001Good evening. It is 6 o'clock and I'm going to go ahead and call this meeting to order. All board members are present. It is the practice of the board of our board of education to begin our meetings with prayer and the pledge of allegiance. We invite you to bow your heads and for prayer and stand to join us in the pledge if you so choose. Let us bow our heads. Lord, we respectfully ask for your guidance and wisdom as we proceed with the business before us. Keep us mindful of our purpose of providing a quality education for the students attending Taylor County Schools. Amen. >> Amen. >> To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands nationy and justice for all. Dr. Stallings, do we have any adjustments
002or addendums to the agenda? >> In fact, we do not, Miss Garvin. Thank you. >> That is delightful. The superintendent respectfully requests approval of the agenda as presented. I have a request, please. Yes, ma'am. Um, item 54, 5047, and 5048. I'd like to pull both of those items and I'd like to vote on 5048 first and then 5047 if I'm if I'm approved to do that individually. >> Yes. Okay. Do we have a second for the individual votes on 5047 and 5048? >> I'll second it. >> Mr. Dowy seconds. All those in favor? >> I >> Could you wait one moment while I capture that information? >> Yes. 54 50 >> 5047 and 5048 >> with 5048 going first. Is that >> Mrs. Garvin? May I um please request uh 201 to be on a
003separate vote so that I may recuse myself from that? >> Certainly. >> The number again, sir. >> 2051. >> Thank you. >> Do I have a second for 20 to be pulled for a separate vote? >> Second. >> Okay. I heard Mrs. Gallow first. Um, all those in favor? >> I Okay, at this point, >> did you vote on the I believe we have a motion >> to accept the agenda as now adjusted. I believe we need a second for that. >> Second, >> Mr. Taylor seconds. All those in favor? >> I I motion passes. >> So, to be clear, that was not Taylor. >> Yes. >> Thank you. My apologies. >> No worries. That moves us into the 1000 series. >> There we go. I think that's me. >> Yes, it is. Tell us
004things. >> So, I have a few things that I want to share with you and instead of a written I have a you had requested last time uh making sure that your reservations andor uh hotel accommodations regarding the uh school building authority conference is scheduled for September 5th and 6th. I've taken the uh the liberty of putting together an envelope that has each of your uh information based on your request whether it was virtual and or in person and or reservations. And so this includes your confirmation number if you're going or confirmation that you've been registered. And I'll just pass these around and ask you to take the one that has your name, of course. The second thing I have for you, ladies and gentlemen, is I have a copy of the county board of
005education action items for implementing 2025 legislative acts. This is a copy for your reference, for your binder. Uh we received this more recently and so I'll ask that you have a copy for your binders for your reference and as we go through, not necessarily just tonight, but at all. shouldn't be they're just basic uh quick overviews of those. Um that information is now available to you. >> There should have been five of them. I also have for you um a copy of the letter that we'll be speaking discussing as a part of the 8000 series. I'll give you that momentarily rather than confusing you about where we are with that. Uh you all received that electronically. I'm sure I believe you did and um I've taken the liberty of having that ready for you to
006do some word smithing should you be inclined to do that. If not, I also have originals that can be signed tonight per your preference when we get to that. On a more recent note, I wanted to share with you that for the last two days uh our administrative council uh has been enjoying and participating in a two full day training for the C capturing kids hearts program that is a culture changer for school systems originally uh participated in by Dr. Dr. Decker and myself and then expanded to some of our directors here and then it was we it was definitely something we felt it would be appropriate to bring to the county. Uh and we did that yesterday and today subsequently it will be uh expanded to our building faculty and those will be in
007different locations uh depending on the size of the group etc. And we had a dynamite trainer her name was Dr. Deb Campbell uh from Texas and uh we need her here sometime again. She was wonderful, inspirational and responsive to uh what we were learning about one another. The entire training goes through a a different uh method of establishing uh rules for interacting with one another and also discovering messages receive and messages we think we're sending. uh and gives us an opportunity to be reflective of those things. And now the next step for us is we will now engage in a goal personal goal based on those findings or suggestions and we'll craft a attract attraction plan and we'll base we'll be revisiting that uh periodically throughout our director's meetings and our administrative council meetings and
008then their faculty meetings etc. And I believe you'll see some very positive things happening for the children in our county as a result of that professional development. Um, we also, as you have probably noticed, I hope you have noticed that uh, Anna Jarvis, the new Anarvis Elementary School continues to go vertical and we are now getting ready to start doing, we are moving west to east. I mentioned that last time. uh the con the main concrete foundational portion of the floors on the west portion which is the twotory classroom primary classroom section section B uh continues to grow was telling Mr. um Taylor earlier this afternoon that uh right now what you're seeing as you drive by are the is the main hallway walls and the walls that'll be perpendicular to those will start dividing
009classroom and and office spaces etc restrooms etc. There are meetings uh in the very near future this next meeting we have dealing with technology location of drops and all that stuff that goes in those walls. uh the architects and our technology team uh Mrs. Vandergraph etc are working together with us to get that done. Next, I believe we are seeing the east more the more east section uh primarily the gymnasium is soon to have its foundation. Uh they started doing the footer pouring soon recently and it's my understanding that before you see walls you'll see the main beams that typically go up in those larger constructions. So that'll be a very promising piece that people start seeing very soon. Um, I think that's where we are right now. Thank you for your time. >> I
010saw the tennis courts >> Oh. >> are coming along nicely and nice at the high school. >> Yeah. Indeed. >> U blue and gold. >> Any update on the concession standing? >> Uh, I have nothing on the I continue I've tried to make contact and I will continue. Um, I have no progress to share with you today. I'm so sorry. Um, the only thing I'm concerned about in that regard is those those materials that were delivered shortly after spring break that have been waiting for someone to do something that we that's where your money went, I believe, or a good portion of the money that they're um it concerns me that they those may be uh because they're exposed to weather and not being there's no progress made on the concession stand that that might
011be something that you may want to think about. what we do with that. Uh I'll talk to Dr. Decker and we'll see about what recommendations can be made about that as well. >> How large of an area do those materials take up on the property? >> I apologize. I don't have that dimension, Mrs. Not, so I can find that out for us. Um >> because would they fit in the building and down here during the winter that we just purchased? >> Oh, that's an option to consider. I I don't know. We can look into that. I'm hoping that we don't have to wait. >> Yeah. Right. >> But I mean, if we're not getting any getting any movement on it and we have to protect those >> Indeed, that's a great suggestion. I had not
012thought about that. That is and we can look into that. It's disappointing that we might have to be taking the time to have it transported, but we can. Yeah, it's worth looking into. Thank you. >> Are those materials in our possession or are they with the contract? >> I believe they're laying on there. They're still on the property of the campus of the school. They were brought that that's as far as they got. >> Okay. >> About that same time as when you were asking and I started investigating. I was told that uh at that point um playoffs, not sports, the playoffs was starting to happen and some of the children of the gentlemen that were working to be working on it were going to be father coaches or coach fathers or whatever we called
013them and could not commit to continue any work until such time that that was over. I believe that season is finished. That should have been by the end of July at the very longest. Do we know are they doing any fall season baseball at that field? I >> have not received a call back from them when I've reached out to them. So, I will continue to ask that question. But those are great questions. Sure. >> Are any of those materials in any way um dangerous and or impact the student use of that space? I believe the location is such that they won't be exposed to that. But we can also look into that. >> We can just make sure that there's no way >> all the more reason to to go with the suggestion Mrs.
014N is making because if we find the kids are back uh they return on the 25th, we can certainly make sure that we can figure something out between now and then. >> Well, one I worry about what Mrs. Garvin said, but two, how if they're sitting there, are there weeds growing up around them? Are there snakes? are there, you know, >> all valid, all valid concerns. >> And then we, you know, we're ready to get school started and we usually want to make sure the mowing's done and everything looks nice and I just think >> if they're not going to utilize the materials, we might want to look into what we need to do with them. >> We can look into that for sure. >> But again, if they say, "Oh, yeah, we're going to
015have time in September to do it." Then maybe we don't move them. But just need to be You're right. We need to figure something out. We'll do it. Good questions. Thank you. >> That's all I have for you this evening. >> Do we have any other board member updates or board committee meeting reports? Hearing none, we'll move into the 2000 series minutes, policies, contracts, and agreements. Superintendent respectfully requests approval of the minutes from the regular meeting on July 22nd, 2025. Mr. Dy moves. >> Mr. Taylor seconds. Questions? All those in favor? I. Motion passes. Continuing in the 2000 series, you've got a couple of second readings. One for definitions and one for cell phone use. Um, as those are second readings, unless there are questions, no movement needs to happen on those. All right. Uh,
016we are going to vote 201 as a separate vote. So, Mr. Dowy, if you Right. Superintendent respectfully requests approval of item 2051 in the 2000 series. >> Mrs. KN moves. >> Second. >> Mrs. Gallow seconds. Questions? All those in favor? >> I. Motion passes 4 Z. All right. Continuing in the 2000 series, the superintendent respectfully requests approval of items 2052 in the 2000 series. >> Mr. Taylor moves. >> Second. >> Mrs. Gallow seconds. questions. All those in favor? >> I. Motion passes. Moves us into the 3000 series, which is consent calendar purchase orders. Uh, superintendent respectfully requests approval of items 309 and 3010 in the 3000 series. Mrs. Knots moves. >> Mrs. Gallow seconds. Questions? All those in favor? >> I. >> Yeah. I mean, it's not going to impact my vote. Put the iPads
017in the cases. Kindergarten students. The cases that we're getting are these are kindergarten students. So, we're getting I've seen cases that like are the just the thin cases that most people want for their are we getting the really thick like you would get for little kids for these iPads for kindergarten like there's really thick ones with a handle because little kids bang thing the ones that I have seen in place um and that is in the last two years are a heavier >> for little ones like >> yeah more kidfriendly kid proof case. Okay. >> Um, now I don't I can't guarantee that, but I'm assuming that our technology department is moving that direction appropriately. >> they're the same as they've been getting. Yes. Okay. >> That was just a we just got a text
018got a text from Mrs. Fame who handles that for us. >> I also want you to know that they they are very diligent about >> refurbishing and watching if there are things that are for breakage and those kind of things. They're very good at that. Our team >> I just know I see you know, with the little kids having the big thick fat ones that protect it a little more. So, I was wondering if we were looking if we were getting those or not. That's it. Doesn't impact my vote. Okay. As a point of reference, we have passed the 3000 series, which brings us to the 4,000 series financial budget supplements, vouchers payable. Mr. Dolan, tell us happy things. >> Absolutely. So, the uh the one budget supplement that we have on the board agenda
019for this evening was a thousand dollar grant that the middle school received from the West Virginia Culture and History uh to help with their uh trip to Washington DC. >> So, they received that shortly after >> that's awesome. >> Shortly after one of our previous meetings. So, that that's the only budget supplement we have this time. And then inside your packet um are a list of uh checks that have been written uh for bills that were owed and some of our um payroll um items that we have to pay. And then the rest are just checks that are ready to be released upon your approval for uh bills that are due. And how are our investment pieces doing? >> They are doing well. Um they >> continue to stay at at about 5% and I
020will provide an update during the next meeting. >> Thank you sir. >> On how we are done this year so far. >> Do you have any other questions for the 4,000 series? Hearing none. The superintendent respectfully approve requests approval of items in the 4,000 series. Mr. Taylor moves. Mrs. Gallow seconds. All those in favor? >> I. >> Motion passes. That brings us into the 5000 series. Let me just get my pages in order here. We have two items in this series uh that we called for a separate vote. Would you like to do those the top of the series or the bottom of the series? >> We can do it now. >> Okay, let's do that. At the top of the series, we will focus first on item 5048. Superintendent respectfully requests approval of item
0215048 in the 5000 series. >> Mr. Taylor moves. Second. >> Y'all want to rock paper scissors for it? >> Okay. Mrs. Gallow seconds. >> You never louder than me. What? What? >> Um, questions, comments, concerns? All those in favor? >> I motion passes 5-0. Second in for a separate vote. Item 5047. The superintendent respectfully requests approval of item 5047 in the 5000 series. >> I'll move it. >> Mrs. KN moves it. >> Second. >> Mrs. Gallow seconds it. Questions, comments, concerns? All those in favor? I >> I believe that was five. Okay, that brings us to the rest of the 5000 series are several employment extracurricular extra duty contracts, some summer employment adjustments, professional subs, service personnel employments, resignations, creation of some additional bus operators and bus aids, and a leave of absence. Superintendent respectfully
022requests approval of items through 50 54 with the exception of 5047 and 5048 in the 5000 series. >> Moved. Mrs. Gallow moves. >> Mr. Taylor seconds. >> Questions, comments, concerns? >> I have one, >> ma'am. the the summer employment where we have the original agenda correction. >> It was a time shift. >> Was it was it just that once we started into it, we realized we didn't need them till 2:30 or was that a mistake on the agenda? >> It was a mistake on the agenda. >> Like a typo? >> Yes, it was a mistake on the agenda that once we got through payroll that Miss Fischer had realized that it was a mistake and so we're correcting it. So, has that action to show these people were there that whole time. So, we want
023to make sure they it's an action to show that. >> Okay. Any additional questions? Okay, we have an open motion on the floor. All those in favor? >> I motion passes. >> That brings us a comment >> going back to 5048 and 5047 or well 5048 specifically. Uh, I would hope that either the counselor or the interventionist one would be at Anna Jarvis, one or the other, that they would like coordinate their schedules and try to make sure that one of them was there. Now, I realize that there might be crisises that happen at other schools that would preclude that from happening 100% of the time, but I would hope that that would happen the majority of the time, that being the larger school and uh you know where where that might be needed. >>
024Yeah. I and I would agree when when I saw how that was written on the agenda. I know this was I I I I feel that with the behavior interventionist that we should whether it be probably you all. It would be your job to deliver the information to the faculty and staff at Anna Jarvis on the basically the replacement and why we what's the reasoning behind the board needing the elementary behavioral interventionists and why we went with one over the other. >> Indeed. Indeed. >> Deliver that news please. That is certainly one of the things that will be shared with them at all three campuses. The other is that as you'll recall a part of the request that what you uh provided me uh was that we would not specifically assign them to a specific
025school so that the others didn't feel that they were having to beg for services because we're never exactly sure where the need will occur. And so that's why those two people would be supervised um primarily from people here as well as be available to all three locations. I hear your concern, Mr. Taylor and I believe Mr. Dowy expressed that before. Uh both excellent points to be made and that will also be a reassurance given to all three locations. >> Right. And then so with what you're saying, whatever school has the need, they will receive the service. >> That is correct. >> And Anna Jarvis knowing we know everybody knows their needs as well. I'm just going to speak for me as a board member hoping that they my my wish approving this right because you
026know I was very it was I was very headstrong in not approving the abolishment that we have the services going to where the needs are in the county and if that's AJ then 548 should be at AJ you know whatever the needs are there we were wanting to make sure that they get that support the support they need. >> I hear you. The again the >> that's on you to manage. >> The intent the intent is to make sure none of none of the three campuses feel left out. >> And and >> right >> my my hope is that that the need won't be too great anywhere but we will still have it available as needed >> and we will get an update middle of the yearish on how this is going. >> We can
027certainly do that. Yes, ma'am. That's a good question. Yeah, I I also echo what Mr. Taylor said about the coordination uh with the counselor and the behavioral interventionist. I think um and again I know that will be on you all but the other thing that um we also requested was um solid objective data to be kept for us to for us to be updated on. So thorough objective data. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Any additional comments for the 5,000 series? >> Hearing none, we will move into the 8000 series board member comments and discussion. Leading off with a discussion of the board's letter of appeal to the US legislative representatives requesting assistance with recent changes to retirement procedures and/or requirements. Dr. Scholings, do you have a hard copy of this for us to pick at? Yes,
028sir. >> As I mentioned a moment ago, I've cop I prepared prepared a hard copy for each of you to use and write on at your leisure in case there's some word smithing that you had in mind. Uh I also should we reach a point where you don't need to make any edits and or whenever you're ready I will solicit uh signatures on the three original letters that have been prepared as well. So uh you received that electronically. I hope you had a chance to look at it. Um the intent was to capture the information that would be uh historic regarding the new new law as well as then the appeal to help us with the dilemma that is we believe is being created as a result. >> Yep. >> Uh and our focus is
029on not shortch changing the services our children are needing through the substitutes availability. I'm still surprised >> with everything that's went on in the last few years of having shortages across the state that this was this was passed this way. >> Yes, we are. Paul, >> if I may, a couple of comments. Uh the intention that I had when I presented this to the rest of the board and to Dr. Stallings is that this letter go to all of our representatives, the the uh the congressman uh Riley Moore as well as the other senator Jim Justice and Shel Mor Capo. I sent similar letter and all four representatives addresses to the schoolboard association and uh Dr. Stings has received some communication from them earlier uh today. Uh >> just copy >> encouraging them to to
030put in uh requests for letters to go to uh >> that's just a copy of the correspondence you're referencing, Mr. Taylor. >> Yeah. Uh another effort on a similar vein. Uh my my son Jay uh has a number of contacts is as a senator and uh or as a state senator and he is encouraging uh through some contacts he has at the federal level an executive order which would uh have a more immediate effect. although may or may not be uh able to circumvent law, but uh he's he's working on in an effort to to do that and uh and get this uh uh this 409A circumvented for us so that we can get the state law changed. Notice that once this federal law gets changed, assuming that it does, we are still going to
031have to go back to the legislature and have them change the state law again. So this this is going to be a an on ongoing process, but uh this letter is is certainly a good step in in the direction of trying to get us uh our retirees able to substitute not only as teachers but as cooks and bus drivers. We need them all. Uh we are school systems across the nation are desperate for substitutes and for a federal law to cause us to be unable to unable to get those substitutes right away is is just something we need to take action on if we can. >> I have a question. >> It's 60 days now. Our school year starts at the end of August. Hopefully, we would have everybody well and not too sick and
032not catching too many viruses because most most people that retire their their contracts up June 30th. So, that would put them sometime around the end of September. Then they'd have to apply. They can't apply before the end of September for that 60 day 60 days. Right. >> Then they'd have to wait for schoolboard approval. >> No, it would be the end of August. >> Yes, that's what Right. >> And then they So they can't apply to be a sub until that 60 days is up. >> Correct. >> So it would be probably midepptember before they would get approved. I mean that's not that's not January but still it's it could impact us depending on you know >> impact us. >> From from the way I read all of this we can't even talk to them
033about employment or substituting >> until after that 60 days is over. >> Correct. So they they could not apply like Mrs. not said to be a substitute until after that 60-day window, >> September 1st. >> So, we could no longer accept their retirement letter and then the letter saying I wish to be a substitute, which is, you know, what's traditionally happened in the past. So, we would not be able to do something like that. We would not be able to talk to them about that until again that that 60-day window. >> I mean, it it's it hurts us. >> It it does. However, it's not hopefully I mean like this year we're not starting school till the 25th of August. >> We could have somebody in place, >> but the other thing is we have
034to think about if we had any vacancies or things like that. So, >> yes, >> I I do appreciate Mr. Taylor for taking the initiative to get things rolling with this um >> because it is a very valid concern and I I appreciate your work on this, Mr. Taylor >> because I mean if like like Mrs. Galler said, we had vacancies. We have subs that we've had in place. Take those vacancies before we can because we've had that. We've had I think we had someone that retired and worked for like a whole year before, didn't we, Mr. Taylor? Couldn't find somebody to do a job way back when. Well, >> wasn't that >> I I had a year of retirement and then uh in 2013 they had me come back uh for for a long-term
035sub thing because they could not find a biology teacher. >> And you know that that of course that would have been way past my 60 days. But, you know, the the the point is we need those subs and >> Y >> and and you know th this is just a step in the right direction if we can get them to change this. >> I agree because once it like like Mrs. Gallow said, you have the subs taking up the vacancies and then you don't have the subs to sub for the people that are sick. And as you've mentioned, it's not just the classroom teacher that we may that we may have shortages of from time to time. And sometimes we're there's a more scant already. >> However, I I believe we just recently had a
036successful I learned today that yesterday it was yesterday afternoon the middle school sponsored a a meeting where they would they were encouraging people that might be interested in becoming substitutes for us. Uh I don't believe they were retire retirees, but there were others that we're trying to uh invite to consider doing that. So there's some promise there. I understand. >> Yes, it was great. So I I want to compliment Mr. Moore. He and and the administration up there put that together. They invited me up and they always encourage people to come up to the middle school and substitute. And of course they say you can go anywhere, but they try to recruit them there, which is great. But we explained the process and hopefully we have some of those people that attended apply and start
037working. So positive thing. >> Thank you Mr. Taylor and Dr. Stlings for words smithing this. Um, I personally don't have any problem with this or so. Unless anybody else sees something they feel desperately to award, we will entertain a motion to accept this letter and sign it before we leave the premises this evening. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Mrs. Not smooth. Mrs. Gallow seconds. Any additional discussion? >> All those in favor? I motion passes. There is nothing else in the 8000 series. So, we're going to move on to the 9,000 series. Future meetings. All of these um August 19th, 6 o'clock here at the board office. September 9th, 6 o'clock here at the board office. September 23rd, six o'clock here at the board office. October 7th, six o'clock, West Taylor. >> All right. >>
038Hey, uh, since the October 1st meeting is going to be on the 7th, will the second meeting be on the 21st >> rather than the 14th? >> Okay. >> Here. >> Well, that that's important to me because I have some out of town company coming in from California on the 14th. So 21st. Okay. Good. >> Okay. With there being no other business in the calendar section, right? Okay. At this point, we will entertain a motion to Mr. Dowy moves. Second. This is not second. All those in favor? >> I. And we are adjourned at 6:37. Thank you all for your time and attention this evening. Travel safely and enjoy the sunshine.