0016 o'clock and I call this meeting to order. All board members are present. Is the practice of our board of education to begin our meeting with prayer and the pledge of allegiance. We invite you to bow your head for prayer and stand to join us in the pledge if you so choose. Scallop. Let's 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. America and to the stands. One nation. indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Dr. Stallings, any adjustments or addendums to the agenda? No, Miss Gallo, there are none. All good. Uh, superintendent respectfully requests approval of the agenda as presented. Moved. Mrs. Gallow moves.
002Second. Mr. Taylor seconds. All those in favor? I. Motion passes. Moving us straight into the 4,000 series financial approval of the schedule of proposed levy rates for fiscal year ended June 30, 2025. Is there anything we need to know about this, Mr. Dolan, before I read it? 3026. Okay. Can I have a motion to amend the date? A motion made to adjust the date to reflect June 30th of 2026. A second. Second. This is not seconds. All right. All those in favor? I. Okay. that reads, "The superintendent respectfully recommends that the schedule of proposed levy rates be approved and adopted as submitted and that the Taylor County Board of Education proposed to lay the following levy val on each $100 valuation in each class of property. Current expense levy class 1 1940 class 2 3880
003classes three and 47760 access levy rates class 1 1148 class 2295 classes 3 and 44590 bond levy rates class 1 474 class 2948 classes 3 and 41 1896 with a copy of The schedule immediately forwarded to the West Virginia State Auditor's Office and a copy of the schedule published in the local newspaper as required by West Virginia code. Motion. Second. Mr. Taylor moves. Mrs. Gallow seconds. All those in favor? I I motion passes. That moves us to the adjournment of this meeting. Motion moved. Second. Mrs. Gallow moves. Mrs. is not second. All those in favor I motion meeting is adjourned at 603. Any objections to moving forward or would we like to wait till 6:05? I say we move. Whatever your pleasure. Outstanding hearing. No objections. We are going to call the 605 meeting to
004order. All board members are present. It is the practice of Retail County Board of Education to begin our meeting with prayer and the pledge of allegiance. We invite you to bow your heads for prayer and stand to join us in the pledge if you so choose. Lord, we respectfully ask for your guidance and your 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. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. All right. Um Dr. Slings, any adjustments or addendums to this agenda? In fact, Miss Galla, we have one. Excuse me, Miss Garvin. I beg your pardon. Thank you for
005praying tonight. This is going to be very helpful. So, uh, if you will please see on page 2, item number [Music] 3180, we simply left off the dollar sign. Far right of [Music] line, 3180 should be 143,500. That is all I have for this day. Thank you. Outstanding. Superintendent respectfully requests approval of the agenda as presented. Moved. Mrs. Knots moves. Second. Mrs. Gallow seconds. All those in favor? I. Motion passes. Moving us directly into the 1000 series information. We have the American Legion American flag retirement. Mr. Dave Robbie Robertson, welcome. Why don't you step forward, come to the microphone? We are live streaming, so we do ask that you use the microphone for anything you'd like to say. Good evening everyone. Thank you for inviting us for this. Uh Dr. Sterling asked us if we
006could retire a flag that has been in this building for no one can know how long. But uh we have done that. And uh actually I have we're we're here for two missions today actually. One is for the uh flag to uh retire which we have encased it in a glass case for display in this building. Um, we also we were also asked to provide a flag for the front of this building and we have done that. We have one here to pass on to you to fly in front of this building. It's a 3x5 flag, but it's kind of a special flag because it's not new. It's a flag that is flown out at our lot in Blueville that we put up for Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and special patriotic holidays. We have to
007change those flags out about every two years. They fly for a while and we put them away and we fly them again. But the ones that are still serviceable, we pass out to the community to fly in the community because they're still good. So, the one flag we're going to give you for fly over the building is one of those flags. Great. I just wanted to let you know that that it is a special flag that you're going to fly over this building. Um, the one in the bag, Doug, if you will present that to Dr. Stallings, please. The second part of our mission is the actual retired flag that we've done for you. And we're going to do a quick ceremony. We don't want to hold anybody up too long, but we want to
008do a quick ceremony of the flag folding. And then we we will Dave, go ahead and put that up here so everybody can see the flag in the case. And now I'm going to have the guys come up and do a folding for you real quick here. Like I said, I don't want to take too much of your time. I know you all are busy. So heat. We will now conduct the flag folding ceremony. This ceremony represents some of the religious principles that our country was originally founded. In the evening at all military installations, a ceremony of retreat after taps is sounded. The flag is lowered and folded into a triangle and kept under watch throughout the night as a tribute to our nation's honored dead. It is brought out at a ceremony of revy
009the next morning to run up the pole to fly a loft as a symbol is our belief in the eternal life and the resurrection of the body. We know that our flag has 13 folds. The first is a symbol of life. The second is a belief in eternal life. The third signifies remembrance of our veterans departing our ranks. The fourth is for our weaker nation nature as American citizens and our trust in God. The fifth fold is a tribute to our country. The sixfold symbolizes where our hearts lie when we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, one nation under God. The seventh fold is a tribute to our armed forces who protect our country. The eight represents the one who enters into the valley of the shadow of death and
010to honor mothers. The ninth is a tribute to our womanhood. It is through their faith, love, loyalty, and devotion that the characters of the men who built this country have been molded. The tenth fold is for our fathers. The 11th fold in the eyes of the Hebrew citizen represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies in their eyes the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The 12fold in the eyes of the Christian citizen represents the emblem of eternal and glorifies in their eyes God the father, God the son and God the holy ghost. The 13th fold the fold we fold from the stripes to the stars. The stripes represent the 13 original colonies that founded our republic and they are embroidered in a 50 sovereign states represented by
011the star. So the stars cover the stripes. When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost which reminds us of our national motto. In God we trust. After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington and those who followed, preserving our rights, privileges, and freedom that we enjoy today. We will now have a rendering of taps. [Music] That concludes our ceremony for the flag. Um, have a couple other comments. We started a project a couple years ago at the American Legion to put a MIA P table in buildings throughout Grafton and Taylor County. There's one in the middle school. There's one in the courthouse. There's a couple that buildings have closed that we
012got back and we're going to put them somewhere else. But we would like to ask the board if they would like to have a P table represented in your building here. I I think that we would be honored to do that. Okay. We have one here. I know I want to take you more time tonight, but we can come back in and set it up later. There's a ceremony that goes with that. The Legion does a ceremony for everything. So, there's a ceremony for that, too. So, we can come back and do it at another board meeting or we can just come set up the table here where you went in the building. Um, I think that we would we would all very much enjoy the ceremony and and the moving of the dedication because
013Okay. I've seen this ceremony several times and I'm still So, thank you so much for everything, gentlemen. Okay. All right. Thank you all. I Oh, let me introduce I can make arrangements to have that in my office until we find a space for that. We'll figure out what that's about. I think that sounds good. Okay. I just want to introduce uh the other members. The musical talent in the group is Mr. Corey Robinson. uh my brother Doug Robinson, my brother-in-law Dave Hog, and myself were all members of the American Legion Taylor County Post. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Robinson. Thank you, gentlemen, for your service and thank you for coming to us. Thank you, sir. I really appreciate this. It's nice. [Music] And from one amazing
014chunk of history in Grafton to another amazing chunk of history in Grafton, the Grafton High School girls basketball team um with coaches Kenir, Belner, Belner, and Jones. Would one of you like to stand up and tell us some things about these amazing ladies? Please move to the microphone. It's a great group of young ladies that stand in front or that sit in front of you. um you know tough and I expect the world out of them and I don't accept anything less but yet they respond to every challenge that I put out there to them and they look to exceed that challenge day after day after day not only on the court but in the classroom as well. you know, their accomplishments on the court were history making this season, but they also carry as
015a as a group of young ladies, as a team, a GPA of over 4.0. Um, I think that that falls short at times and, you know, um, isn't looked at as the true student athlete should be. any anything stick out as a specific moment when or a brilliant pride point beyond the obvious remarkable accomplishment. You know, when I took over this program, well, I should when I say I, I mean we because the four of us have been together the whole time. But when we took over this program, um, we took it over with a standard and expectation, and we're finally starting to meet that expectation and standard. And the girls bought into everything that we've asked to since day one. And now we've we've coined that phrase of refuse to lose mentality. And it
016didn't matter who we were playing or what we were doing. That was the attitude that they brought to the court night in and night out. Sure. You want me to do the whole list or just the ones that are in the ring? I'm going to do the whole list then. Okay. Um, first is senior Jazzy Ray, senior Regan Knight, senior Hadley Horn, senior Hope Dver, senior Amar Kaine, Junior Kenna Kenir, Junior Ashlin Ballard, sophomore Ruthie Horn, sophomore Mattie Frier, sophomore Peyton Freeman, sophomore Rihanna Kaine, freshman Natalie Beltner, freshman Paisley Freeman, freshman Kaitton Keyring, Freshman Jordan Cox, freshman Taylor Boyard, and freshman Arabella Jones. [Applause] Thank you, ladies. All right, ladies. So, um, just want to share just a couple comments with you from the board. Um, you know, I think you know how exceptionally proud
017we are of you. um not only what you did on the court but what you do in the classroom and not only there but also what you do in the community because I've seen different uh community projects that you guys have done and going to the nursing home and and really giving back to your community. So, those are all wonderful things that we're all so proud of you and you carry yourself with poise and um your ladies and I hear wonderful things about you and we're just so proud of you and your coaches and your um your other team members that are not here with you this evening. Uh we're proud of them as well. And you know, coach, you got a lot of young ones still yet. So, there's only just keep reaching and
018reaching, right? Um, you know, and your coaches can help teach you the fundamentals and and the game and how to play the game and so forth, but you guys have to have that heart and that passion. And you can clearly see that. Um, you can see that on the court and off the court. So, we're just very very proud of you. To the seniors, thank you so much for your leadership. Um, you know, because that speaks volumes as well. So, just thank you very much. And then I just had a personal um delivery of a message that my husband wanted to share that he has really enjoyed uh doing the public uh announcing or the radio. I don't know if I'll get it right, but anyway. um he's really enjoyed being able to do that
019for you ladies. So, thank you so much. [Applause] Way to go, ladies. Way to go. We would very much like a photograph of everyone. If we can come up and face away from the board, we'll grab a picture with our Could your coaching staff join us as well? Yeah. We also need to recognize our team. Oh yeah, mom. Come up, please. Sure. She helped keep you all organized and tremendous asset to the team. Yeah. Thank you. Thanks, ladies. You know what? You got you especially you are uh making waves all over the county with the kids with the sports. Good job. Good job. Good job. Thank you. Good job. Thank you. Keep it up. Keep up the hard work. Good job. No problem. Good job. Thank you. Good job. Okay. Thank you. Hello. Good job
020on everything. Thank you. Thank you. Very good. See you. share congratulations with the ladies that weren't here, please. Thank you. We're very proud of what you've done. Thank you. Now, all the exciting stuff is out of the way, which leaves us with the boring things. Um, what do we have for our superintendent update? We figured. We figured. Yeah. We know we're multitasking for sure. Thank you. We know we're not that important. Indeed, Miss Gall I don't know why I am referring to you as Miss Gallow. I know that you are Miss Garvin and I apologize for that twice. Uh let me start again. Miss Garvin and members of the board, as you received this information earlier electronically, uh I won't read every piece of that, but I did want to give you the quick updates
021just as a reminder so that the people are hearing information from out in the streaming land that uh we are still looking at the concession stand for Flemington Elementary School. My plan is to uh I have not had the opportunity to invite the individuals back to a meeting so we can continue that conversation and see what the plans happen to be. I I assure you I will do that in the very near future. Also I wanted to give you the update that the envelope project that we submitted for permission and approval from the SBA is well underway. As recently as Friday, we had the bid the pre-bid clarification meeting at that site during which Dr. Decker and Dr. Mr. Dolan, Mr. Martin from the Williamson driver were present to help the interested contractors uh access
022the roof so they can see what they're into. That took place on Friday. As I mentioned, uh, transportation maintenance departments are in the process of making changes and shifts to how they can occupy the new building that was just purchased or the property that was just purchased. That's in the process. Dr. Decker has been working with Mr. Martin as well to make some re obtain some recommendations about placement of things such as the fuel tanks and the the accessibility for buses to do that once we relocate to that. So that site. Um the third item there you're talking about the we have had an expressed interest in that former property that we've decided apparently we do own. I own I I must admit I I thought that was not ours a long time ago, but
023we'll reach out to the gentleman who has expressed an interest and pursue that. Uh to your delight, I hope you saw that the Taylor County Middle School golf team is up and running and went to their first match at a wonderful location that was at the Stonewall Resort and so they got a taste of what yet another location for playing golf is all about. U coach Debert was very complimentary of the students. Uh he's pleased to tell us he has approximately 11 11 students are on the team. Both it is a co-ed team. That's great. which is also pleasing uh because uh that is available to both male males and females of our school system. We like that match. They are scheduled to have a home match this week, weather permitting. Uh my guess is
024they will have a home match because Doug Dard is all about this process right now and he appreciates being given that opportunity. I believe from what I when you hear him talk about it, he's going to live up to your expectations. I believe maybe I should say or else in case he's listening. Um, New Anarvis Elementary School. My lord, there's progress happening there non-stop. It appears to be a lot of movement of dirt. But I have been assured, oh, we're it's getting higher and some of those places where they're getting the dirt is becoming deeper. But I am assured all the infrastructure that has to happen uh is on schedule. There have been some distractions on occasion when we were finding something that needed to be relocated such as the easement we afforded the Hope
025Gas gentleman or company. Uh all of that is in good hands. Um and so progress progress progress. Uh we are still on schedule for open finishing that building on spring in spring 27. That's just two years from now. I keep reminding them that that's what they keep assuring me because time is of the essence for personal reasons as you know. Uh also we received a a proposal at our last meeting a request to get to be given an opportunity to do a feas feasibility study at the camp tolls. Uh I feel it's essential that we bring Mr. Sturm excuse me I have to cough. I apologize. Mr. Sturm together with Mr. Wilson. I made a typo in my I see it says Mr. Wisen, but it's Mr. Wilson, the gentleman from our who is overseeing
026the the mountain biking group that you have supported in the past by providing them the the trailer along with the uh he is a metal trades adviser and faculty adviser for that group as well as um Mr. Garrison who we have on as our caretaker for the camp tolls facilities. um those people will be also brought together for a separate discussion about how we're going about this process to bring back a proposal for you eventually. Uh also there was a um a reminder that last time we met we provided some initial information about all the projects that we have in mind for capital improvements and things. I hope you've still been thinking about those. I know we'll be discussing some of that again very soon. Um, so there you have it. If I might say
027one more thing that I didn't put in the agenda because it wasn't done yet, I wanted to congratulate the Grafton High School theater department for their production that was uh offered on s Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Uh, my wife and I attended on Saturday. I had actually been there as you well know on Wednesday and uh I was proud of that pres presentation. uh the stu the students in the performance clearly took that very seriously and were eager to have people come and see them. Uh at some point my goal is I was just talking to Mr. Knop today at the high school for something else and uh he and I had a conversation and are in agreement that we've got to figure out a way to fill all those seats for these things. So
028we need to do a better job of promoting not the not your I'm not referencing you Miss Garvin but I'm just saying but we need there was a time I recall a long time ago and John Mr. Taylor, you were a teacher there. I'm I think where it was hard to get a ticket because they sold out quickly. And I believe our venue is with the new sound and lighting system and all the renov re uh repairs we've done to the interior screams have bring in some people that we can get uh in addition to our own school performances, other things that might draw the crowd uh to take advantage and enjoy. and we have started that conversation. Miss Mrs. KN had mentioned about seats last time. We've had mixed reviews already, people that were
029listening to the board, uh, as we expected. We talked about that last time. I I expect it. Yeah. And so that's not a surprise. They're not disappointing in that regard. But are you having people I I'd be interested to see you are having people that would support new seats. Well, we have uh I've not received anything I've received a caution and that was regarding the the cost and the difficulty in maintaining the cleanliness of cloth seats in theaters and that was just a one thing that seemed to um strike a chord with me when they were listening and someone reached out and said, "We know those are old and those are vintage, if you will, because they're era appropriate for this school when it was built, but please keep in mind that if you decide
030to do that. Uh it is very difficult. They did would not disparage the students. But one of the things that we'll have to make sure we think about is if we ever get to that point when we get to that point, I'll say that some decisions going to be making have to enforce the expectation uh of food and drink being entered into theater for productions. Um just a cautionary statement that I was given. I'm sharing that with you as well. Um, I think that's everything for now. Um, I'm sure more things will come up and in and discussion point. Thank you. We have any board member updates or board committee meeting reports? Hearing none, we'll move into the 2000 series minutes, policies, contracts, and agreements. The superintendent respectfully requests approval of the minutes for the
031regular and budget meetings on April 8th, 2025. Moved. Mrs. KN moves. Second. Mrs. Gallow seconds. Questions. All those in favor? I. Motion passes. We have some policies in their second reading and some policies in their third reading. So, superintendent respectfully requests approval of items 2241 through 2247 in the 2000 series. So, move. Mr. Taylor moves. Second. Mrs. Not seconds. All those in favor? I I motion passes. Miss Garvin, may I speak to the one item? You'll notice that in your packet there's been per the request of last meeting the um uh policy 2239 has been revised per the request uh such that it was run by uh I we did some editing and it was introduced to an administrative council as recently as yesterday just to affirm just to make sure we weren't overlooking anything.
032I might refer I just might draw your attention to that uh for future. The reason I say that is you had the version in your packet that had been you had requested that there be some attention given and as recently as yesterday that was finalized per the request of the board and we addressed both topics that we like the notes I caught that I duly noted that were from uh the comments made at the last meeting. one about the opportunity to uh arrange for making uptime rather than losing salary and the other dealt with cleanliness and the appropriateness of the location that's availed them. Those things have been addressed in there. I assure you very good. Thank you. You're welcome. Appreciate that. And that is one of the policies in the second reading. So we
033will have a chance to go through all that again. Right. um resolved that the bylaws and policies printed and codified in the comprehensive document entitled bylaws and policies of the Taylor County Board of Education are hereby adopted and that all bylaws and policies hereto for adopted by the Taylor County Board are hereby rescended. Further, be it resolved that in the event any policy, part of policy or section of the bylaws is judged to be inconsistent with the law inoperative by a court of competent jurisdiction or invalidated by a policy or contract duly adopted by this board, the remaining bylaws, policies, and parts of policies shall remain in effect in full. Thank you for the legal ease. Um, as we continue through the 2000 series, um, superintendent respectfully requests approval of items 2248 and 2249 in
034the 2000 series. Moved. Mrs. Gallow moves. Second. This is not second. Any questions? I have a question. Yes, ma'am. 2248 What line item in the excess levy does this cover? Because this is kind of weird sounding. I believe there's a capital improvement line. Is that what we're going to call that? That's that seems to me as a service. It falls under the maintenance. Oh, okay. the maintenance part of the as you'll remember the levity language talks about anything in those 13 line items if that's any excess information that's applicable to the I believe it's a 20 30 percentage of those three categories and that would fall in that area that just seems odd that that would be covered by an excess levy that service but Other than general, those those three are fairly broad catchments
035of the any overage that happens to be available. That would be my interpretation. I just thought that might would come out of general fund. Okay, I'm okay. It's a $60 investment at that point monthly. Sorry. Do we anticipate that that will be a a long-term contract or is that a through getting us up and moving contract? I think it's um once of course the the new contract um it talks about the remember the new location we just purchased may may be introducing some additional costs at some point. not not yet discovered or realized. Okay. Then we would bring that back as a separate a separate approval process. Okay. And then 2249 not to exceed 100,000 but that's for both. Right. Yes, ma'am. Okay. Yes. Not one not 100 per. Okay. Does that do we need
036to word that differently or are we okay with how that reads? The intention was Grafton High School and manager was not meant to be one service. There's one per and we have and in there. Okay. All right. All good questions. Okay. We have an open motion on the floor. All those in favor? I. Motion passes. Moving into the 3000 series consent calendar. Um, it's a very short series. Two things. Superintendent respectfully request approval of items 3180 and 3181 in the 3000 series. Moved. Mrs. Gallow moves. Second. Mrs. Not seconds. Questions? I have one. What is capturing kids hearts? Gosh, I'm so glad you asked that question. Dr. Decker is just sitting here bubbling everyone to talk about that. But it is Dr. Decker and I were made aware of a possible a program entitled Capturing
037Kids Hearts and we were invited to attend um I think her story is I made her go with me to that but uh we were taken to a training that introduces to this program and it deals with a minds mindset shift and um cultural culture type experience so that it can make us more aware of uh who we are as individuals and or educators um finding out our personalities and if we are different and Dr. Becker's smirking, smiling because we did find we knew something about the two of us were slightly different in personalities and delivery and it affirmed that in a positive way. Uh the program starts out with what we participate in uh initially ask you to rate yourself or rank yourself based on a whole bunch of descriptors and then you ask
038colleagues to do so in like mind about you. that goes into a profile. They bring you together and they give you your results and you find out how very differently you think of yourself versus someone else. That was the initial exposure to the process. Um it was very helpful. It helped us design our personal goals and and aspirations for doing our job. um it gives us a a long-term plan for how we want to change or improve or enhance or become better. Uh in addition uh there were because we did that participation uh they afforded us an opportunity to expand and provide uh training of our of additional members of our faculty and staff. And that started with a a two-day experience in Charleston where we had selected representatives uh from the our elementary and
039middle schools. Uh they attended and more recently then we it affords us an opportunity to bring that on board for the county to expose more faculty and staff to just kind of broaden broaden the exper experience of that particular program that's inspiring positivity across the county. And Dr. Decker is going to give you more she explanation about where we are in that process. I would say that so the part that Dr. Stallings explained to you is what they call the leadership blueprint. So that will be an experience that every leader in the district will get to experience. The school experience is a little bit different than that as you can tell. So there's a lot of uh we like we said we took a team from Mana Jarvis, we took a team from the middle
040school, we took some people from Flemington. So we we took a wide variety to get their opinion on what they thought of the of the mindset. It's really a mindset. So it offers a lot of ideas of implementation of strategies in your classroom of how to build a strong relationships with your students, with each other, with your colleagues. And then there's also an opportunity for all all of our service personnel who sometimes do not get that type of experience will have an experience. Our bus drivers will get this, our cooks will get this, our custodians, everyone will have an experience to be able to talk about just how to shape the culture of their environment where they are with our students. So, it's a lot of of learning how to help each other, be kind
041to each other, and to grow as a culture. So, that's what it's about. And and this really started through the middle school coming and asking for some similar things. And then when we got exposed to this, we thought this would we'd let them try it and see if they liked it. And I will say that Mrs. Roberts and I went with that team and then we asked for feedback from them if they would like to consider us doing this for the their whole school and they all said yes. So that's what led us to to doing this. As Dr. Decker mentioned, the the essential piece with the service personnel is many of them we forget that they are working with our students as well. sometimes psych such as bus drivers are the first line of
042exposure to the ch for the children. So that that part of the program is also an essential component as she's indicated. We've see it has a lot of promise for solidifying the culture mindset for the county. Okay. Thank you. Um any additional questions? Yes, ma'am. Um, do you notify the uh when people request to use our facilities, do you notify them when they're going to be on the agenda so they they know if they need they wanted to come or ask any questions? Yes, we always tell them when it's going to happen. Yes, ma'am. You always they always know when they're going to be on the agenda. Okay. All right. An example would be I don't know if we're there yet. Oh, during the theou that was on there before I wanted to mention that
043Chief Durret had intended to be here for that. Unfortunately, his wife's um had a medical uh an appointment that was shifted to this afternoon and he was not able he text me and let me know that he was not going to be able to make it because of the last minute change of that schedule. Um but more often than not, people that they're always told, but uh some people say things like, "Do I need to be there?" Well, you're always welcome in case there's a question. Um but this evening, no one felt the need to do that. I hope that answers your question, Mrs. Kn. Any additional questions for the series? All right, we have a motion on the floor. All those in favor? I. Motion passes. Thank you. Moving us into the 4,000 series
044financial vouchers payable. Mr. Dolan, what can you tell us? Only thing uh we have tonight are just a list of uh checks that had been written or are going to be written and released tomorrow upon your approval. I will make sure I will make sure to hand your email and phone number. All right. Um, superintendent respectfully requests approval of items in the 4,000 series. Mr. Taylor moves. Mrs. Not seconds. Any additional questions or wrenches to throw in the works, Mrs. Not? Okay. All those in favor? I motion passes. Moving us into the 5000 series. So, um, next one might not be as nice. We have a number of contract renewals, transfer agreements, extracurricular duties, summer employment, leave of absences, creation of two new positions. Then we have renewals for service personnel, resignations for service personnel.
045Is anybody who need more time to read through the list? Sure. We've all done that. I think I there's a a gentleman in the corner holding his breath as we as you ponder. The superintendent respectfully requests approval of items 5506 through 5521 in the 5000 series. Mrs. Knots moves. Second. Mrs. Gallow seconds. Questions, comments. Yeah, I just had a question on um 5519. Is this due to volume? I'm assuming then the number of and what what is going to be our student toteer ratio then at Anna Jarvis? Do we know yet? Um so I I can't tell you that exact number. I could tell you but so this for this current year we reduced to first grade and then obviously we have a large kindergarten class coming back up so we cannot house them in
046three so we have to go back to four I will also say that we we did Mr. Dolan Dr. Stings and myself met early on in the personnel season time and we could have reduced a kindergarten classroom at Anna Jarvis due to the numbers but determined to leave that there for next year to encourage smaller class sizes in the kindergarten grade level. So they are keeping four kindergarten classes and we did not reduce a kindergarten even though our numbers right now in the early stage are a little smaller um from our prek moving up but we felt like it was still better investment to keep smaller class sizes rather than take the risk of having to pay overage in larger classroom sizes. We did re um reduce a second grade class there because uh of
047numbers, but that was done naturally because one of the second grade teachers has already bid out of that position. So it just is is not being re we reposted because of the numbers for second grade. That's first grade class is just a small group. So just like we reduced to first grade next year, that second grade is the small group this this time around. Okay. So we're still okay though with aids for those? Yes. All of that. So there will also So we also had some um movement in the service personnel. So we we um we will have one um service one of the classroom aids posted due to a movement of that. So that will help fill that new first grade class too. So yeah, everybody is still there. And again, no one had
048to be shuffled out of that because someone had already bid. So it will just be posted once we are able to do that once personnel season time is done. Right. Okay. Any additional questions? All right. The motion is open. All those in favor? I motion passes. Moves us into the 8000 series. discussion of regarding the 2025 2026 holiday schedule for 240 and 261 day employees. And there's a handout. Miss Garvin, there are two handouts coming around to you. One is the listing of 25 26. All right. Just want to make sure you have copies. Two copies. Now you have two copies or four sheets of paper. Yes, ma'am. So, what do you propose that we discuss? Just how do you feel about that? Well, I can tell you one thing I feel. I believe now
049I'm probably going to be told I'm the only one that feels this way, but I want to say it anyway. Rest of the board might not agree with me. That's why we have five members on the board. Um, I believe that the 26th of December should be a holiday. It's a Friday. That would be the will of the board. did that. Um, would that have to impact any of the other days for you all to get your 261 or would that be would be a paid holiday, right? It'd be a paid holiday. We would be credited with the day. We would just want to make sure it wasn't going to impact these others though. I don't anticipate. No, ma'am. We would appreciate that, but that's again, not just me. I mean, I see that you
050have the 24th off. I would probably feel better if like the 24th is a Friday. Yeah. What? But I mean, I'm okay with having three holidays in a row, too. But I felt better if like 24th would have been a half a day and then the other half paid and then Christmas day off holiday and then Friday holiday. But I I I still feel the 26th should be a holiday. We would embrace that. But that's your call. I agree with that. Give give the 26th off as a holiday, please. Other than jealousy, I don't have any particular issue with that. So, is that a motion that needs to be made? I would move that the 26th of December be a paid holiday for Taylor County Schools. I second that. All right. Motion's been made by
051Mrs. KN, seconded by Mrs. Gallow. Any additional discussion? All those in favor? I. Thank you. I do have. [Music] So, it was West Virginia Day is the 20 Oh, wait a minute. I'm looking at the wrong year. Sorry. Okay, gotcha. is that that uh wraps around the weekend. So, or it is a weekend day. So, we were there too. Not holding anything back. Nothing secretive. Just how the calendar falls. Indeed. All right. Any additional discussion on the 2526 holiday schedule? All right, let's move on to a discussion regarding the 2526 schedule for board meetings. Yeah, I have some things on that, too. Me, too. We need to vote on this holiday schedule as a whole. Will it be on an agenda? We can we'll put that on the next agenda. You can do that now,
052but we'll put that on the next agenda either way. Since we've added that date, maybe we should have that as a an official action. and yeah, we'll do that next meeting since we have plenty of times. The first thing we'll be addressing would be July 4th. So, we're we've got time. Okay, we'll see that next time then. Thank you. Now, on the uh meeting things, the only thing I really have heartburn over is our July meetings. So, we've got one on the 8th and one on the 22nd. knowing that we usually hire a bunch of positions in that time frame and there's always a lot going on. We have three weeks in between what you proposed the July July 22nd and the August 12th. I think we should move that to five and 19 unless
053you can think of something that we shouldn't do that for Dr. Stallings. Well, I think initially just to clarify and I'm glad you brought that up. Uh it was simply put there because it we were just trying to honor the second and the fourth. That's where that came from initially. But you have every opportunity to uh to shift. We do that and if we don't shift it, if we leave it the way you've proposed it, we probably should be prepared to be called in for a special meeting for any hires that need to be or any business for beginning the school year. We may have to have one. The 8th and the 8th. So you're saying between July 22nd to the August 12th? There are three weeks. Yes. There are three weeks between July 22nd
054and August 12th. And sometimes there's a lot of before school business to occur. And I'm okay to leave it alone. We just might want to um be prepared that we get called in. Like they may need to call us in for a special meeting. What about if we move that to the first Okay. She's saying move it closer to the end of July and beginning. Yeah. I say leave the eth leave the eth and the 22nd meetings alone for July. All right. But move August meetings from 5th to the Have the 5th and the 19th. Move it to the 5th is what you're suggesting. Have the 5th and 19th in August instead of the 12th and 26th. But it doesn't matter as long as we're okay with that and understand that we may have to
055be called in for a special meeting if school business occurs. I can agree. So you're only going to have one August meeting before school starts. You leave it on the 26th. So then we will not we would not be able to hire people before the start of the school year. So we should have we want to be able to do that. Yes. So that's why we might want to to do exactly what Mrs. Knox is suggesting. Do the 5th and the 19th because the 19th would be the first day, right, for teachers to start so we could actually hire them and get them in before. Love it. They miss anything. Anybody have huge objections to moving the two August meetings to the first and third Tuesday instead of the second and fourth Tuesday? While you're
056looking at those dates, if you can just scroll forward, make sure the only other thing I saw, and I'm okay to leave it because I don't think we were going to have a whole lot of business between the December and the January meeting. So, I think that one's fine. I think there's three or four weeks in between the last one we had before Christmas and then the one we come back from. Yeah. But there's not a whole lot of business that occurs during that time frame. That one's okay. It was the one that was before school started that concerned me. So, that would be what? Four weeks between. Yes. Yeah. That's a lot. That's Yeah. But I've I've noticed that when we come in on the 6th of Janu right after the um holiday break,
057there's it's sometimes it's tough to come in. But I mean, I'm okay to move that one too if you guys want to. It's an election day, so Oh, yeah. We got to change that. What was that? May 12th. We got to do that on a Monday before Yeah, we got to do that one on the 11th. That one needs moved to Monday the 11th. Yes, that one has to be It has to be on a Monday. We always do it on a Monday before the election. Yeah. The levy and personnel meeting in April has to be on the 14th. Yeah. Does that mean the March levy meeting needs to move forward? No, the March the March meeting is good on the 24th. It's just that that April 28th is way too close to the deadline.
058Well, April 14th is the by code. have all that stuff done first and levy. Well, Mrs. Gallow, we could do that May one on the 13th, but we normally do it on the Monday before the election. We could do it on the Wednesday after versus moving it the whole week ahead. Right. We normally do the election week meetings on the Monday before the election. tighten the agenda, right? Instead of having it on the fourth, it had to be on the third. It moves it this way a day or that way a day. Um, maybe we can keep from the time to agenda to be helpful. Well, you wouldn't you'd have to just make everything due a day. So, instead of everything being due by May 4th, it would have to be due by May 1st.
059It would have to be to Sonia by May 1. It would still give the same amount of days. So, you have to choose. So, you're going to do 11th Monday or Wednesday. It doesn't matter to me. Sorry, I'm still back on the December to January. looking at that. You want to move that, Michelle? I don't know. I'm just I mean I'm like agreeing with you that there may not be that much business, but four weeks is more than three. True. Well, I didn't know if should we move it to the January 6th, but I guess it's uh six in one, half a dozen in the other because we come back to school on the 5th. Is that right? Second. But we'll have a day, I believe. Students won't come back. Yeah, I'm sorry. Students come
060back on. Okay. December 23rd. explosive to No, please don't do that. Don't do that. No. No. Um, we don't want to go to AJ on January 6th, the day after they come back from the break. Yeah. Let's give them that. What rotation would that be? That would be them. Yeah. Yeah. And then if if something dramatic happens and we need to move that as we get closer, I think um that's your job. Keep the drama down. Okay. So July is okay. August is shifting. September is okay. October's okay. November, December, January, all okay? I haven't heard any objections for February or March. April, the levy meeting, personnel meeting has to be moved to the 14th. It's it's already on there. It's we have to keep the 28th. It's actually on the 28th on here. Sorry.
061Yeah. Um, my question then is with the deadline right there, do we need to move that forward more? I would the only I would just have to have the budget ready for April 28th to present to you because it has newspaper for at least two weeks, right? So, should we have a I mean, I know we had last week a budget meeting and then we had a regular meeting. Should we have a budget meeting on its own night? Yeah. I mean, I feel like that was a lot to discuss. Yeah, we're we're I feel and this is just my opinion. I just want to make sure I'm giving due diligence and attention to I feel like we have been trying to cram meetings into one night. And if you remember, I said especially our student
062hearings, I don't like to have those with regular meetings. I think if we had a student hearing tonight when we had all these students in here, that wouldn't have been fair to the student that had a hearing. I just there's times I think we need superintendent evaluation needs to be on its own night. We need to have the ability to give our superintendent the time that we need as a board to discuss items and and give them the respect. I wouldn't want somebody to come in and do a real quick, hey, here's your evaluation. You know, I want and it doesn't matter if it's Dr. Stallings or whatever superintendent we have, they deserve, they've worked their butts off for us all year. They deserve for their time with the board and discuss what they've performed
063well and where we're headed in the future for a little bit and maybe some good pats on the back and maybe some good things that we want to see better or whatever, right? That's what we owe our our employee. Um, so I think that needs to be a separate meeting. And the budget workshop, I we know how deep that can go. Sometimes they're short and quick and sweet and sometimes they're not. I just think there's things that we need to be very careful that we're not getting very tired on and we're, you know, we get here at 9:00 and there's some important items that we're just trying to push aside and it's just not fair to the county. And last week was a lot and know a lot of us have full-time day jobs. So,
064you know, I just want to make sure that I'm mentally alert for for that length of time. I I agree. But we we can discuss that as we get through the year and we can say, "Yeah, we want that meeting on the same night or no, we don't we don't I think the only thing that causes I'm totally agreeing with you. The only thing causes sometimes the crunch is when we a suspension happens and we have that window that's So bring that to your attention. When I tell you those dates, it's usually done by extra. And when if it gets to the end of the year and I don't have a few meetings that we're not getting paid for, I'm okay with that. I'm I'm okay as long as we're providing what we're supposed to
065be providing to the county. And you know what I mean? I'm I'm okay to come in. Yeah. I I mean I understand that for the hearings, but I just think like for the budget. I mean, yeah, that's one of our biggest responsibilities is that fiduciary responsibility. So just think that that one we definitely should consider having it stand alone. Yeah, that's just my thought. Mr. Dolan. Um, if we were to look at the week before that, April 7th for a budget meeting, is that a reasonable piece for your time frame? Like, I don't want to put it so early that you're like, well, I don't really have comps and I don't know what they're really going to give us and here's a guess. I mean, I get the unless there's big changes that happen down
066the, you know, down during legislative session. Uh I mean we do get our preliminary comps. It gives us a pretty good idea like I said usually it's a you know the salaries change or something along those lines which you know that comes later on. The seventh would be you know a good starting point. That way you know we could have some preliminary numbers. We've put the levy rates out. You know, like I said, usually that tends to go okay fairly fairly straightforward, but um like I said, unless there's some big changes from the 7th through the end of the legislative session. Okay. And is that that's about where we did it this time? Yeah. Um, and if we just made that April 7th meeting just about the budget, stand alone. Um, don't put a big
067old star next to that. Stand alone. Um, usually talk about personnel. Yeah. No, no, personel budget wise, not really like people or specifics. Yeah. not like, oh, by the way, we also need to approve a field trip and we won't have the milk on that. It would just be talking about transfer and roof season. It wouldn't like numbers. It wouldn't be Yeah. And that I think that just that's kind of we go hand in hand in that discussion, right? That makes sense to me. Yeah. And is that okay with everybody else? Yeah. And can I recommend or ask say we have a couple meetings a week. Okay. Say one there's a week that we have two meetings. So we have a budget workshop on a Wednesday and we have a regular meeting on a Tuesday.
068I'm okay. I don't know how the rest of the board feels. Jonathan wants to be at home on the regular meeting and call in if we have any questions because he's going to be required to be here the next night. I'm okay with that. I feel that that's a lot to ask of you for two nights in a row. If if he feels that he wants to be home for the regular meeting if he doesn't have a huge presentation, like some nights you have bigger presentations and you would want to be here, but like tonight you just had a couple little updates and We had a big budget meeting tomorrow. He might be here late. So, if he wanted to be home and if we had any questions, we could converse with him on those
069little short things. I mean, I'm okay with that. And the same goes for her if she's required to be here for multiple meetings during the night. But sorry, Dr. Stallings, you don't get that. You don't have that ability. I'm just trying to um when we're saying that we feel responsible that we should be here for certain meetings. I don't want the staff to feel like oh they're requiring us to be here for two and three nights. Well, no, not necessarily. If there's little bits of things that you need to converse with us on on a regular meeting and you know you have to be here for a longer meeting the next night, I don't care that they're at home calling in and you know being in their pajamas. Actually, we we kind of do that
070on occasion any so I'm fine. Yeah. And we can play that by ear throughout the year. All right. So, we are we would like to look at adding a budget personnel meeting on April 7th. We are moving the May 12th meeting to Monday, May 11th. Big note here. Um and then June sits pretty standard. Um June June I think looks fine. Uh we do need to and I don't have the deadlines in front of me. I'm sorry. Um do we want to schedule the superintendent evaluation meeting now because I believe that that is due midepptember. So the evaluation or the goal meeting? Well, the evaluation would be due at the end of at the end of June. Yeah. Yeah. Sorry, you said September. I did. There's the goals that I was thinking of. I was
071like, there is a meeting about the superintendent in September. And what is that? The gold meeting. Yeah, that's the goal setting. So, um I don't think we should schedule that yet. Let's wait. Okay, that's totally fine. That would technically be on this calendar, current calendar anyway. All right. Uh, when are our next meetings? Let me look here. April 29th. Yes, ma'am. May 13th. Can we do May 6th for the superintendent? Yeah. Or do you want to do later than that? do. Um, well, I don't I would I'm one person, but I would prefer to wait just because I know there's going to be so many school activities and so much happening. in May. Do you want to do June 3? That would put us graduation the 27th, June 3rd for his evaluation, June 10th for
072another meeting, week off, June 24th, and then two or do you want to do June 10th for a meeting, regular meeting, and June 11th for his eval to keep it in one week? Um, it is I'm here all week. Personally, it's easier for me to do Tuesdays, but I will whatever works for everybody else better is fine. June 11th doesn't work well for me. Okay. My wife's birthday works for me. June 3rd. Okay. Good. I'm good for You better not mess up between now and then. Absolutely. You didn't hear me, did you? You better not mess up between now and then. The clock is ticking. We're gonna be watching. We're gonna be watching between now and June 3rd. I never intend. And we are looking at six o'clock. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So we're adding June.
073Yes. To the current, not the future. Don't worry, I'll be texting you all trying to figure out. All right. Um, Miss Sonia, is that enough changes to uh bring this back to us? Two weeks. All right. Anybody else got anything they want to look at on that at the moment? Good. Uh, back on the board comments and discussion. Yes. At some future meeting, I would like to talk uh about a pool and see if we can't put our heads together and try to make that a reality at some point in the future. Uh I think we can get assistance and that's some of the stuff I want to talk about. Uh, also at some future meeting uh before too long, I think uh the legislaturator's passed a bill that requires us to have a cell
074phone policy. So, we need to talk about that, too. I mean, they're not dictating the policy for us. Yeah, I saw that. I read a little bit on it. What's that? It It felt dictated to me, too. I I thought so, too. We should probably adopt it anyway. But they dictated the policy for us, didn't they? Or No, they said we had to adopt the policy. I anticipate Niola will provide you something as a starter. I'll be surprised if they do not because I think there was some language out there that would be recognizing. Well, maybe the f first thing you ought to do is uh get us all a copy of that bill and let us look at that. You should have copies of all the bills, Mr. Brown. Yeah, they're on they're in
075our email. They're on the web. Superintendent Blat spoke to us last week at a at WVASA and stated that that bill was a copy of what is currently out for comment under the West Virginia Board of Education policies for cell phone. Uh it's it's basically the same writing in bill. Uh the bill language is the same as the policy that the department created. So that is out on the department's website for public comment right now. So I'm sure Nola will be taking that and and sending it. We could get a cop. It's already currently out. The other uh what I was referencing with Mr. Brown, you you're receiving I'm getting copied everything he's sending to you as the board and that includes uh all those lang all the bills and the language and uh requirements
076andor whatever the caveat of each one is. So I encourage you to look at that as well when your emails are coming in. But some of them are the the bill doesn't dictate the policy. It just it says that we must have one and it has some criteria. We do have one currently, but as Dr. Decker is indicating that we've heard from Superintendent Blat and we can you can reference that. We anticipate that Nolan will be providing us that probably the same language. They don't as soon as we get that information we'll make it available to you. as well. The May ASA meeting is also set to have Howard Sufer present to us on all the legislative updates and changes and how that impacts our policy. So, we should have that in our May ASA
077meeting as well. Plus, I I believe you're going to the training on the third, Saturday the 3rd at the Ron and Rona. Oh, by the way, they he is presenting there and we'll do I know I'll be surprised if that's not part of his coverage. They never mind. They I'll talk to Sonia later. Okay. I was going to go to that training um on the third on the third. However, I just talked with the school board uh school the school board association and they said there was I only need an hour. So, she said go out there and take there's I guess there's some online classes. So, they want they said this for me to take those. I think those were also a part of an email where there was a link for those just
078just recently he had reached out anybody that hadn't met right he he's provided us emails a whole bunch of late but the most recent couple were such as a reminder of the 18th being the deadline for the third registering for the third in in Rowan Oak or Stonewall and the other was the thing that you just mentioned about the the links to those those other training having attended them all. I will tell you that very it's a full day but it's full of information that's very helpful. I'll be attending that as well. It's difficult. Pardon me. Yeah, I told her I would save the save us some money. Yeah. Um, it's difficult. I I don't know if m if you guys have probably the same problems I do is when these trainings start at 1
079in the afternoon on Fridays. It's difficult. Well, the and I'm I'm I have a hard time taking vacation time. What I do is I come like when they first started the new um where you have to do this was back a year and a half ago maybe two years ago when they started the code that they give at the first time they did the code they kept showing the code like every 15 minutes or so right well now what they started this past year was they just show the code within the first 15 minutes of the training and then they don't show it again till the six o'clock session. So, so it's like the mornings like the first afternoon 1 to 5 and then they break for dinner. You get that code in the first
08015 minutes and I'd logged on and I watched like I don't know it went from like 1 to 2:30 and then I watched to like 3 to five one and there was no code so you didn't get credit because you couldn't post in there. So it's very difficult. So now I just I go on and I watch the six to nine and then I get up on Saturday morning. I get up and I watch the morning on Saturday. But it's hard. I do know just as is my understanding that the May 3rd is a one day on a Saturday drive in. That's why it was very convenient. I was really loving that Saturday one full day one. I really was and I was going to listen in or go to that one but she said
081you only have an hour. Go out there and get some of that other training. That's what I'm going to do. Okay. All right. Any other board member comment or discussion for this evening? All right. Hearing none, we'll move into the 9,000 series. Future meetings. April 29th, 2025, 6 o'clock here at the board office. May 13th, 2025, 6 o'clock here at the board office. May 20th, 2025, 6 o'clock here at the board office. Now, June 3rd, 6 o'clock here at the board office. And June 10th, 2025, 6 o'clock here at the board office. Motion to adjurnn. [Laughter] I'm going to give that to Mr. Dowy and Mrs. Gallow seconds. All those in favor. I and this meeting is adjourned at 7:23 p.m. Thank you all for your time and everything you do. Yeah, I got to
082say the basketball team. We What do I have?