in the pledge, you can do it from right there. 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. I figured since you were here looking for money, we can ask you to do that. You have to work for it. uh make you work for it. Okay. Uh next is our approval of the agenda. Do I have a motion
002to approve the agenda? Okay. On the agenda, we have a couple of fillins and add-ons. Uh under number seven, never mind about that. Under number seven, uh C4, uh there's a price tag for the FBLA's trip to uh the national conference in I think California, right? Yeah. Mr. G will explain all that to us here in a little bit. Uh let's see. Um and then under new business, uh under D all the way down to geography textbooks, there is a name. It's HMH global geography. Okay. And I believe Mr. Macau gave uh board members a cop uh copy of that. That was the last one to be. So you have a copy of that, but I wanted to make note of it since it's an add-on. And then something a little bit different. After we
003adjourn the meeting this evening, we will um immediately reconvene the regular meeting of March 18th. is the is the levy laying meeting that we uh recessed and we'll bring that back tonight after we adjourn this meeting. Any other questions on the agendas? Anything I missed? It's a big agenda. It's easy to miss something. You you announced the seven, but that was actually eight on the one. No, no, no, no, no. On uh Oh, okay. Yeah, you said you're right. Yeah, I was looking under I had a star under the recess meeting. I my eyes went straight to it. Any questions here? None. We have a motion to approve the agenda as presented. All in favor say I. I. I. Oppose say nay. Eyes have it. Okay, we're down to information. Our first uh person will
004be Mr. Smith with our month monthly attendance narrative. Mr. Smith, it's pretty good audience for the monthly attendance. Sorry. Give me just a second here. Okay. Um, hold on just a second. Sorry about that. All right. Um All right. In regards to the uh April attendance narrative, um since the beginning of the school year, 186 5-day unexcused absence letters were sent to students household. Um, in regards to the yearto-ate attendance, as of April 9th, uh, the primary center was at 93.6%, the middle school was at 92.3, the high school was at 90.6, and districtwide it was at 92.2. Um, the average attendance by school and district were as follows for as of April 9th, uh, the primary center is at 91.5, the middle school's at 90.4. 4. The high schools at 90.7 and districtwide we're
005at 90.9. Um district enrollment as of April 9th, um primary centers at 339, middle schools at 256, high schools at 265 for a total districtwide at 860 students. Um, in regards to what changed the enrollment, uh, created the enrollment change since last meeting in in March, um, one student enrolled from another instate public school system. At the middle school, three students transferred to other in-state public school system, one student transferred to home school, and lastly, the high school. One student was sent to facility placement via court order. Um, in regards to enrollment by grade, um, preK was at 72, kindergarten at 47, first grade at 55, second grade at 46, third grade at 55, fourth grade at 64, and at the middle school, fifth grade was at 60, sixth grade was at 55, 7th grade
006at 67, 8th grade at 74. And lastly, at the high school, ninth grade was at 67, 10th grade was at 63, 11th grade at 67, and 12th grade was at 68 students. Y'all have any questions or concerns on any of that information? Have we completed preschool screening? I know I asked that last time. Preschool, I know that they have had they may have one additional coming, but they have started preschool screening. Right. Correct. So, we'll have those numbers before long. Right. Correct. Uh-huh. That's a big preschool. Maybe it's a trend going the other way. I don't know. Hopefully. So, we can hope. Yep. Any questions for Mr. Smith. All right. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Smith. Okay. Next up is Mr. Isaac Goff for the FBA National Convention. Um, he has a whole group of students
007here with him. So, Isaac, bring whoever you want up. Bring them all up if you want. We're going to get guys So, we're coming here today. Uh, these are our first place winners from our state leadership conference who qualified for our national leadership conference this year in oh in Anaheim. Really proud of this group. Uh, California is always a bigger year. We have about statewide 40% more competitors because I mean basically more kids want to go to California than some other spots. So they had a lot of competition and uh really proud of them. I'm going to let them introduce themselves and their competitions and uh we'll go from there. Um hi everyone. Uh I'm Lincoln Thorne. I'm our chapter president. I was also a two-time state officer before I gave up that title earlier
008this year. Um, I'm going into my senior year, so it's just a super massive opportunity to be able to close off just such a great chapter in my life. Um, to be able to close it off by going to nationals in California, it means the world to me, um, and who I've become. So, I just I just thank everyone for making that possible. Um, I want my adviser obviously and everyone else around me. Um, I'm Alli Nef. I was a state officer with Lincoln last year. I was a parliamentarian. Um, as I'm about to graduate, I'm very excited to go to California. I actually competed with Lincoln and Megan who couldn't be here today. She's sick. But I'm just I'm so glad I had this opportunity. I'm so excited. Like I it's all I can
009think about. I'm Kelly Sherlock and this year I actually got the parliamentarian position from Ally. She passed it down to me. So this year as the state parliamentarian, I get to go to California and I'm super excited. Like this is where I've made all my very best friends is through FBLA. So, I'm really excited to travel with them to such a cool place like California. Now, Parliamentarian's the only one that you actually test for, isn't it? Correct. Yeah. You have to be the highest test getter. I'm Carly Phillips. I'm Lily Pittz. And this year we competed together in digital video production. Uh so, real quickly to explain their competitions, uh Megan Cutlip couldn't be here tonight. She um is a little under the weather, but her, Ally, and Lincoln are our three seniors, and they
010competed in graphic design where they had to create a um amateur minor league sports team and then design paraphernelia, uh uniforms, things like that. They did a great job. Um actually, we have all our last three state parliamentarians are standing up here. Lincoln uh was two years ago, Ally was last year, and then Kelly will be next year. And I know you're probably thinking Isaac must know something about Parley Pro. And in fact, I don't. I just apparently know what study materials give him. But they worked really hard on that and I was very handsoff, but really three years in a row we've had a War County state parliamentarian for West Virginia. So that's really cool. Really proud of their hard work. And then Carly and Lily designed a two-minute PSA about tourism in West
011Virginia. They went um all over the state filming and did some really cool stuff with that as well. So, um, anyway, as Mr. Mets might have mentioned, if we need to come back and lead the pledge again whenever you just let me know, but, uh, we did make a request, we are we are fundraising, um, a good bit of money, but it is it is quite expensive. So, the worst you can say is no, but um, we would appreciate your thought. We always appreciate your support, whether it be financially or just, uh, whenever, including Mrs. Smith, when we when we need something or we're asking permission for something, you guys have all been very uh positive and welcoming and encouraging to it. So, I just I really appreciate that. I'm a product of War County
012High School FBA with Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Shaver and um these kids are going to go on and do great things and I'm just uh really pleased with them. We also are a finalist and we have yet to hear I will I will throw that out and brag about him for a gold seal chapter which is a national award for uh the highest achieving chapter in the state and we are in the final two and we're waiting to hear about that. But this is the group really proud of them and uh you should be too. They represent uh all of our all of our competitors and and members really represent our school well. when we go, we are complimented at at hotels, at conferences. Uh, everybody says if you're from work county, the judges are
013always very complimentary of our students, how they carry themselves and uh so be proud of that as well. Whether you give us any money or not, you can be proud of their behavior uh when they're when they're away from here and they're they're a good representation of our school. So, thank you all. Don't go anywhere. Any questions? Board members, any questions? I will tell you I had the privilege and it was a privilege to judge uh let's see you guys and you guys right now that was here it was practice it wasn't down there it wasn't home cooking uh but I came in and we had the privilege of sitting and listen to their presentations and they truly were phenomenal and there was another couple girls that did a presentation that was phenomenal uh also
014but I guess that they ended up second first. If you get the gold seal, there's a chance that you'll take a couple others. Um, we normally take a rep uh representatives for that as well. Yes. Okay, sounds good. Questions, board members. Thank you kids for being good kids, too. I mean, you know what I mean. So, I mean, there's not obviously there's not uh every school in the state that that has that. So, it says a lot about your character. That's great. Yeah. Okay. We want to get a picture before you leave. And Isaac, that is on the agenda later. So, so I'll just say very quickly, I came here in the 90s and that was the era of Mrs. Shaver and it does my heart good to see the strong tradition of work county.
015So, congratulations for your hard work. Come on up, guys. Let's get a picture. Don't go anywhere. Do we have parents here? Do these guys have any parents? Just so you know, right there. Congratulations. [Music] Okay, next we have recognition. We have uh Dr. Benson here and his simulated workplace media team. Third place winners of no school spirits PSA contest. You booze, you lose, I think was the name. Come on up, Dr. Benson. Uh we have to lower the microphone a little lower than Isaac's here. So, thanks for letting us uh come out. We had several other students who were going to be here but at the last minute weren't able to make it but I have uh Sophie with me and I'll explain who she is in just a moment. Um the uh Yuboo you
016uh lose PSA that you're about to see was the third place winner in the state uh for the uh competition for no school spirits which is run by the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration. They do it every year. It's a school competition and um students can enter. There were 400 students uh attending 29 different schools that competed this past year and uh the team led by Sophie uh came in third out of the state which was fantastic. I want to mention the names of the players who were involved. Um Sophie Awan was our student group leader and she was a supporting actress also in the in the PSA. Uh Nathan Fry was our lead actor. Brody Goodwin was a background actor. Uh Logan Stickle provided technical assistance and Lincoln Amos was a contributing writer.
017And at the very end, you'll recognize a familiar voice perhaps uh doing voice over at the end of the PSA was uh act actually our science instructor Joel Sabbo who provided the voice over at the very end. Um so I'm going to let Sophie take over and say a couple things about before you see this. Um, well, I just feel like drunk driving is obviously a very bad thing and it's important that we inform like people our age now because if we learn learn the dangers of it now, it will hopefully prevent people from doing it in the future. Dr. Ben, Dr. Benson, you forgot to mention your wonderful big prop that you should have brought and what the students won. So, could you speak briefly about that? Yes. Um, so the students won a
018$1,000 uh prize uh as part of this which is going to be used to uh fund some more equipment as well as taking this team that I just mentioned to you um to a uh professional TV studio where they're going to meet with industry professionals and observe and uh talk about things that are uh and actually watch a news broadcast live happening. Uh so it's going to be an exciting opportunity for them as well. Uh so um ba I this issue hits home for me. Um when when my family and I moved to West Virginia uh right when we first moved here uh my wife and son were hit head-on by a drunk driver uh on a back road in Calhoun County of all places. And um so uh that was a a a traumatic
019situation. So the issue of drunk driving hits home close for for me as well. And so to encourage and work with these students and have them perhaps learn from this experience and be able to teach others about the dangers of of drinking and driving uh is is just so very important. So all right. I think you're going to show it to us. Absolutely. [Music] You don't drink. An interesting thing you might want to share with them about Nathan at the time. Nathan doesn't have a driver's license. [Laughter] So, we had to fake all of the driving scenes. Literally, when you see him driving, he's just sitting stationary. And uh the kids were taking flashlights and tree branches and shining them like this across the windshield to make it look like the car was moving. So,
020little movie tricks for you. Well, we we certainly congratulate you and it's uh Yeah. A good honor. Great honor. Did you I signed the certific you have to bring one that people can see? Uh we didn't bring a certificate and I know where the check is. If you want us to just run and grab it, I can very easily get it. But that's fine. It was it was a very nice one. It's actually signed from the governor. Correct. Yes. So it was a big thing. Yeah. They they were they were quite honored by that. Sophie, we want to get a picture with you. You and Doc Benson both. She's really the star. Our kids usually are. Hey, the lead actor of it. Oh. Oh, that's right. We just heard about that down tree. He was
021caught behind it. And do we have any cars? Yes, we do. Right back there. Come on up if you want to. Do you have anything you want to say about the PSA while we're waiting? So there must have been a tree down somewhere, huh? What about his house? Okay, next we have our math field day participants and there's several names here uh going down through and we're going to turn that over to Mr. Macau. Okay, we are going to recognize our county math build day winners and we will start out with the high school and I'm it's a big list and I'm sure that not everybody was able to attend. So we'll go down through and recognize everybody and then get a picture with who all is here. If you're here and he says your
022name, stand up so we wave as so we know who you are. Okay. Okay. For War County High School Mathfield Day participants, we have Maggie Conrad, Elizabeth Meley, Lindseay Purdue, Amelia Nalton, Kaden Stiljenbower, Braxton Dennis, Michaela Moore, Hunter Goodnight, Gregory Brogden, Seth Pac, Zoe Yoke, Raina Sherlock, and Christina Duckworth. I'm not sure any of them are here, but they're going to give them a clip anyway. So, moving on to War County Middle School in fifth grade, we have Mathfield Day winners. First place, Reagan Kale. Second place, Lily Romage. Third place, Noah Harrison. Fourth place, London Murphy. In fifth place, Nyla Walker. In sixth grade, we have first place Sophia Riley. Second place, Dena Persinger. Third place, Kase Nicolet. Fourth place Timothy Dunar. In fifth place, Archer Settle. In seventh grade, first place, Jude Walker. Second
023place, James Pittz. Third place, Rayanne Nay. Fourth place, Daisy Wilson. Fifth place, Emma Joy. And in eighth grade, we have first place Kaylee Harrison. Second place, Lucas Kerman, third place, Evan Edwards. Fourth place, Grayson Kenir, and fifth place Nicholas Snyder. Okay, at Work County Primary Center, we have in fourth grade, first place Marley Mington, second place Tucker Snodgrass, third place Ariana Adams, fourth place, Annabella Mosley, and fifth place Mackie Voyers. Those guys turned up. Yes, indeed. So, Mathfield Day top county scorers, fourth through sixth grade was Sophia Riley, seventh through 9th grade was Jude Walker. And 10th through 12th grade was Michaela Moore. So, let's give a round of applause to all [Applause] those. And for all of you math day winners, we'll come up and get a group picture with the group. And I
024believe you guys have already got your certificates and everything, right? Yeah. Come on up. Yeah. She can't see you. Don't be afraid. You can see the camera. Okay. Now, parents, don't go anywhere. I know parents, you didn't come expecting, but we really We got several room on this side. Yes. Yes. Thank you. We do appreciate it. And you will not wish to leave, but you're welcome to stay also. [Music] Yeah. Okay, we're down to delegations and this evening we do have one delegation and that's somebody we all know. Uh Jessica Lynch is here to talk to us about uh Purple Star School program and I think Mr. Macau has a little bit of literature. Oh, okay. I have too. Okay, Jessica, since this is a delegation, I I need to go over that uh we
025give delegations five minutes, okay? And the board will not respond or have a back and forth with you unless it's to clarify something that you said. Okay. Uh and I think this is something that uh maybe has some other We'll come back and revisit it when we can. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Okay. So floor is yours and Sherry will keep your five minutes there. Okay. Well, hopefully we won't go over that. Okay. So, I'm here to talk about the Purple Star Award, which is a military affiliated uh national program. So, it's not just here in West Virginia. It is um countrywide. Um for the state of West Virginia though, we only have 16 of the 55 counties that actually participate. Um, and it's as simple as um, I guess kind of give you an example. Um,
026with this, it is basically pinpointing toward your military children. And I don't know the numbers of how many um, dependents that we have here in the school system. Um, I can't get that information. I do know that we have I think around 400 veterans in the in the county. Um, obviously most of those are going to be your Vietnam vets, not with people here in the school system. Um, but anyway, so it is a program that is kind of set up so if there is a need for a guidance counselor to step in. So that person would be someone that you guys pinpoint um to kind of take charge to be the person that if there is an emergency, let's say that we have National Guard here, um and they get deployed, uh the children
027or the students, I guess I should say, um are feeling, I don't know, left out. They're missing their mom and dad. I don't know. mom and dad comes back either hurt, injured, god forbid, killed. Um, so that guidance counselor would step in kind of like what a guidance counselor would do already here. Um, and just kind of comfort and guide those kids to be like, "All right, kind of step in just, you know, as another role model of saying it's okay." Um, all right. So, let me see here. What else am I forgetting? Um there are a couple of requirements that the the county does have to kind of meet. Um most of them you guys are already doing. Um so that's going to be like your uh Veterans Day program uh that we have
028set up. Um that counts as a military activity as well as um I did it back in February where I just kind of did a test run. I didn't do it with the whole entire school or well I guess all three schools. I just kind of had a couple teachers do it. I reached out to um Gail at the middle school, had her to do a couple with the middle school kids. Uh and that was just doing Valentine's cards for veterans. Um so anything that is simple as activities like that's going to count toward you guys being a Purple Star school. Um, and then at the end of the year, you guys are awarded with just a banner that says that you guys are military friendly and that you kind of stand behind West Virginia
029veterans. That is simple and quick. Um, and again, I do have I don't know what all he printed off, but I gave them this. Okay, that looks different. It's probably it's probably got the same material in it, but I'm going to leave these up here. So, if you guys want to look at it, take them. Okay, perfect. Yeah, just clarification, Jessica, this is uh prek12, right? Yes. Yeah, it goes it goes through the whole It's not a high school program. No, no, no, no, no. It is not just high school. Um because you're going to have your young ones even that if mom and dad gets deployed, they're going to be the ones that kind of miss mommy and daddy the most. Yeah. Okay. Um what we'll do is um uh we'll going to switch
030this over to Mr. Macau and ask Mr. Macau to meet with his principles and uh hopefully have you come in and and uh then they'll bring it back to us and we will approve it at a future board meeting. Sounds great. Thank you guys. Anything we can do to help our kids and our veterans, we're we're happy to do. Was there a tree down or something? I know you were caught behind stuff. Caught in the wreck there at 477. Oh, okay. Okay. Thank you, Jessica. We appreciate you coming out and bringing that to us. Okay. So, we are down to the second uh public hearing for the 2526 school calendar. So, at this time, I will make a motion that the board recess for a public hearing. That motion is made. All in favor say
031I. I. Post say nay. Eyes have it. We are in recess uh to talk about the calendar. We had big group here before we might have got some comments. Nobody nobody signed up um to speak to the school calendar with the signup sheet that was out and I don't believe we got any additional comments from the last board meeting on the calendar. I will say in the interim um we kind of had a hiccup with getting the notice published in the paper. So it kind of put us behind the eightball since they missed um that the first goound. So we only had three calendars and we only did one vote. But of the three and the one vote, there was one calendar that got significantly more votes than the others. And that's the calendar that
032I'm asking you to approve later in the agenda. And that's calendar B of the three that were in your packet. Anybody out there, any of our public wish to comment about the calendar questions? I have lost my agenda. I will say that the overwhelming statement that we hear from teachers and parents is they like students starting on a partial week. No, I'm good, Mark. I've got it. On a Thursday, Friday, or even a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. They do not want a full week with their children until the first. It makes them grumpy. Makes them grumpy. Huh? We wouldn't want grumpy people. Okay. Anything else? Thank you. Anything else? Anybody else? Okay. Don't want to belabor it. So, at this time, I will make a motion that we return from recess uh from the second public
033hearing for the 2526 school calendar. Any questions, comments? Hear none. We have a motion. All in favor say I. I. Post say nay. Eyes haven't. Okay. Now to agenda. Need a motion to approve the minutes of the April 1st, 2025 regular meeting. So move. Any corrections, comments, concerns? Hear none. We have a motion to approve the minutes of the April 1st, 2025 regular meeting. All in favor say I. I. I. Oppose say nay. I have it. Okay. At this time, I'm going to make a motion to enter into executive session to conduct a student expulsion hearing for student number 1486. Sher, you have time on that. Okay. So, we have that motion. All in favor say I. I. I. Post say nay. Eyes have it.