Board of Education Meeting 3/16/26

001Sarah wants to >> Sarah Beth will lead us on. >> That's not my answer. >> Sarah Bass will leave us. >> I like to call the meeting to order. >> Are we on? >> Uh I'd like to call the meeting to order. Miss Power is also on virtual. Uh have a motion to approve the agenda. >> So moved. >> Uh second. >> In favor? I >> oppos motion carries. Um we'll move with dispense with the pledge until that's part of the meeting. >> Next on the agenda is schedule for the proposed levy rates for the board approval. >> Mr. But >> thank you, President Long. Tonight is our stat prior meeting to go over the proposed leverage grade for fiscal year 27 in the county. The assessed values were 9 bill372,872,769 equates to last from

002the current expense levy projected net taxes to be left 45,389,789 increase last year. On the next page on our excess levy, the projected net access to be collected for the excess levy is 56,792,621 in total once you factor in the 85% that the state deducts part of the state a calculation and the increase in the excess levy. As you saw from Wednesday night's meeting, that will be just over $5 million of new tax revenue to the county. Then with a bond levy, we need to collect $11,6,600 to pay back our our bonds that are out of existence. And again, because the increased assess values in the county, that will lower the tax rate for our citizens, uh the tax rate for class 2 will be 8.96 and for class 4 17.92, which is less than

003what we're currently paying today. >> Questions for Mr. Weiss? the increase in the regular levy money that we get because we already charge 85% and we get to keep the other 15% right levy and the local share charge >> correct 100% of the assessment this meeting will stand adjourned till the third Tuesday in April I believe is April 21st >> yes we will um now recess to uh reconvene on April 21st. >> Thank you. Now to call the meeting our regular meeting to order. Uh start >> excuse me start early. >> Yes. >> Um and um welcome everyone. And um Miss Holland, would you lead us in the pledge? I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with

004liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you, Miss Holland. She I said wait till I get over there. I'm still walking. Thank you. >> Uh next on the agenda is recognitions. Um Randa Lynch, principal at Martinsville High School. >> Miss Long, we need to um approve this agenda as well. >> I thought we did. >> You approved the statutory. >> Can I have a motion to approve our regular agenda? >> So move. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> Opposed? Motion carries. >> Now, where's that voice coming from? >> Miss Daniel is on virtual also. Good evening, President Long, members of the board, Superintendent Saxs, and members of senior staff. The definition of heartbeat is a strong, steady pulse that keeps something alive and moving forward. It's the rhythm that sustains life and energy. When

005we talk about the heartbeat of an organization or a community, we are representing the person to who that consistent energy, care, and dedication that keeps everything going. Maybe I'm sorry. Tonight, it is my honor to recognize someone who truly represents the heartbeat of Martinsburg High School, our service personnel of the month, Miss Katie Lynn. Katie serves as one of our cooks. But to say that she simply prepares meals would be a tremendous understatement. Katie is one of those people who makes our school feel like a community. Every day she greets students with a smile, learns their names, and makes a point to interact with them. She checks on them. She asks how they're doing and creates an environment where students feel safe, valued, and seen. For many of our students, the cafeteria is more than

006just a place to eat. It's a place where they feel welcomed. And Katie plays a huge role in creating that atmosphere. What makes Katie even more special is the pride she takes in being part of Martinsburg High School. She is constantly finding ways to support our students and staff. If there is a sporting season happening, chances are Katie is already there making signs to recognize and celebrate our athletes. She takes time to decorate, encourage, and show her Bulldog pride in ways that bring positive energy to the entire building. You can also always count on Katie to show up dressed for any of the theme or spirit days, fully embracing the fun and excitement of our school community. Whether it's a wacky hat day, school colors, holiday spirit, she's all in. Katie embodies what it truly

007means to be a bulldog. She represents pride, dedication, compassion, and a genuine love for our students and our school community. She makes Martinsburg High a better place simply by being who she is. At this time, I would like to recognize our service personnel of the month, Miss Katie W. She also had no idea that this was happening, so this was a very big meet to get her here. It surprised her. Thank you. >> Come up. Come up. You can't come up. >> Have to shove her up here a little bit. Well, Katie, on behalf of the board, uh I just want to congratulate you on uh this award. And one thing that Mrs. Lynch told me that you were the apple dumpling queen and um that you give countless hours to that uh cause and

008um definitely it works out well because it uh makes my taste buds. >> Good. It's been 14 years of doing that. So, you have Yeah. >> We thank you so much for all you do for the students at Lawrenceburg High School in Brooklyn County Schools. >> Thank you so much. >> And we always love a good surprise. >> Yeah, it's definitely a good surprise. People >> I'm not sure how the other cooks were were able to take that from you. They're good. >> They're the close ones. >> So, what was it that Mrs. Lynch did to convince you to come to the >> Oh, >> okay. All right. I know when to stop. >> Well, thank you for being here. Yes. Thank you for being here and thank you for all that you do for

009the students at Martinsburg High School and all Berkeley County. >> I love my school. I >> It's very evident. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. >> Yeah. >> My goodness. >> It looks like the next on the agenda was volunteer of the month and it's being rescheduled to next month. So, superintendent announcements. >> Well, thank you, Madam President, and board members um and uh the entire Burke County Schools community. Um as we think about today and we reflect on it a little bit, today was um >> Oh, there we go. Uh today, you know, was our first remote learning day um of the school year and I just want to acknowledge um that the hard work um that went into making sure that today was as successful as it could be. Uh

010you know, anytime that we have to call off school, they're they can be very hard decisions. Uh but I wanted to share with everyone, you know, the forecast we had yesterday put the most significant weather right uh in the dismissal window um from 12:00 to the dismissal window. and uh you know we wanted to make a call that was based on the safety uh what was keep our students the safest as well as our staff. Um what really encouraged me today though was how well our schools responded. I was on a teams call just a little bit ago uh with Mountain Ridge Intermediate staff and heard how prepared the teachers were uh and how surprised they were by the participation of students um in their classrooms today. I heard similar feedback from Mil Creek Intermediate

011as well. I was talking with Principal McCoy and learned that many of the fifth graders uh actually they enjoyed it so much this morning that they had a um lunch with friends virtual session uh this afternoon. Um so it was clear that they had a great time. Obviously, you know, we we know that there were some kinks that started out the day as there always are, but uh we worked through them and overall I do believe that we had a good day of learning for many of our students across the district, even given the situation where it was not the most ideal uh because we always want our students in school um in person. So, I I really would be remiss if I didn't say thank you to our teachers, our administrators for their preparation

012u as well as our families for their flexibility and grace uh for the day for the day that we had. Luckily, I think we can report that the storms were not nearly as uh strong or as impactful for our our area than than what could have been based upon the weather forecasts. We also, you know, recognized that some of our friends in the south uh had a lot more uh damaging uh storms and luckily we we were uh blessed by not having that, but our prayers are with anybody that was negatively impacted by the storms. Um as we think about um recognizing, you know, the different things around safety, we did reach an important safety milestone at Hedgesville Middle School. After a full year of collaboration and preparation, the Hedesville Middle School uh school um

013officially earned the Heartsafe School designation through Project ADOM. This recognition reflects a tremendous amount of work by principal Elizabeth Adams, school nurse Penny Creel, and I apologize and the entire Edgesville Middle School team. This designation is awarded to schools that have developed comprehensive plans to respond to sudden cardiac arrest, ensuring that students and staff and visitors can receive immediate care uh in an emergency. To earn this designation, though, the school had to complete several very important steps. Staff participated in CPR and AED training. Uh AED devices were strategically placed throughout the building for accessibility, and the school established a cardiac emergency response team. In addition, the team practiced emergency response procedures to ensure that they are prepared should a situation ever arise. Across Berkeley County Schools, cardiac safety remains a top priority. Each year, we

014provide multiple CPR and AED trainings for our staff. U developed uh we've developed detailed emergency response plans and ensure AED devices are available in every single school building and at many of our athletic um facilities. We want to thank the team at Hedgesville Middle School for their dedication to creating a safer environment for our students and staff. And we also want to extend our sincere appreciation to WVU Medicine for recognizing the school's achievement and presenting them with a special hearts safe school banner, which uh you can see on the screen. The work reflects what we strive uh for across Berkeley County Schools every single day, preparation, partnership, and a commitment to keeping our school communities safe. We um also want to recognize that there are some big things that are continuing to grow at Hedgesville

015High School. Quite literally. Recently, we were excited to welcome representatives from West Virginia Department of Agriculture to Hedgesville High School uh for their with their agriculture education program program and facilities. During their visit, they had the opportunity to see firsthand the passion and the skill as well as the hands-on learning our students demonstrate every day in our agriculture programs across Berkeley County Schools. From touring the facilities to engaging in conversations with our student leaders and staff, the visit highlighted the strength of the program and the opportunities that it provides for our students. Agriculture education, and I know I'm a little bit biased, plays an important role in preparing students for careers in one of West Virginia's most important industries. It's in one of our nation's largest industries, actually. Programs like the one at Hedgesville High

016School allow students to develop practical skills, leadership experience, and a deeper understanding of the agricultural systems that support our communities and our nation. The visit also opened the door to new possibilities and partnerships that can uh further strengthen the program and expand opportunities for our students. We're so grateful for the interest and support shown by the Department of Agriculture and proud of the students and educators who continue to cultivate learning experiences, no pun intended, uh that prepare the next generation of our agricultural leaders. Next, I'd like to congratulate the first place winners from this year's Berkeley County Social Studies Fair. These students demonstrated exceptional creativity, research skills, and a genuine love of learning through their projects. Students explore topics across a wide range of categories including um an anthropology uh US history, world history and

017America two 250 category which encourages students to explore the nation's history as we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States of America projects were evaluated on originality, historical analysis, depth of research and presentation. The work of our students produced uh produced reflects not only strong academic skills but also curiosity about the world and events in the events that shape it. First place winners are going to now advance to the regional competition where they will represent Berkeley County Schools and compete alongside students from across our region. Uh I know that I speak on behalf of the board as well as our administrative team that we're incredibly proud of these students and absolutely grateful for the teachers and the judges who make this event possible each year. >> Is the regional fair here? >> No, I

018believe it is at PTOAC State. >> Oh, okay. >> I believe that's where it's at. Um I'd also like to recognize the outstanding participation from our middle school students and this year's history bowl. Uh teams from across Berkeley County schools came together to test their knowledge of history in a fast-paced quiz style competition that challenges students to think quickly and work together as a team. Students tackling questions covering a wide range of topics including West Virginia history and politics, geography, important historical figures, and major events that have shaped our world. Beyond the comp competition itself, events like the history bowl encourage our students to engage deeply with the past, develop confidence in their knowledge, and collaborate with uh like-minded peers. We are incredibly proud of all of our students who participated and represented their schools

019so well. Their enthusiasm for learning and their commitment to preparation are exactly what makes events like this so meaningful. We want to congratulate all of our History Bowl teams for their fantastic competition. We would like to invite you to join us for our winter early winter and early spring recognition event. Uh this is where we will be celebrating our students and staff who have succeeded at the state level and beyond. This event will be Thursday, April 23rd, 2026 at 6 p.m. at the Muscleman High School uh auditorium. So please join us as we recognize our fantastic students and our dedicated staff um that have really accomplished some amazing things. Our next regular board meeting will be April 6th at 6 PM uh followed by our next special board meeting which will be April 15th at

0205:00 pm. Um at this special board meeting we will uh be having our faculty senate presentations as well as a virtual instruction update. Madame President and board members that concludes my updates for this evening. >> Thank you. Uh board announcements. >> Just uh I'll pass this down to the superintendent. These are questions I received from Valley D school and I think you have Mr. Camelowski going up tomorrow. >> Yes sir. >> So I don't know if that'll help him or not. >> Sure. >> Thank you. >> Uh I you just want to take this opportunity to u thank our uh Senator Barrett and the rest of the U House of Delegate members. Um locality pay didn't pass but it's the first time it's ever gotten this far. So, I know that was a herculean effort

021on their part just to get it to where it was. So, I just want to take that time to let them know that what they did do was appreciate it. Maybe next year across the finish line. That's what we can hope for. Well, and I I would just like to say I think that if u madam president, as I have continued to work with our legislators, I I would also agree um that it was a herculean effort. But the one thing um that I can unequivocally say is that this board has worked relentless um with uh the legislature um and prioritizing our legislative priorities to prioritize locality pay. And I think that that is one of the resounding reasons why it got so close this time. Um, and I agree. I think that um, uh,

022you know, anytime that you have a an initiative like this and it gets so close, you're going to figure out how you can refine it just a little bit better so that maybe it can get across the finish line next year. So, >> that's our hope. The uh another topic that we uh met with our legislators and discussed was special ed funding and that uh developed a high profile. Didn't get a solution. >> Feel like we a big fishing boat and got a lot of good bikes but no big hooks. They u but they u they they were looking seriously at the cost of special education which really impacts burger care as well. >> Certainly does. >> Anyone else? Uh next on the agenda, citizens forum. U we do not have anyone signed up so

023we will move on to the monitoring items. Uh Mrs. Holland, Melissa Holland, Engle School Intermediate. Uh and um principal um discussed the uh local school improvement council update for the school. >> Good evening, Madam President, members of the board. Uh thank you for having myself and Mr. Molin here. We're excited to share with you some of the great things happening at Eagle School this evening on this uh uh annual school report. As you well know and are aware, Eagle School is one of our large intermediate schools at Berley County. We currently have an enrollment of 688 students with 15 to 20 of those being overflow students from some of our other intermediate schools. Um, as a school, we have 22% of those students scoring at or above proficient level for math and 24 at or

024above proficient for reading. Our strategic claim goals are very much like every school in the state. Um, with our instructional goals coming first and the key points are highlighted there for you. In reading, language arts, our hope is that 35% of the students that are are taking the assessment will be on grade level. And then in math, again, our our score goal is 35% as we have established incremental goals from now um now and into the future, hoping that that we'll be able to make steady progress toward those. And during the 2526 school year, at least 35% of those students will make at least one year's growth. Now, that's keeping in mind the key keep up catch-up principles. We have several students who who need to make one year's growth and more. Uh but we

025certainly want to see at least our students making one year's growth and then and then some of our population making more than one year. By June 2028, 100% of co-eing classrooms will be utilizing effective co-eing strategies. And then goal two, we're hoping to decrease overall referrals to the office by 10%. And decrease chronically absent students to 20%. We're very close to that. And then finally, goal three, 100% of district initiatives are implemented with fidelity. That is our goal by uh June of 2026. I'm ready data. It gives you an idea of where we're where we're going with that. Goal number one. Uh what you end up seeing here is we have our large percent of students in the green there who and and they're it's broken up by diagnostic one and diagnostic 2 and of

026course we have diagnostic 3 coming up in April. But our students who are at or on grade level in the third grade by diagnostic 2 is up to 57%. Which is very promising. Um our fourth graders 31% and our fifth graders 24%. So if you remember our goals, we're looking for two of grade levels at that point to achieve that by the second diagnostic. Uh the third is also very promising. Our fifth grade, they do have more ground to cover. Uh but there's some definite promise there because what you end up seeing is a little bit of movement. Uh if you move over to our students who are two or more grade levels below or in tier three instruction, which we do have some significant numbers there, but you see it's 10% decline in our

027fifth grade, which is important. Uh 10% is nothing nothing to cough at. Again, brown needs to be covered, but that 10% decline is significant. 6% decline in fourth grade and then a similar percentage in third grade. So the numbers of kids who are two or more years behind is declining which is what we want to see and the number of kids who are increasing is increasing by about that same percentage or more. So that is good news. Um again lots of ground to cover but good news. >> The yes sir >> the third grade you attribute that to the uh success act legislation with teachers aids but We certainly do and I think from my perspective it's more of a county perspective. You know in fairness the links that I have for Eagle uh is

028limited by by time here lately but from the accounting perspective certainly um because we have prioritized TEATS and interventionist in kindergarten first and second grade now third grade and and and pervasively that kind of covers that gap as the kids come to us from Burke Street Pekkin. Yes, I think the ECATs are critical. I also think that the instructional focus on missing skills, phmic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary. I think that that happening in our our primary schools was critical when we started that a few years ago. I think Dr. Woodick's arriving uh with his high impact instructional practices, I think those instructional practices are important and then monitoring that both of those things are happening. I think that's helping. Yes, sir. Now with North Middle School having the problems that it's had, are we going

029to be exasperating the problems that they're trying to solve with the advancement of fifth grade students over to the north middle of these kind of norths? >> Um well, we certainly aren't solving the problems. Um, you know what's been really interesting about this experience is I taught at North for nearly a decade and the children that I am administering and and teaching now at Eagle School were the were the children of my students, right? So I have many phone calls with people and and I taught them when they were at North and so I love that. That's been a really really great experience for me to talk to those kids all grown up and then have a have a role in their children's lives. Um I I think it's not a North problem. I think

030it is a reading by third grade problem across the county. Um some of the the problems that we faced with North previously had a lot to do with the old child. We were looking at more restorative solutions and and we didn't have some consequences in place to deal with some behaviors. Sometimes I think that that exacerbated that problem. Um, and I think that we are also looking at there is a strong connection between an inability to read and an inability to behave and an inability to feel loved and an inability to achieve. And that is what we are dealing with. It's not a North problem. It's an every middle school in our community problem. Um, I think that these fifth graders will be ready to go to North at the end of the year as

031ready as they can be. But I think there's definitely some recovery that we need to do by way of literacy for these kids. Any other questions on achievement? Well, I I also want to say uh that when we think about achievement at Eagle, um where we are at this time of the year comparatively speaking to where we were this time last year, um we're in a much much better place. Um and I I know that uh we've had some staffing challenges at Eagle. Um, and I think that these numbers, while moving in the right direction, obviously isn't where we we want to be, we are moving in the right direction compared to where we were this time last year. And that speaks volumes for the staff at Eagle. Um, and I think also the the

032supports that uh the district has been able to provide from our academic specialists and the embedded support that we've been able to try to try to offer. Um, and uh, and of course I want to say to Mrs. Holland, you know, you've only been there for what, three weeks now? >> Correct. >> Three weeks. Is this your third week or is this your going into >> be going into my fourth? >> Going in. Boy, time flies when you're having fun. Uh, but, you know, Mrs. Holland, you know, has really, you know, stepped up to the plate um, in her interim role. Um, and, you know, she she obviously has a love for Eagle. Um, and that is so apparent every time I I see her when we talk there or I'm on the phone with

033her and I'm talking about it. So, I would definitely appreciate the work you're doing to help support the staff in this endeavor as well. >> Mr. Um I was going to wait till the end, but since you asked Oh, it's not. Um so in your time being there, what trainings or helps do you think that the current staff needs to reach the goals that you stated? So you're you're filling in right now for the remainder of the year. So when a new principal comes in, how will I guess that goal be met considering they're I mean depend on who we who we hire uh how will those goals be met or or exceeded um with the current staff. >> We actually do have a plan in place for that. Um so I'm excited about that

034now. I'll talk about it briefly, but then it comes up a little later on in the presentation. Um yes, I' I've only been there three weeks. I do love that I taught these these children's parents and I do think there's something special, you know, I taught it at North for such a long time and so this is uh rem reminiscent of that. We were the first improvement school at North and nothing would shake that staff and I I feel very much the same way about the Eagle staff. Um you know, there's some folks lacking certification but they're working towards it. Um I cannot say enough good things about the Eagle school staff. They are dedicated to those kids. They're dedicated to each other. They just want to do the right thing. So, problem one solved,

035you know, um and doing the right thing means giving them the right tools. And so, part of the there's significant grant funding for for CIS schools. There's grant funding for title one schools. And so, the resources are there whereas sometimes they're not. Um and so a significant summer PD is planned and Dr. Sats mentioned the academic specialists. They are awesome. I mean, I have always believed in academic coaching. I think I talked to the sport about it in 2012 and we've had it since then and it is uh powerful and the folks that we have in the roles who are academic specialists at Eagle School were excellent teachers. You couldn't ask for for better people. Um and the staff's very responsive to them. So, we have formed with our leadership team and you know, of

036course, the the voices of the staff because that's that's the important part. um what that summer PD will look like. Um and then we're kind of doing some early exploratory things with how many of you plan to work here next year so that we can make sure that we plan that PD around the needs of those people. And I'll I'll talk about what specific PD we're kind of thinking about at this point. >> And you know, one of the things that um the state is requiring with this goround of u the funding that we utilize and that it's put into teacher capacity. They want us to spend a majority of the money building our teachers, making sure that they're the very best we have from our students. So, um, if you put something on the

037budget, they they will they actually are denying requests on the budget for things that they feel are not building teacher capacity. It's my hope that uh when a new administrator takes over there that I mean those that state is so resilient and flexible that it will be we'll go from where we were are at the end of the year into um a smooth transition with tons of their input. It has to be um continue on just the way you would leave it. >> Yes, ma'am. I couldn't think of a better way to describe it. And um you know truly it the capacity is there >> to to do really great things. So I think part of my role um is making sure that it's set up in a way that's very simple um moving forward

038as I move into summer next year. >> Another question. >> Yes sir. >> Oh I'm sorry. Um before we got get off of the ready data. Now, I want to ask this question and you can't answer it or don't want to answer it. I understand it's sort of controversial. Um, do you feel that we're relying too much on I Ready and those tests? And if so, do you feel or have you heard from staff either at Eagle School or elsewhere that there are better measuring tools to use? Well, you know, when I answer questions like this, Mr. Ray, I always preface it by saying that this is my personal opinion. It may not represent the district as a whole. Um, but personally, I think that um whether it is or is not an over reliance

039on these tools, these are the things that we're that our kids are measured by when it comes to state rankings, state aid formula, state funding, counties. I mean, this is this is it. like the West Virginia GSA, we don't have an auction in and guess what we have. So, I Ready, the thing that I liked about I Ready when it was introduced several years ago is there were there were comparability studies of this product. Does this product align with what's tested in the general summit of assessment and if so, show me how I was a principal at Edgeville Elementary then show me how. Um, and so those comparility studies were completed and that's not true with all testing companies and benchmarking companies. um but they were and it does give reporting features for standardsbased learning.

040So if you understand how and and we had to go through this at five I was opposing the achievement gap school now 20 years ago right I'm dating myself but if you know what standards are assessed on the general summit assessment you know these standards appear most often tested and then you have a tool that says here's how our kids are achieving on those standards you know where to focus your support so I think it's a good tool do I think it's the only tool um you know I I run in circles that are very fond of reading uh reading analysis tools like looking at things like, you know, letter sound recognition, the ability to blend sounds like, you know, the science of reading is huge and the state's pushing it and I'm I'm here

041for it. Like, let's do it. Where have you been all my life kind of situation. Um, so I think that those instructional tools that are very well-trained reading specialists, folks like that, I think the things that they use that they know work for our kids, I think we need to listen to them because I think they're absolutely right. And to me, everything boils down to reading, but that's also my soap box, >> right? No, no, I wasn't trying to get you to um trash the whole thing. I just didn't know because I think it can be a good tool. I just wanted to get your opinion on if it was overused. not not to say let's let's get rid of it but um use this plus this plus you know >> I just was trying

042to get a appreciate giving your point of view >> it's always a window looking in this is one window looking in and it should not be our only tool >> okay thank you >> Mr. Dr. Sachs >> I'm going to follow up on a conversation we had earlier following Mr. writes question about ready problems. I understand in our conversation you're going to appoint an advisory committee uh and I've to kind of tweak what we're doing maybe too much in one area too little area or the u just go to the uh troops and ask them how we can improve what we're doing. what are some of the problems from their viewpoint? Could you elaborate on that? >> Well, I I wish I could, but I'm not the I'm actually not the one who is developing

043it. It's actually Dr. Woods and Mr. Mullen. So, um Dr. Woods and Mr. Mullen, could you answer uh Mr. Murphy's question around the what it is that you're forming and what the what the uh charge is for that group of uh stakeholders? I apologize. I don't want to get it wrong because they're the ones who put all the effort into working and development. So, >> I like your answers already. >> Yeah, we're um we're focusing a focus group. Uh we actually have the names. It's something me and Lewis have been coordinating right now. Um we plan to have we plan to have the plan finalized within the next week so we can push that information out to the teachers. Um it'll be a a collection of staff across the the district. So, we're looking at

044anywhere from I think two to three teachers uh per school because we do value their feedback. Um, and we feel like now they've had enough time not only with the diagnostic, but if you think about especially at the lower levels with the curriculum and stuff to get that that feedback. Um, we're going to have several meetings. The first one will more than likely just be with me, Lewis, and other members of the instruction team just so our staff can be very transparent with us about how they feel. And then going into like our second and third meetings, that's where we're going to have some of the I Ready consultants in there so they can hear from our staff as well, get that feedback. But but you will be selecting staff at the individual schools representative

045staff and u so I just wanted the people to know is coming down and if so there whatever the selection process you all implement I want them to know there's going to be a selection process to evaluate what where we are now areas of concern that's that's the role Yes sir. The principles have actually already completed that portion and have actually given us the name. We're just trying to logistics. >> I hope I hope you involve the fact sense and I helping select some of these people uh principles I I appreciate their input but I don't want the the rank and file to believe it's a stack deck. I want the faculty senates to also have some input into some of the members selection if you all consider that. >> Oh, uh I think the

046board would would be anxious to hear that feedback. >> So, yeah, I mean I think that uh that that's good advice. Um, and I think we can definitely uh take that and implement some of that into even the even if if we haven't done that. I think we can implement that to be able to get that that that additional voice. But I think we can also provide summaries to the board um as to the work and how it's evolving. what are the big rocks that we we've identified that we need to tackle still and what are some of the uh steps that we're prepared to take to try to address them as well to to make sure that there is a um uh seamless uh seamless support plan for the implementation of the of the

047curriculum that we've adopted especially with the fact that the new the new magnetic literacy you know was started in January obviously uh because that was when it was rolled out so >> yeah I've I've met with two groups, a middle school level and a a primary level, and I've heard concerns similar to concerns at both levels. So, I'm looking forward to hearing the dialogue. sort of yet though. >> Uh how much uh time is or students on their devices with already >> um currently in Eagle School and and this is a timely question because we we just did a schedule alignment to reflect the changes with magnetic literacy rolling out. Um because you know my entry into the school was just on the heels of that. So, we wanted to make sure that everything was

048aligned schedule-wise as well as aligning it with any pull out that we're doing of students. We don't want to pull them out of core instruction. So, every morning, uh, children come into school arrivals between 8:15 and 8:45. And then you have 10 minutes of intervention time from 8 from 8:45, excuse me, until 9:00. And that's consistent amongst all three grade levels. That is a time, too, where you've just finished up morning announcements. Some kids are finishing breakfast. I think it's an appropriate time for something like that. Also, some of our kids say uh with behavior needs or with check-in needs or those types of things, it's good time to check in with kids. Um then you have your core instruction, depending on what classroom you're in, either in math or reading followed by small group

049instruction. And then within those small group rotations, I ready can be a station within that or it can be another time. Um, like for instance, I have one grade level that has lunch and then they have 30 minutes and then they have recess. You can't get into a whole lot. You can finish up your small groups. That's another really good time for I ready. Then we tend to do that little small intervention block again right at the end of the day as we're packing up and getting ready for dismissal. So it inflates both sides of the guided instructional models for reading a math. >> I apologize, but I think what Mrs. as long as actually asking is is how much screen time are they getting on the I already program >> which is which the

050guidance which the guidance is is you know no more than 45 minutes in reading and no more than 45 minutes of math per week >> but >> why don't if you can just share how that works at Eagle perhaps >> yes so um in those intervention time blocks and and it it works for the students it's it's almost gified in a way you know it's still very instructionally based and even for my kids at Edgesville we had started it had rolled not that way. Um, so a lot of, you know, for the younger guys it was like phonics based stuff. For these older kids, you know, it it definitely increases in rigor, but um, they the kids are able to keep track of how much time they've spent and they have a personalized pathway. I

051am a fan of a personalized pathway. Um, teachers can go in and should be going in and monitoring those pathways because no one knows the the the kids better than the teacher, right? Especially not electronic programs. So, uh, one of the pieces of training is is making sure that teachers know how to adjust those pathways for the kids. For sure. Um, because once the child's on there and they're participating in their pathway, um, it adjusts difficulty according to the ease of use, kind of like the, you know, some of our general summit of assessments do. And, um, it will tell them once they've achieved their minutes. So if they've achieved all of their minutes at that point um and the teacher can monitor that from a dashboard, there are supplemental and other activities that kids

052can do that are not ready. Okay. Does it does when it monitors when it monitors the minutes of this is probably stupid, but uh successful minutes. Do you you understand what I'm trying to say? >> I think so. Like did they achieve at a level that's appropriate for them? And that's what those instructional pathways do. And so that's why it's really important for educators to be monitoring those. And I think sometimes early on in implementation, you don't have as much monitoring as those of those individual pathways just as educators are learning how to do that. Um, but once they start start monitoring, it's an it can be an incredibly useful tool because they can tell. It also flags if the child's rushed through it through an area of the of the program. Um, it it

053does provide a lot of really good information. So if it were my classroom, I would need the 45 minutes in reading. I would need 45 minutes in math and I I would not have to use devices for the rest of the instructional time. And I would not, >> you know, and I I think that that's what most teachers are trying to do. >> Yeah. Yeah. And I think, you know, from a contextual standpoint, you know, a lot of times when people hear, you know, the the core curriculum being I Ready, they automatically think that what we're talking about is the computer-based personalized pathway, which is, you know, in our K through 8 programs, that's where get on the on their iPad, usually through a small group student center, um, and complete a portion of their

054minutes throughout the week. And and again, you know, we we we emphasize and we monitor for that matter, but we don't go over that 45 minutes. And that is not an arbitrary number. Um as Mrs. Holland had had mentioned the the correlational studies to uh of I Ready performance to the GSA. Um but there are also correlational studies as to the me the number of minutes um and of successful minutes to how well a student will make one year's at least one year's worth of growth. In in Berkeley County, we're striving for a year and a half worth of growth. Uh because for our students and our kiddos that are again one grade level below, let's say they're one grade level below. If they're only maybe one year's worth of growth, then they're still going

055to stay one grade level below. But if we make a have a goal for that stretch growth or that that one and a half years worth of growth, then we can close that achievement gap and try to get students to that early on or on grade level. But the the thing about the pro program that we use here in Berkeley County is it's the the emphasis of it is not the computer-based program. The secret sauce, if you will, is really the reports that it's able to provide from the personalized learning path and the diagnostic to how it groups similar students for the teacher and then the teacher toolbox that says these students that are are are struggling in these specific standards or excelling in these standards. Um, here is some suggested uh learning activities, small

056groupoup instructional resources that the teacher can use with that group of students to help catch them up in a small one- on-one small groupoup interaction with those with those kiddos in that rotation during uh let's say the reading block. And so it's that resource and the teacher direct instruction that is really where the the program is most successful. the personalized learning path. This helps reinforce and build some additional skill um while the teacher is able to provide small group uh intensive instruction. >> Do you have a question? >> Yeah. Um I know you have to give a lot of presentation about is a little about data. Oh, it has like that slide on it. Um I guess my concern with from COVID going and from COVID those students that were in fourth through like seventh

057grade that cohort I feel like there is going to be a real big gap. Obviously we're still like like that diagnostic too but where I feel like there's going to be this big gap of students before the third grade success act came into effect. Um it's kind of you're kind of seeing with like the one grade level below. Um can you address that like what we're looking to do with that with those co cohort of students? Yeah. >> In the primary level. >> Well and I know that the district has so many plans for that you know um on this side of it as the receiving principle of information. Um you know I know that Dr. long is has this wonderful summer plan that I'm sure he's laid out with these guys um that targets

058specific students who are multiple years behind. So there's there's targeted intervention. I think the I think Dr. Saxs really obviously understood on something um with this idea of and we're going to get into that actually. You're going to hear about Wednesday's PE plan, but as a person who supervised teachers for a long time, right? Um there was always difficulty with finding what to do that is quality instructional lessons when you are at when you're at a guided instruction environment. Right? So whole group we've always had that under control. We've done a great job. But what you're talking about is the necessity to intervene in small groups based on where the children were and where they are currently and they're behind for these variety of reasons. And so it was always really difficult and I I

059will say I think especially K8 versus 912 912 is a little different. You're dealing with a little different situation there. But K12 it was always very difficult to have quality instructional tools differentiated because not only are you planning for 25 kids, but you're planning for 25 kids and at least four or five different preps. You're not just planning to be their English teacher that day. Um, and that's I'm not picking on my secondary French, you know, I was English teacher originally. Um, but you are prepping for science, social studies, math, and reading. And then to differentiate all those subject areas every single day, five days a week was very difficult. So, some of the things that we're getting closer to and we're getting more invested in now are those differentiated tools where you can go

060into reading pathways and you can say here's my red group, here's my green group, here's my yellow group, what what are the specific lessons that I can use with them at the guided reading table, particularly when I think only about gosh 10% of our K8 staff are certified reading specialists, you know, um it's an optional master's degree. Not everyone has that. Um, so the fact that they can print those tools out and have them at their fingertips and know what to teach the kids in small groups, that's powerful. I think we're definitely headed in the right direction with that. >> And to also address that, I know you were talking about the third, fourth, and fifth grade. We have the state whenever you're we're on their meetings, they're talking a lot about the MTSS system,

061trying to strengthen it across the uh the the the whole entire state. Whenever I went to the last superintendent conference, they asked people to raise their hand if they had the MTSS process in West Virginia solidified within their county. One superintendent raised their hand. So, it's a flux for everybody. What they've been talking about is cohesiveness. So, we're going to use a product that is cohesive and they work together. They're not just another thing out there that, oh, guess what? We don't know what we're going to just put another thing in place. And they don't they don't talk together. So I think one thing that Berkeley County has done is we have a diagnostic that works along with our curriculum in math. It works along with our curriculum in reading. Not only that, it works

062along with our interventions that we put in place. We have phonics for reading for third, fourth, and fifth graders. We're also extending that some into the middle school. And Dr. Wood was looking at another product that is cohesive with what we're utilizing right now for possibly use in the middle school, but they all have the same philosophies underneath of them. so that it it would be it would be cohesive throughout the county. But we do have um the phonics for reading for third, fourth, and fifth grade that focuses on all the domains of reading and it's progress monitor. So you can see that's working or not working. Sorry. just like um yeah, just like my main concern really is just we we don't want these students have fall through their times of that they were

063in kindergarten and they didn't really get the basics of reading and now they're in fifth grade and 50% are behind three grades. >> I I took my letter training this past weekend and that was one of the things that they stressed. I know somebody here is trained in letters and I was so happy to hear that. But in my letters training this weekend was talking about early intervention is the key and truly we don't have them by at the end of second grade with trip or lost them. It's very hard. It's like double the time from that point every single year. It's double the minutes daily to get that kid caught up. So that that hit me this weekend. I thought my goodness gracious, we need 90 minutes of an of an intervention at the

064middle school level to actually catch the kids back up. 90 minutes. What schedule is going to allow that to happen? That was one of the things that my big takeaway for Saturday when I took the class. I thought 90 minutes at a middle school intervention daily to to catch a kid back up to all grade level. >> It's almost impossible by that time. But where? Yeah. >> Oh, I'm sorry. No, go ahead. >> The only question I had was are these reports are they I know they're shared with the teachers on what they can do, but are any of is this information shared with the parents or guardians in terms of here's some things you can do at home that can help to catch them up even faster? because you all can only do so

065much if you don't have also the help from the guardians to read with their child or help them to get to where they need to be or or develop that level of reading. >> So it's we do we have success central which is part of our ready um a parent can log into that they can see all kinds of different resources are on there and we have to send that diagnostic home three times a year. It's got to be in print form so that the parent can receive it and it has guidance in there and at different um online places that a parent can go to support health. I have to give kudos to something I saw at Marlo this past week when I was out doing some walkthroughs. There was a teacher there. I'm

066going to say her name. Mrs. Cost did a phenomenal job. She was using Seesaw the kids. She had her her curriculum up on the board. She had listed out where the kids they went over site words. They had they talked about their sound. They read together and then they partner read. They had to go back. But then she had a list of kids individually that they had to go read and they read directly to a recording which went on their seesaw which went directly to the parents. So the parents could see what the kids were reading. They annotated the text like Dr. Wood is asking us to do at all grade levels. So when people say it's very difficult, this teacher was doing it very well in kindergarten. So they all annotated their site words.

067They read and the parents got to hear that like that day immediately it went on to their um Seesaw account and you could be at work and a parent could click on hear their child read. >> Oh, that's fantastic. You could hear if they were struggling with the word, you would know which words. In fact, I got just a little bit of trouble because I was starting to help a kid and I got told not to help because my voice was on the recording. So that's okay. I got put in my place respectfully. >> Well, me black lea and for math, you have 45 minutes each already, right? >> For the week. Yes, sir. >> For for primary grades as well as >> that changed since I've been on a primary. Yes. >> Primary. Yeah.

068happy cuz I've heard somebody like the first grade teacher says, you know, could we just have 30 minutes and uh have some have something else going on? I I think that 45 minutes will come up in the discussion from the rank and phone. >> Sure. Why why would 45 minutes be too much? that >> um you know what I I think that the perception is it's in one sitting and it's it's that fear of a child is sitting there on a device for 45 minutes but the way that it is broken up and the fact that you can there's just a lot of misinformation or unclear information in terms of you can break it up into these 15minute chunks and I you know I like a lot of tools and so I'm not going to

069be the next sales lady for I Ready even though I think it's Great. But I will say that those 15-minute chunks have previously been instructional time that wasn't well used. Like we're talking about a lot of transition time there. And so kids can their behavior can be managed and also their learning. You can meet them where they're at. So if it's a transition time where you're taking one group out, say to the water fountain and the other groups on I Ready, that can be a useful tool. So looking at it from from an admin strictly an administrative management lens, it wasn't time that was incredibly powerful instructionally before a lot of it has been built in at the beginning or the ends of these large blocks of time where it is a little bit more

070of a release valve. Um and then of course got to make sure it's not too much of a release valve and that they're performing at level by looking at those instructional pathway reports. But um >> do you think we need more PD on that aspect of our ready? >> I do and I'd love to tell you about that. >> Oh, okay. Well, let's move on. >> Okay. >> Let's move on. One question. >> Yes, sir. >> In my spare time, I like to read the law. >> Yes, sir. And I came across a section. I think I shared it with you, Dr. sex where you could get uh for what a CIS school you could uh try to recruit internally teachers who have national certification to go to a CIS school and I don't know

071if it's being funded so many things are not funded but if it were funded I just want to make you aware that there is a section of code that you could get nationally certified teachers that we have. We are number one in the state in that category. You might be able to recruit some people to your school with a cash incentive that's supposed to be there. >> Well, I'm happy to report that Eagle doesn't have you and we do we do have I mentioned some some perms and and locations, but those are all people seeking certification who are excellent like they are great early career educators and so I'm incredibly proud of them. I'm happy to work with them and the spots that we do have. We we may be on to something there, but

072they a school like Eagle with with these designations and things, there are so many benefits and so I think we need to explain that to prospective employees. Um there's so much learning that goes on. I learned more from being a teacher at Closing the Achievement Gap School than almost anywhere else separate from this very long career, you know. So, there's so much more that you can learn. Um, and there's a lot of benefits, things that you get involved in that you wouldn't otherwise. So, there's definitely a lot to share >> and we have put that out, but maybe we need to do a better job. Um, if you're national board certified and you work at a school, you would make an additional $2,000 a year on top of what you already given for national board

073and that's a minimum of five years. So, even if you would come off the list, you still receive that for five years. So, that would over that time period that would be $10,000. So that would be good money. >> And that's for working in the CIS school. >> Yes. You you should be uh in that school. You should be con, you know, working with other teachers to support and help them to grow. That's what it was intended for. >> Uh do you think um those CIS those um national board certified teachers know that? I mean I I I knew that, but do you think they are aware? Justin shaking his head. >> Yeah. Yeah, I mean just not north or eagle school. It was those other schools that were part of that identified group uh

074for excels. So as long as they're mentoring teachers and that's that there are national board certified teachers currently receiving additional study but >> okay let's move on. >> All right. Goal two, the strategic plan um discipline data. This is broken down for you just a little bit um differently because I wanted to point out that I think that the school probably would have been on track to achieve this goal. Um but there has been a lot of um several changes changes come with administrators. Every administrator has a a philosophical view of discipline and restorative practices and those types of things. I really felt strongly about coming in new at this point that there needed to be some specific ground rules that I was comfortable with and that my staff was comfortable with. Uh so we

075did adjust um our our behavior identification and response practices very early on. Um so there were some referrals that have come um with my presence there. So I think that the school would have been maybe a little closer to on track achieving that goal. But with the, you know, transparently with the change of administration, um, we we may not we may not knock that one out of the park. U, but I'm comfortable with where we are with that, the kids and and what's happening. I we I had visited the transitional school a couple weeks ago >> and uh when they go in there's a process the students are wanded and everything else but I was amazed at how small they were and I I asked the staff and they can't tell you what school confidentiality

076everything I said do you have intermediate kids here they do >> I They were smaller, you know. I'm used to going out there and seeing the big guys, but I I saw big and little. >> Good for you or good for whoever's doing. >> I think they take they take fifth graders out there, don't they? >> Right. >> Yeah. So, we um I got I've got to tell you though, uh one grade level in particular was gathered in the cafeteria for a grade level presentation uh the other day and the kids were exceptional. Um, I was a little nervous and they were exceptional and I went to every classroom the next morning and thank them personally. They just did a good job. They represented themselves in the school period. So, uh, attendance data, you know,

077this is something that we get on here and we talk about it all the time and we are always hovering around that 20% versus 90%. Uh, th those goals. Our daily attendance rate last school year was 92.17 to current it's 92.7 and then our chronically absent again is 22.84 for last school year and just over 22 for this school year. So what that means is we have 74 children with nine or more absences. Um, again, because of our designation, I I certainly think it because you're seeing way more at Eagle School combat this than you would see in a typical school or have the resources uh for in in a nonidentified school. Um, so with those 74 kids, we're we're doing quite a quite a lot. And I got to give a shout out to

078Kathleen Cunningham, who is an amazing human being, whether it's her work in our district or the Boys and Girls Club. and she is the person in charge of identifying these 74 kids and making sure that we provide wraparound supports for them and is doing a really good job. I can share that with you in a moment. >> Well, I like don't the numbers have I I remember you all explain to you your uh second column and third column 92% then you have 18%. uh question 7.7 >> chronically versus the >> the yeah the headings at the top are a little different maybe I should have laid that out in a different way but >> the year to date versus the chronically absent and then the number of unexcused in the last 30 days. I was

079trying to differentiate by grade level versus by type. So, the percent attendance year to date is the average daily attendance over overund 10 days that we've had so far. That's that's where our our average daily attendance is. Um, and then the chronically absent is a different subset of numbers. So, they shouldn't equal 100 because we're just saying that even though we have a 92% 93% attendance rate in third grade, for example, um 18 and a half% of the students in third grade have missed more than 10 days of school. >> Well, um what are we what are we doing about the unfused absence? >> Um well, at Eagle School in particular, there's a lot of parent contact. Now the county has processes in place too of course um and now with the use of Intellispark

080that's tracked a little bit more closely but they make the five days meaningful contact and we have wonderful attendance workers who are reaching out working through the truins situations um but at Eagle in particular the teachers make contact then Kathleen again makes contact um and then we assign a mentor a mentor attendance mentor grade level um and the job of that individual is to kind of mentor each of the children in that grade level and then recruit help from colleagues. So maybe they're the morning check-in person who makes sure to remember to say, "We're really happy to see you today. We're really It's those little things. It's it's about building that culture in a school that makes kids want to come. There's there's only so much we can do to that degree." The other piece

081of it that I don't know that we have any control over and if you know the secret to how we can I'm happy to hear it but is you know our families who struggle one of these 74 children um with a colleague I drove she and her dad to their home because they don't have a vehicle and they didn't know about the Kenny Vento and they were walking and I could see them approach the school every day four days a week and I said sir do you need a ride what's going on you know can can we talk I noticed you walking and it was it was not pretty all five of those days that I noticed you walking and um you know we were able to to provide transportation and work through the transportation

082equipment to help that family. Um and that man would have gotten his child to school no matter what it took. Yeah. >> The distance he had to walk that little girl to school every day. It was not a short distance. Um not every parent is that man. So, I don't know how to uh help other parents kind of take on that task with their with their little ones that he did. But out of those 74, you know, I see us making a significant difference. Some of the ones that we can impact, the ones who maybe didn't didn't like school and they were resisting coming. Um but the ones who like school just fine and there's other issues in the home other than working through house office, I'm not sure what the answer to that, >>

083right? I just think that um the unexcused absence and and you know that most of that's related at home that parents aren't pushing their children uh enough to get to school because there are so many issues at home that we are all unaware of. So yeah. Well, but at the same time, we that percentage of students that you talked about where kids don't like coming to school. If we can do a better job of as as school system, making school a fun place to come, not fun in terms of, hey, I'm just going to be fun and silly, but fun in terms of, wow, I really love learning. I really I feel loved. Exactly. >> Because they may not say they are having problems at home, don't feel love, but they know their teacher loves

084them, so I'm going to come for them. >> Yeah. And it's% it's a love it's a place to be loved and a place that's safe. >> Yeah. I just need to get to school that's where they feel the best. >> Yeah. We can get to that point. >> Well, I think the Eagle staff does wonderful job that I really do. Um you of course know what a comprehensive school of improvement is. Uh it is it does have the CIS designation because it's one of the lowest 5% of title one schools statewide. Um and when we're looking at those things, we're also looking at low academic performance uh especially in math and reading and we're looking at selfgroup performance particularly uh with our special education students as well. What one thing parents have changed from years

085past to this year has tiered our schools differently. Um we do Eagle is the one that does fall in the lower 5% and it is a title one school. We do take federal funding for that school. Uh but they broke all of those schools into two different categories. Um and the so tier one schools I mean the tier three schools that they're looking at Eagle Falls into this the side that is going to be focusing on special first. So you'll hear a lot of uh things that we present will sound like a special ed proponent to them and we're going to be working really close with Dave, but some of the first meetings that we have to go to, they focus on formulating the groups at Eagle. And though we have done that, the the

086staff is in their groups. They know what they're focusing on and what data they're looking at. But then whenever we go to the state meetings, it's going to have a a focus on special ed first. So just to let you know that. So moving forward, it might seem a little strange whenever we said we present a lot of special ed data um in the future. Um Lun has talked a little bit about this uh just now with special education being our our focus area and we have several plan focus points. Uh we have been lucky enough to have have several experts in the special education field come to visit Eagle share best practices. Uh we do have an extensive special education population there with all subgroups identified. Um and there's several things that we're doing

087including uh Wednesday of this week training on IEP and processes looking at the least restrictive environment. Of course, one of our strategic plan goals was co-eing, which has always proven to be very, very powerful. Uh, when you have the student who may suffer learning issues outside of the general education classroom, they're not subjected to tier one instruction or grade level instruction. So, that's why co-eing has always proven to be so powerful. Um and then behavioral safeguards for those students who um you know struggle with emotional and behavior regulation standards based instruction and pacing guide work English as a second language curricular support. We have a wonderful ELLL teacher there who's been in the county a very very long time and very dedicated to that community um and a very high population of ELL learners as

088well. And then of course we're going to work on our math and English or math and reading intervention strategies, current climate and culture data. Start uh it's it just concluded the collection of that. So unfortunately um I don't have that that for you. I'll say it seems like a lovely place. Um it seems like good things are happening. Yes sir. I'm sorry. What? Like ballpark. Do you have the uh ESL percentage of students at Eagle? You know, on the top of your head is ballpark. >> Eagle. I don't off the top of my head, but um I could text somebody and give you that number before the presentation is over. But it's always been a very high population. As a matter of fact, the cafeteria at Eagle has u bikes hanging from every uh country

089of residents of our students. And it's it's a pretty pretty beautiful thing. Yeah, you hit one of my notes here. You have 30 multilingual learners. >> Does that help you? >> That does. Yeah, I I knew that it was some somewhere in there because we just finished up helping testing and so I'm trying to picture that roster in my head. Um and and several students we think were excited they may they may exit services because they scored high enough on that assessment. So, we're pretty excited about that. >> Yeah. Yeah. Um, lots of celebrations and this has been in three weeks. It's so very easy to see, you know, it's easy to see the celebrations and the struggles when you walk out of school, but outstanding staff. They are 1,000% dedicated to improvement. Um, they

090will cover each other. Um, we are, you know, still in a situation as many school districts are with the lack of substitutes. They make sure that the kids are covered and cared for. That's not a problem. They are involved in many many PLC's and a lot of work to to do school improvement, lots of school pride. Um we have strong social emotional mental health supports for the children. We have two full-time counselors, one social worker and one Martinsburg initiative social worker placed at Eagle School. So that is incredibly powerful. Very dedicated PTO. Yes sir. >> The CSI money that you receive from the state. >> Yes. Which ones are these people under? >> The two full-time counselors are the general operating budget, the one social worker is title one. >> Yes. >> And uh then

091the Martinsburg Initiative social workers placed by the Martinsburg Initiative and CSI funds. >> We hired those advocacy. >> So the Martinsburg Initiative fully covers her. Um, if you know Lazaro, she's a bus driver for Berkeley County Schools and incredibly passionate and dedicated and I'm lucky enough to have her as pupp. Uh, so we've already been on the phone numerous times and she is planning all kinds of really great things for the kids and the community. Um, we have a lot of really great events and lots of wonderful communication. Eagle School has tremendous community support. You know, I had two kids who missed the bus to the Boys and Girls Club and I called and they sent a van. Um, no one involved in that school wants to leave children behind. So, kudos and shout out

092to the Boys and Girls Club, parks and wreck. Same situation uh with some coaches and some basketball meets that I had there recently. Lots and lots of really wonderful things going on with the folks there. I won't read all these names, but shout out to all these folks who are serving on the local school improvement council, our team leaders and our CSI leadership team members. Wonderful, wonderful group of people. A lot of the people who are at Eagle um have been there for a very long time and we have three folks who have been there since Eagle broke ground 25 years ago. >> Wow. So, shout out to Chip Barnhart and Allison Reed. Um, and my speech she chair Melissa >> Melissa Michael. >> So, here's any of the pictures you see were taken in

093the last three weeks. So, a lot of really great things going on. Um, in order to again meet that that goal of that 35% achievement, we have a lot of wonderful things happening. Um, this is one of my favorite classrooms there. One of the things that we have done and Dr. Saxs mentioned is the academic specialists in the county specialists. They are in equal school once a week and teachers are able to go in on their planning period and get support in either reading or math all the initiatives and the instructional tools that are there. So that is one thing that you know I would have dreamed of having in other schools. Those folks again are Heather McCain and Rachel Yates who are very down there, always willing to help. And a staff member can

094walk in and say to Rachel, "I don't understand how to do guided math instruction. Um, can you help me?" And her answer will be, "What do you need?" And just give me a minute and I'll send it to you. And then if they don't quite understand, then that specialist is going to return to the school uh two weeks later be in the same place, same time, and the staff member can catch up with them. So, that is huge. Um, instructional walkthroughs. There's Dr. Woods right up there. That's a good picture. I snuck that in there. So, he was teaching me how to do a instructional walkthroughs uh and sat down with a student who told him um how she felt about how class was going that day. Um, one of the things that I felt

095like the staff needed was a a a rubric on what guided instruction looks like. what does quality instruction look like? And they've received those tools before, but me being a new person, sometimes it's it's nice for the new person to kind of kind of bring something in. Um, people like to not ask if they think that something is going to happen if they ask, right? So, they're sometimes you have staff members afraid to ask questions about how things work, what is best practice. This has been really a great experience I think for them and me because I'm excited to share with them some things that could help them. Um, and they don't look at me in an evaluated way at this point. Um, and so that is just fine. Our next steps uh with that

096goal number one is our March 18th PD day. again on Wednesday. Um we're going to offer a comprehensive view of those instructional lessons and materials and move toward consistently supporting Eagle's teachers. As a matter of fact, the sessions for for the classroom teachers are broken into three sections. And we're going to have the reading section, the math section, and the data analysis section. And they'll rotate to through. and uh two Berkeley County Schools teachers who are uh expert wonderful teachers at other schools have agreed to, you know, teach the math lesson as if they're using all the materials and the teachers themselves at Eagle are the students and kind of working through um what that would look like to participate as students from a lesson from a teacher who's been vetted and is is wonderful

097um because it's easier sometimes for teachers to hear it from other teachers. Mhm. >> Um, so there'll also be an opportunity there for them to ask questions and write down questions and then come to the data session where I'll be and I'm going to plan to address some of those questions for them or get the answers for them. Same same model of professional development for the math rotation as well. Very fun. One of those teachers teaching them used to be my student. She was a little girl too. So uh we've also for goal one worked on with our PLC's the creation of a data war room. Um so we are putting up the data making sure that if you are not familiar with how to pursue those instructional pathways or you're not sure how to

098pull those lesson plans off or tier instruction that not only is the data there but also instructions so they can pop in on their planning when nobody's there pull those instructions and go back and work in their classroom to implement those things. Is that well used? >> Um, it's only been up since Friday, so not yet. >> But we have high hopes. Very high hopes. >> What's the chart on the right? >> Uh, the chart on the right is actually um the instructional minutes and what's what's required because you have to remember this. the staff just switched from having writing, spelling, um, and vocabulary almost as a separate entity into the integration with magnetic literacy. So that took some refining of the schedules. It wasn't revamping them. It wasn't changing them. It was just making

099sure that the schedules reflected the instructional materials that we have. Now, goal two, here are some of my sweet little friends. uh aren't you Mr. right talked about, you know, making that school and and and Miss Fong a safe and happy place to be, place where children feel loved. Well, this is the goal for decreasing our absenteeism and our overall referrals. We have to drive home PBIS, like if you if you want to if you want to turn around and culture catch kids being good as consistently and often as you can, right? Yes, I understand. And I just showed you a slide where the the suspensions may have been up a little bit, but the other part of that is to make make sure that the kids know that when they're doing good things and

100what it looks like. So these kiddos are at our Allstar Eagle diner on Friday. Each of them gets to be and and this was an initiative that's been in place for a long time at Eagle, but on Fridays, uh they are recommended to sit there with a classmate. they can pick any class they want and they sit in this special area in the cafeteria and the principal comes and asks them about their day and how they've been doing. Um, and so they love that. And all the other kids can see them sitting there too, which is kind of nice. Um, again is well on its way to implementing C PBIS. They have the shine initiative like a lot of our schools have developed uh expectations for behavior in certain areas of the school. Mr. Turner

101and I have definitely um taken that a few steps forward, I think, because we also have a QR code down there on the right with uh shine shoutouts. And it's really fun for the kids on Friday afternoons to hear the guy with the English accent read the shine shout outs over the announcements at the end of the day. Um they love it and they are they just listen to him without without hesitation, with baited breath. Um, but we are reteaching all these behaviors each morning on the morning announcements and then uh both Mr. Turner and I enter classrooms a lot. Um, if I was going to have a second go at it, I didn't want to be in an office. So, we are out in the hallways in the classrooms with our rolls of stickers.

102We enter classrooms and whenever we see things that we like, we hand the children their star stickers and they put it on their PBIS folders and it is so far so good. You have to change those things off every so often, but so far it's proven to be pretty pretty uh productive. So, we're happy about that. If you come over and visit, I'll give you a roll of star stickers and we'll have a good time. Um, also, we have to revisit all of our behavior intervention plans. make sure when we're talking about special education, we want to make sure that everyone is aware of what's in the plan. A really important component of that is making sure that our students who have those types of supports in place get to pick the rewards that they

103want. Overwhelmingly, um Mr. Turner and I recently met with all these children and overwhelmingly what they wanted um it wasn't something tangible. It was not the cool prize out of the prize basket. It wasn't the snack or the favorite candy. It was a positive postcard home. The ability to present an assignment in front of the principles. So, this young man's presenting to us about earthworms. Like, how tricky is that? We tricked him into academic performance. I've known this little guy since he was my kindergarten student at Hedesville. Um, so overwhelmingly, again, it goes back to that because feeling love and and safe. They wanted us to send home positive postcards to call home or they wanted to present to us and have our office staff carry them along when they presented to us. So, um,

104again, these are earned rewards part of of their behavior intervention plans. So you you see um there's a lot of ways to turn around behavior. >> And uh we asked about attendance. She asked about what we're doing for attendance earlier to to kind of create that envir environment that is warm and that's loving. You see this angle down there with her bright yellow shirt and her large bright hand. Um her yellow hand there. She is doing high five Fridays also in place that you go long before I arrived and so fun. Um because you really get to just walk around the hallways and give kids high fives on their way into the school. Pretty great. Um so because and why do we do it on Fridays? Because that has the highest absentism rate. Um, I

105mentioned the attendance person at each grade level who's assigned to these kiddos. I failed to mention earlier the punch cards. Every student um in that group does receive a punch card and when they're there and they get their card punch, they receive a small prize after uh five punches of their punch card. So, all kinds of neat things. Again, shout out to Kathleen Cunningham who's doing great great things with that. And goal three, 100% of district initiatives are met with fidelity. Here's a group of students who um are engaged with specific and uh student centered tiered instruction, right? So there are set you can tell by the way the kids are grouped. um they're grouped in a very specific way and they're all doing different activities, not all of them, but as a group, activities

106that are geared to that group based on their performance level on IR and the supplemental materials that they are seeing. So broke this down a little bit because the question is always what what have we been doing? And um the meaningful contact and the attendance initiatives have been going strong and eagle uh for the full year. the PLC's and the work with the academic specialist has been strong and in place all year. Um the instructional requirements that have been rolled out um again has been all year now a year in a school is not a long time sometimes you know so it does all feel fresh should move new to the staff. Um as part of the the entry of Mr. Turner, myself, we focused on PBIS and behavior and focused on behavior intervention plans

107with success criteria because that was the part that was missing for those kids is what does success look like and how you want to be rewarded for it. Um, some master schedule alignment has occurred and also with that has been ensuring that pull out does not occur in our tier one instruction. So, if it's whole group reading and whole group math, we should not be pulling our students out of that. And so that's something that we've worked very hard on for the past three weeks. Uh data ownership has been another thing. It can be data rich and and process poor. And so actually owning the data, knowing what to do with it. Sometimes they're two different things. So we've really been working on that. And then of course I focused on tiered instructional group uh

108groups through walkthroughs and support and coaching. Um, so how are the areas of weakness being addressed through the strategic plan, PLC's, MPD? Frequent check-ins from admin walkthroughs and observations, reminders sent out priorities via email weekly. Um, we've also created some videos for the staff just to mix up the the venue a little bit or the information just a little bit. Encouraged attendance with powerful programs. We have our PBIS program rolling. We have our PLC's and for professional development, we do have I Ready reps that are in the building. We have had I've seen I Ready Eddie twice. I've met with I Ready Blanca twice and it's day 15. Um the Children's Literacy Initiative friends, they meet with me on the weekend because uh they're really nice ladies. And of course our Berling High School's support

109personnel, we have folks in and out of the instructional department in Eagle, any top in Etha. um they are really really responsive to our school and we're grateful for that. Plentiful programs, plentiful emotional support, uh social emotional support. And then the last question that was presented with these presentation is facility needs. Um Eagle Schools previously asked for several things which uh the school district or partnerships have met. One of those was the updated surveillance system. It's fantastic. I can't find an area then in the school that I don't have surveillance in. Updated playground fencing and brush removal. Roof repair. There's an area on the school that's called a Koopala. Um it's a glass beautiful glass enclosure in the front of the building and it was leaking pretty badly. Tai and maintenance took care of that.

110Um no leaks on this rainy day today. Um playground beautifification has occurred. Huge playground. The fencing on that playground is is was very important. it is done. There is a craft in the fifth grade hallway due to ground settling. Mr. Tyson is aware of it uh and is looking into it and new requests right now. Extra storage is the only thing that we can think of but that's all we have. Do you have questions for me? >> I think we probably asked them all. I just >> this is a requirement that they meet with the CSS who say the equipment we this is a requirement >> which I'm not >> a great presentation >> thank you should be pretty easy um going back to discipline data for you have you found that a lot of

111those uh referrals are just a few students that with repeat vendors and that's one of the number where they are. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> And when you have a few repeat vendors um that encourages other vendors who aren't really >> Yeah. >> Long go ahead. >> No miss long in school suspension person. How's that? So very well um uh we have discussed the our premise on restorative practices and so we're putting some consequences for behavior prior to the restorative practices. So we're grateful to have the individual there and um get along great and we're adding a training component for her to help support her. >> That's great >> because she has great relationships with the kids who need it most. So we don't want her to be sought out by them for a release.

112We want her to be sought out for them for a celebration. >> Yeah. Because they likely they want to go there, >> right? >> Yeah. >> Right. Um >> no good deed because that would be something you would spend your your CSI money on teacher capacity staff capacity. >> Yeah. Thank you so much for a wonderful presentation. You have >> I see. Thank you for pivoting. Good luck the rest of your >> Thank you. Thank you. That's the role of the central office, right? Provide support for me. >> When was the So when when did you when were you when did you leave the principal ship at Hedgesville? >> Uh two years ago. >> So >> at the end of this year would be two. >> Yeah. So Mrs. Holland has been in a in

113a different wheelhouse for the last two years. And of course, board members, you know, uh all those folks that are listening knows that there's been a lot of instructional shifts over the last uh year and a half um you know, since uh since I came on board and a lot of that was due to um you know, an instructional audit that where we where we learned that uh there was some inconsistent use of the reading program at the elementary level, which was a a different product. we won't we won't say it but there was a a lot of concerns that we heard over the effectiveness of that program. Um and we had also information that uh from that that instructional audit that different programs were being used and there was not any consistency which made

114it very difficult for us to be able to support the work in our classrooms. And so, um, over the last year, you know, obviously we have very much focused on, um, putting all of our putting our resources and our support and the training around something that can be consistently applied across the district. And, uh, we don't profess to say that we have it perfected, but uh, we definitely listen to our stakeholders uh, to get feedback and make tweaks where needed. Um but Miss Holland because you have stepped back into the principal ship uh in a interim position uh the amount of knowledge that you've been able to convey especially about Eagle just in three short weeks is tremendous. So I definitely appreciate you pivoting uh to take on that that leadership role um in the

115uh in the to give the students and the staff some consistency um as we try to close out the year. So thank you so much for your leadership. Next on the agenda is Mr. Tyson project updates instruction and project. >> All right. Yes. Good evening. >> Good evening. >> Jump right into your uh instructions and updates. U starting with the Hesville Early Learning Academy. >> Looks really good. >> All right, here we go. something you guys control this early learning academy. Uh there's still a lot of uh you know working off working out all these concrete sidewalks and they good out the parking lot around the perimeter. A lot of that is still going on. Uh the site grading is is kind of heading toward finishing touches especially in the lower roadway where the entrance

116is. Uh the brick veneer is in progress on the um this is that last section right here that needed closed in. So now they're they're bricking that in. And in behind that section there were there were a few uh concrete block walls that need to be put up throughout the kitchen area. That's in progress. Uh painting is happening throughout. A lot of the primer coat was done. Now they're going through doing the finished painting. Uh to a picture of one of the classrooms here to show you. And then all of the uh mechanical system trades, they're they're all on site. When you show up to the job site, it's tough to find a parking place. There are contractors everywhere uh working on this and and doing a lot of a lot of finish details. You

117can see here the ceiling grade going in throughout and starting to drop in the different components of that those finishing touches. And the project completion is uh slated for May 22nd. So that's still for questions. Moving on. >> Moving on. Barnesburg uh fine arts edition. The stage platform is finished except for the painting. As you can see here, this is all uh wrapped up now where that expansion took place. The plaster repair is complete. Uh you can see in this picture, this is where there were those windows to the exterior at one point and all of that has now been plastered, painted, and you can see the acoustical sound panels are being installed. The balcony flooring is uh progressing. It's all covered up and protected right now, but all of that, this is the balcony.

118All of that was finished. The um balcony railing, uh these guys are actually painting that railing. And then there's a cabling system that goes in there for the uh updated code for safety. And the seating was delivered today. So, uh they're going to start installing the seating throughout this week. Uh big changes. Um, also all this flooring uh was painted over the weekend actually. Um, and then there's like you can see a faint image here where the the alleyways are and those get uh an actual flooring, but right now the painting is complete. Obviously want that done before they put the seats in which is the next step. >> All right, that's March and that will be finished by April the 6. >> Um, I would like to say yes. And so they say. So

119we'll see. I'll keep you posted. Maybe six. I'll be back at the same spot and I'll let you know where we're at. >> You said you can't think of Mount Fary School. There's also a lot happening at this site. The geothermal well drilling is still progressing. We're up to 27 wells completed. So almost halfway through that process. And then the next step is they're going to start working on the lateral lines. each of those um well first of all there's a lateral line that connects from the building to that well system and then there's lateral lines that connect each of those wells together that's going to start here in the next two weeks. Uh block land is continuing not only uh some of the exterior is finishing up but also throughout the interior spaces with

120all of the uh utilities following along right behind. Uh steel bar joist and roof decking are still ongoing. Uh one section is completely closed in and that is the section nearest uh her sawmill road which is essentially the kindergarten wing and they have actually started putting the roof u roofing contractor was on site on that. Here's a you know a view of the decking but all of the roof materials for the membrane has been delivered. Um the power has been energized by PTOIC medicine. We have power at this site. You can see here some temporary lighting that's in the space. And I think that pretty well sums it up. Um, you can see that uh, previously I had on here July 31st was a completion date. It's a bump to August 7th. And same thing

121here. If you were to ask me is that really the completion date? I don't know. Can't really say that for sure. Sorry, Ryan Sachs, but I would like to say that it is. But, uh, >> Ty, you're supposed to say it's going to be done by then. >> You won't see. All right. Um, and then of course the road entrance design here. that schedule still uh same as it was the last time I shared with you. And as that begins construction connecting Joetown Road to the site, I will of course keep you posted on that. >> I don't want to see any completion date changed. >> I hear you when you're >> when you come back in here on another fact. >> Full matter of transparency on that though. Uh to say that we are

122anxious would be an understatement. Um through all of the meetings with the contractor, they're assuring us that they're on schedule. Um and um however, I will say that we are developing some contingency plans should there need to be some uh adjustments made just as a contingency plan. Not that we plan to use them, but we want to have a plan ready if something happens where we we need to pivot at least for a few weeks um as a last resort. >> Okay. Warner is doing academy. >> That's right. >> Miller's doing in Martinsburg. Who's doing the Mount Bridge? >> Warner is also doing Mount Rich. >> I saw a contract later here today. >> Yes. Different contractor for the school. >> Okay. >> We That is actually That's a That's a really good point, Mr.

123Martell. We we have been we have been as well as our our McKinley representative has been pushing on them to try to clean up the site a little bit. It it it is a problem. So >> yeah, they they have recently brought in some tremendous loads of gravel to help with that issue because I don't know if you've been passed there, but they are tracking a substantial amount of mud onto Mortal Road. Maybe you received some emails, but uh they've been working hard to clean that up. We haven't yet to >> um >> we have a complaint. We have a complaint. So, we just need to make sure we we let them know that we are receiving a complaint. >> Um Inwood Early Learning Academy, the bidding is complete. Uh the Pando bidder who I'll

124present later tonight for approval is Myers Building Systems. That is the same contractor who did the addition at Tom Hawk Intermediate School. Uh the cost came in at 15 million. If you approve all the alternates tonight, it'll be 15,817,200. Um the price per square foot,43851. And the uh bond budget that was established for this from 2022 was 14,910,000. And then um you might remember we um went to the SBA a couple of years ago because originally the school was designed to be eight classrooms which is this wing over here. And we went to the SBA to seek funding to put the four additional classrooms for a total of 12 which that was approved. So that $4 million is also part of this project from the SBA. And uh don't forget March 31st 11:00 a.m. we're

125going to do the groundbreaking ceremony at the Enwood Primary site. essentially be on the playground which is the future location of the school. >> Good. >> And we do have a a plan to allow for the kids to still have their play to to have an area for playground even though construction should be beginning around that time >> which we can give you a visual at that u that see what what the plan is. >> Is there a rain date for that? If we don't >> I don't I don't think a rain date but we will have a 10th. So that is supposed to be under the tent. >> Where your helmet? >> Yeah. >> I in the car. >> Um, Falling Wallers Elementary. Um, not much has changed since last time as far as

126the schedule that I have shared with you previously. Uh, the only difference is if you were to check out that site, all of the trees that needed to be removed have been cleared. That was approximately 4 acres of trees that needed to to be taken down. Wow. That has happened. And there is some cleanup that's going to happen on the the site. There were some tires that need to be removed and we worked with the D. They have a division that comes in and does the cleanup at no charge and they were working uh throughout last week. Uh and I haven't been down didn't go down today to see where the progress was, but the entire clean up is probably complete or almost complete. And then the other piece of this is the uh the

127house uh needs to be demolished and that is scheduled for the week of the 20th of March. Um and the rest of that schedule still as you see there. >> That's next week. >> Next week. Yeah. House coming down next week. >> Um and we should have for you all a final rendering of the front of the building here very shortly. Um, we're just honing a couple different things and some design elements. We saw a couple examples this past week. The focus on the schematic design had been on spaces, layout, making sure we were getting with the different departments um u to make sure that you whether it be special ed spaces, classroom spaces, uh, music, art, those sort of things that those were appropriately sized. Um, and so, you know, as a reminder, this

128building will be built to accommodate close to a thousand elementary students. Um, and it will it'll probably be on opening day the largest elementary in the state of West Virginia. Um, and it uh it's it's starting to really take shape as to something that is going to be one of the first of its kind in Berkeley County. Um, from a a design standpoint and a looks. Um, I will give a little bit of a a um a teaser that there are uh some design elements that they've tried to take from uh Frank Lloyd Wright uh in some of his his work with Falling Water. Um and so we're really kind of excited to see some of the the the design elements come to come to fruition. Um and I think it's going to be something

129the communities will be very proud of. >> Excited to see it. >> Okay. the um every spring, you know, we can apply for it an MIP grant. And so in 2024, we applied for a grant to replace windows that were identified on the previous CPF report. And there were four schools that um qualified for this grant to receive replacement windows. Pecking Elementary, Hedesville High, Heville Middle, and Tuscar Road. And so during spring break, um the contractor is Breville and Helman, by the way. Um they're going to move in and replace all of the windows, uh at the Pepin Elementary. Uh this is just kind of a glimpse of what the windows look like. This is what they have now, which is a a lower a lower and upper pan and a panel at the bottom.

130And if you've walked around that school, you will notice that these panels, many of them are extremely rusted out and uh just just rotted out. And so all that full system is part of that replacement. This also includes I listed some fun facts for you. It's 1 in insulated glass. Most of these windows right now are plexiglass. So this is going to be a very uh substantial help for energy savings. Um also they are fully tempered. They're lamin laminated safety glazing on each of those windows. And they also will receive a window shade treatment of a pull down blind similar to what you see in this picture here. for for our listening audience. Uh MLP major improvement project. >> What was that? Oh, yes. Yes. Major >> it's less money than the minor. >> Yeah.

131>> Uh yes. Yeah. The maximum you can apply for is 1 million. And in 2024 they awarded us the 1 million. So that was and they built the entire gym at Winchester Avenue back in the day back 2000 for a million dollars. prices have changed time. >> Yeah. >> Um all right. So that's uh gonna happen over spring break and then the I think uh something happened. Go back. Did I go back? >> Okay. So this slide I would like to share with you later when I come back for my action items because I have some change orders to present for Mars for high school and I thought it would make more sense if I had some pictures. So that's what that is. So that we'll put that on standby. Yeah. >> Thank you. Questions

132for Mr. Ton. Thanks. >> Uh, next on the agenda is a consent agenda. Um, I'd like to pull 9.5 use of school property off there and vote on that separately. Um, and at that time u Mr. Wright and I will excuse oursel and Miss Power if she's still on there with the present or the mute. So with that said, uh can I have a motion to accept the consent agenda with a uh the removal of 9.5? >> So move >> second. >> All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carries. Uh now Miss Power. >> Yes, ma'am. Uh would you take over and uh do the use of school property while Mr. >> Hang on hang on a sec. Can we see our >> stay? Oh, I'm sure. >> Yeah. Well, there there is an item

133on the use of school property that uh addresses a candidates's form. And just to be safe, Mr. S Mr. Ryan and I are running for office. Uh the candidates form u is at mustin high school on a particular date and just so there's no questions asked. We just hope we should recuse ourselves. So okay. Can I have a motion to accept and approve uh 9.5 for the use of school? >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I nay. >> Yay. Have it. Next on the agenda is um action items. >> Oh, Mr. Tyson back up. >> Okay. Yes. So, uh I was going to share with you that one slide for Martsburg High School. I think that's the first one, right? Martsburg High School. Is that next one? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, uh, there's

134a few things to discuss here. Some of these items that I'm going to share with you are a part of the, um, you know, original proposed project, but there are a few items that I'm putting on here that are outside of the original scope of this project, which is why I'm bringing it to you tonight, so you can decide if we move forward with it or not. So, I'm going to start with that. All right? And so on this project, um, I'm going to show you this plan. This is the the front entrance, the forer where you would go into the auditorium. And the, uh, renovation only called for from these doors for nothing in in the forer was to be touched. So, I'm just bringing this to you tonight to show you what do

135you want me to do kind of thing. And so one thing is um there was a a concrete block wall right here that was put in after the fact at some point and another concrete block wall right here. So, one proposal that I'm presenting to you tonight is if you so approve, we could remove those block walls so that if you are a student uh and you have band class and you're over here in the main part of the school, you can traverse through this as a hallway and go straight to the the band. It just kind of makes sense. It used to be open like that, but at some point that was closed off. I don't know why. Um, so one proposal would be Yeah. >> Can we can we open it back up?

136Um and this also would be helpful, of course, for um events because the public, I'm assuming, is going to potentially enter events in this auditorium, not only through this front, but perhaps through this new door that has been installed as part installed as part of the addition. So, you can see they could go um straight through here and access the auditorium or even um you know, the balcony from from that set. They probably give you that door over there because that's the way towards South's parking lot, right? >> Yeah. This takes you over to South to South >> and access to the restrooms. >> Yeah. >> Because we put in new restrooms. So, if you're in the auditorium, well, you can go through this door, but you also would have, you know, a little better

137flow of of traffic. So, um, none of this was called to be upgraded. Um, but if we were to, let me look at my list here. The the first thing on this list, it says quote 33 uh cased opening. I put an asterk beside of it because this is additional to the scope of work. Uh the case opening into 100B means remove the CM CMU law in the foryear and then of course uh they'd have to do some plaster repairs. That is this space right here that remove that. >> Um that is $3,816. When we talk in board members when we talk about CMU that's concrete masonry unit which is a concrete block >> concrete block. >> It's concrete block. So it's essentially removing that block wall that's right there and then doing the trim

138work to make it look nice. So as if it was never there. It is not a load bearing wall. It was put in after the fact. There used to be passage through there. We just want to remove it. If we do that part it's $3,816. But of course you wouldn't do that if you didn't do the rest. If you get down to quote number 39, also with an asterk, um that would mean also removing this wall, this block over here, this section. And actually, it might be a drywall. It's it's right here. I took a picture of it. It was It was filled in. It used to be an opening. So, removing that. And the fire marshall said, "We'd have to put a door there." So, that 30,000 that you see would be removing this

139O opening putting a door there. That's the that's this here when you enter to your right. And then to the left is these doors. And you can see there are just chunks of wood missing from the them. This one doesn't even have a closer. And this one has a closer from about 1935 that it does not really function. So, it would include replacing that door, uh, removing that wall, replacing that door, and then on the exterior, um, leaving these doors because these doors are actually in really good shape, but just cleaning them up. Um, they have some trim missing on them. You can see some trim there, but you don't see it over here. Putting the trim back on, painting them, just freshening them up. So that's 30,52 for what I just explained and the

140case opening which is over here on this side. >> Um the the wall the the gray the dark gray wall next to the black board and black next to the black door there. >> There. >> Um I'm trying to picture where that is. >> This is the this is right here. >> Well, I know but that doesn't help me. I'm just thinking in the front door. But when you get in the front door, if you go through this set of doors, if you go through that set of doors, it's straight ahead of this set of doors. >> Okay. >> And that that has been replaced. That's a new door. And all of this gets painted, >> but that's it. Nothing else. >> What is in this square? Do you have stairs here? Do they go

141up to >> They go to the b. Yes. >> I didn't know that. >> Well, you could only go up to the balcony and this side. It was always closed off before. Yeah. So, you wouldn't have known that you could have gone that way. >> So, uh if you if that if that um light gray portion is move removed and a door put there, >> where does that go? >> That would be right here. That would take you through this space so that you could have access to this restroom. >> That's ridiculous why that was up. I can't even remember. >> Yeah. And it also would allow you to access the balcony not only from that side which is already uh accessible but also from this side. Right now you can't access the balcony >>

142through there obviously. >> Have we looked in for those steps to the balcony? Is there any way to get to them from up upstairs? >> Yes. All that is in place. >> Okay. So, so somebody's already checked out those stairs to make sure that there's not going to be another change order to to do any repairs on those on those stairs. >> There will not be another change order for those stairs, but >> there is one catch and I put it down here. It says flooring issue in the forer. Do you see where it says flooring issue? But no price. >> That's because we haven't actually opened up this wall yet. We're not sure what the floor looks like in there. So, it's possible that we if this is so approved, then we might have

143to address the floor once we get in there. >> Is that terazzo? >> No, it is the the flooring that's um see is there a picture? >> That's okay. I was just curious. >> It's like a >> I was curious or something marble stuff. >> Oh, okay. >> Yeah, >> it's like instant marble. >> It's like the floors in the school. >> Well, it's not tile. It's not EC that marble marbley >> in the main hallway going in. >> It's like not that terazzo some of those entrances, but this is different. >> So the one with the um that Jackie was talking about second picture from the left. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> So just to open up that and put a door just that alone is 30,000. all together. >> Yeah. So, that would

144be replacing the doors to the left that are actually there and also opening this up and putting doors there and then touching up the >> these. Okay. >> Yeah, it's kind of a complete renovation. Yeah. There any catches? >> We don't know for sure what that flooring is. Maybe we can just come up and we're not then of course to add something. What do I have to do on the balcony? with the second stair right hand stairway. Nothing that's already done. It was a part of the upgrade because you can go through that that stairway and come down and you can you come down these steps and you can go out the door. You just couldn't make a left and go back to this hallway. So that's all that's actually it's already painted and it's

145like accessible and everything. >> That's fine. The only issue is you can't really go through to the bedroom. We're getting rid of two walls and adding two uh adding Well, we're getting rid of two walls. Adding Well, yeah, adding this door. That's yes, but not putting the door there. We just have to put on there and that that for your space, but yes, that's correct. >> Or we could do nothing. >> That's approximately 30 3 almost $34,000. Well, you know, when you put that much money and what we've put in the auditorium and then to leave that like that >> that's and that's why that's why I'm bringing us up tonight because you're going to walk through that space and then you're going to walk into this amazing auditorium and then so the question will

146be well why do that? >> Yeah, why don't you do that? >> But that's up to you all. >> And so you'll have people in the balcony right now only have one >> one way in. Well, actually, there's a >> there's a pool up there >> on the hallway >> that doesn't sweep anymore. So, they can exit that way or they can go down >> but now they don't have this other way. So, they won't be >> and yeah, there will be this would give them better access. I mean, they can still go this way, but it takes them out toward this band. It doesn't bring you back into the best fuel. >> It's like it's kind of separate. So, >> okay. The auditorium seating storage. >> Okay. So, auditorium seating storage is because this

147project um the dynamics of it changed and it didn't finish whenever we thought it was going to finish. The seats had to be stored in the warehouse where they were um since I forget you you probably see it there. I think it was since maybe June of last year. >> And so that is the fee for the storage all that time. >> Wow. Nothing >> because we had no place to put them. >> Where where are they actually? >> Well, now they're in the auditorium. >> Well, I know, >> but they were in the warehouse where they were made. >> Oh, >> that's where they were. >> Okay. >> And so the company uh >> they were they they were special word. >> They were special. >> It wasn't like it was just going to

148be ready for them last summer. >> Yeah. >> But then we found out with all this change in the ceiling and all that mess in it. We can't bring the seats in. So that's the that was the feeder story. Then there is um part of the ceiling I'll move on now. This is back to the original skateboard. The plaster ceiling was was removed except for a 4ft section all the way around. And so it had to be um trimmed out plastered. So that is the overhang trim 4T quote 36 of $7,842. That's around the entire upper part of the uh the whole auditorium. Um clip number 37 is the stage left uh fit out they called it which is uh this picture right here. This flooring uh was not the same level as the stage.

149>> Mhm. >> And the idea is to make it all the same level. So, this had to be built up and then they had to finish this part back in here that I think no one really knew existed. So, that needs to become a closet, which means it needs a door, which is actually they accidentally put the door within this $30,000 um boat 39. >> Is that the vestible door? >> The vestibule door is separate. That's out front over here. >> That's the They stuck that on there. Um, and we didn't get it cleaned up in time for this presentation. So, if you don't approve the vestibule thing, then I'll pull out the price of that door that goes right there and explain that to you next time. And then um the lower level firewall

150quote number 38 is the there were these huge holes all through here which would you wouldn't have seen because there used to be a ceiling there and there were multiple conduits and all kinds of electrical utility stuff going through there. All that had to be cleaned up and then patched up and so that is the uh the code 38. That's it. So the total change order is $84,11. >> Uh yes, that is correct. Which if you approve everything that's >> which leaves a consistency allowance of 212,000 high. >> I know the contingency allowance was 212,000 and this would put us over the budget by 621,464. And I just want to remind the board thing the the reason that that is so far over was is that after the renovations began um the fire marshall required

151that we could not abandon those light fixtures in in the plastered ceiling >> which required us to take the plaster ceiling out >> and it was cheaper than putting the ceiling back in is just is to keep it open. And and so that was that is where the significant change order occurred was when we were required to not just patch where those light fixtures were but we could not abandon them u per the fire marshals requirements >> which was quite a expense. >> Yes. >> And um any questions for Mr. Tyson that we haven't already asked? But I remember at the at the front very front end of this process uh they also had a theater section on the back side. >> That's correct. Yeah. There was an alternate for a theater which was $600,000.

152And if we would have bitten into that we would be 1.2 too >> over I mean I I I've really wanted to build a theater section. >> Sure. But we had to stick with what we had promised the voters that we're going to do. And u now that $600,000 because of the fire marshall thing and yes it's a it's not a fault. It's a safety measure that he insisted that we do. Uh it cost it we would have been 1.2 2 million. That's what you're going to have. That whole Chicago. >> Well, when you when you're dealing with a school that old and you start tearing out and actually see what's there that you have to work with, then >> I mean, when you're bound to come up with things like that. So, >> yeah,

153I I the short wall that's going to be written down on the far right. I'm just sitting there thinking this this could be an Edger Allen Po story. that was thinking of the old English teachers I had back in the day at Marksburg. >> Well, here to >> um and I have a motion to approve the um second >> $84,100 change orders on a second. >> Second. >> All in favor? I >> motion carries. Next on the agenda is the um early Hedgesville Early Learning Academy change order. >> Uh yes. >> And I included another photo to explain this um maybe. But the first one on your list, quote 18 for Hedgesville, it says uh concrete elevation design and intent is the way they labeled it. So, this is the very front of the Hedgesville

154um early learning academy. And they have not poured this concrete patio yet. That is the main entrance to the school. But that patio has to slope away from the school. All right. A little bit. But as it gets further from the school, you can see this um concrete piece here on the bottom is the same elevation as the floor back here. So you can imagine as that floor slopes, it's going to go beneath that. >> Mhm. >> And then you have this void. So, the first change order is for them to um they're going to have to cut brick and adhere them underneath that space so that we don't have this void. Basically, that's the 2,121 is to uh put brick under there so that it looks nice. Um code 22.1 is the monument sign

155lettering. That is essentially the extra expense because the change in the name from learning center to early learning academy. And then the code 23 is basically trying to put consistency throughout the county for our HVAC maintenance team. Uh they go into the schools on a regular uh routine and change the filters. And right now, the way they change filters in most locations is like what you see right here. >> See that filter? They drop that thing down, swap out the filter, put it back up. The Hesville Early Learning Academy did not come with that design. The filters are up above the ceiling, so you got to remove ceiling tile, get up in there in order to change the filters. So, the request is we would prefer not to do that. We would prefer to change

156them just like that. >> It's less disruption. They can do it much faster and it doesn't damage the ceiling grid. So that would be throughout the entire school is to change it so that all the filter returns are like that which would be $8,800.75. >> And Mr. Tyson, we've corrected that in the other schools are under construction. >> So at Mount Ridge Primary and at Inwood Early Learning Academy, those schools will have those filters. That's all part of the contract. >> Hands and falls. >> Question, >> Melissa. >> Yes. >> Why are we having to pay for quote 18 when it doesn't seem to be something that we should have to pay for? >> That's why I'm here myself. >> I'm just curious because I sit there and I go, "Well, that's not our mistake.

157That seems to be the contract. It's more of a design issue. >> Yeah. What I would suggest um so that the project is not delayed is that we could issue um a letter to the architect saying that we don't believe that that's uh part of our responsibility to add it to that other issue that we have with that building. Um, and so it'll just we'll just add that um $2,121.38 to the the request that is being contested on um the other the other amendments that we had to make to the building because of the power line. >> We keep adding to that list. >> Yeah, we keep adding to the list, but I mean that's a great >> I I'm I'm I'm in full agreement with the point. I'm just we keep adding to that

158list. So >> yeah, that doesn't seem to be our fault. >> Yes. >> Okay. Yeah, >> we hear motion question. >> Um the who's so was the design issue with the filters as well. >> Um it's not really a design issue. I mean that could be pretty typical. Many of our schools not quite have um they actually have to go up in the ceiling to access the filters. But as we've gone over the years, we're like, "Hey, this would be much better if we could have them like this." So, some of them have been changed out. And of course, uh, we didn't catch this. Nobody noticed it whenever we're doing the Hedgesville project. But we were walking around the other day, we were like, "Wait a minute. We we don't like the filters." >> Well,

159and above the ceiling, it's much more easy to access right there like that. But I would also say I I I would not say it wasn't something that we didn't catch because when we working with the architects and engineers, we're we're approving design layout. You know, where where this room's going to be, where this b how many bathroom receptacles are we going to have, those types of things. Um I would say that the engineers never asked us uh where we wanted the returns and so they made an assumption and when we learned about it, we were like, "Wait a minute, we need to fix that." So that's also one of those things that I um that I would say that as we have gotten into the um full steam ahead of the projects we have.

160You know, every time we we have an issue like this, we learn something and we add it to our checklist when we're doing our signoffs on the buildings to make sure that um that that we're getting. I'll give you a prime example. Um exterior water bibs. Uh, one would not think that you'd have to worry about where you hook a garden hose in the on the building outside, but let me tell you something. when there is no external hose bib on twothirds of a building and it's only one place that creates a real problem for your custodians um or even a a power outlet externally you know and so those are questions that every architect when they encounter me toward the end they know that I'm going to ask them how many hose bibs external

161hose bibs we have um or um another one is have they made sure that the handicap accessible whole mer button to automatically open the doors is in place. Uh because I had a project once that they accidentally left that off and it's like you have to have that, you know. So I had this list that I I continually ask because sometimes those things do get neglected. So I I just wanted to say that I don't think it was something that we necessarily didn't ask, but it was never it was never asked of us what we would prefer and then we found out we felt like we needed to make it easier on our maintenance folks. Do you know off the top of your head how many schools have those filter grill returns? >> I don't

162know how many schools 95. I don't know. >> Well, I'm just curious. I mean I mean we want to change this one, but if we have 10 others that don't have the uh that they have to do that to anyway, what's the difference? >> Yeah. Would it be fair to say that all the C CMTA projects where we've redone the HVAC that they are the filtered returns are easil more easily accessible? >> Yes. >> You mean more easily accessible like this? >> Like this. Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Okay. Just a concern I had. >> Any question? Okay. Go ahead. I I move that we approve the $11,398.75 change order with a proviso that we also include PU23 filter return grills design and the letter to refle 18 Q8 >> 18 >> oh two okay

163um >> Q8 to the letter so we do I have a second to that Mr. Murphy's motion >> second. >> All in favor? >> Opposed? Motion carries. Uh next on the agenda is the Nwood Early Learning Academy uh with instructions bid and approval. >> All right. So we open bids uh last week for the Nwood Early Learning Academy and I think I shared with you some documents. We had several contractors bid on this project which is really good sign. The apparent bidder was Buyers Building Systems. Like I said earlier, the same contractor who did the addition at Tomahawk. So we've worked with them very recently. And their base bid uh came in at 15,782,000 for the Nwood Early Learning Academy. The um there are three alternates for this project. Alternate one is for HVAC controls.

164This is essentially to make the um the controls the same as the rest of our district so that whenever we log on or when our HVAC team logs on, it's the same system as the rest of Berkeley County Schools. And that's how we monitor and control the HVAC. That would be 7,800 for alternate number one. Alternate number two is a credit. This is leftover exterior light poles from Hedgesville Early Learning Academy. We could not install those light poles because of the um the the easement issue with First Energy. So, we had I can't remember how many, but there are several light poles left over that we can repurpose at the Enwood Early Learning Academy. That's a $20,000 credit for those light poles. And then alternate alternate number three is sight fencing which is to install

165around the entire well not the front of the school but the remaining three sides uh is to install new upgraded fencing. Um also around it would also include around the uh there's like a a storm pond uh there now that's kind of in between the primary school and that little strip mall area. Um so it also include that fencing and that would be 47,400. So if you were to approve all three alternates total project uh with myers would be 15,817 and 200. >> I just I wanted to make sure that the the fencing will actually go around the the entire perimeter actually. >> Entire perimeter. Yes. >> So it's almost so you're going to have a fence for the playground but then you'll have another fence. So it's just another layer of of safety for

166the students on that site. Um, just I just wanted to make sure that was understood. >> Of course, I I shared with you in your document that if you include all of the soft costs and the furniture and everything, um, the total estimated project cost is $17,914,24 >> which includes the contingency in there as well. >> So, it is under budget. Yes, it's under budget by almost 1 million including all the soft. >> Okay. So, we're doing the 179. >> No, you're you approve if you approve all three alternates the 15,817,200. >> The uh other um like where where he has um the other total estimated costs like the soft costs. Well, some of the soft costs are already in there, but because we already have an architect, those types of things, but like the

167furniture bid, uh, that will come to you separately. The uh playground bid, that will come to you separately like they have in the other projects as well. When you put the totality of those things in the budget together, that would equal the estimated cost of 17.9. So this evening we're asking for approval of um the project as well as the alternates in the amount of $15,817,200. And if it would be appropriate before we ask the board to approve that, I think we could show the the the virtual fly through of the of the new facility if that would be appropriate. So I ask everyone to focus your attention on the screen. Hot off the press. This literally came in an hour ago. Really nice. Really nice. It's exciting. question. Were teachers involved in some of

168the designs like that breakout firm? >> Uh yes. Yeah, they were part of the uh well it started during the ed specs essentially. I say yes were certainly involved like we bring every something that most of us probably would have thought about. >> I see. Yeah. >> Um having seen that heard Mr. Tyson's presentation. Can I have a motion to accept the um low bidder of Myers Building Systems bid for um Inwood Early Learning Academy at a cost of 15,78. Go >> ahead. I was going to suggest that you approve the alternates though, which is this amount. >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> Thanks. >> Well, that is the alternate $15,817. Uh >> the total project if if alternates are approved 15,800 817,200. Is that correct? >> That's correct. >> There's big figures. Really? >> Yes.

169>> We have a motion. >> Question. Go ahead. >> Um how how's working with them at tomahawk for the addition? >> Oh, it was good. Yeah, it was a very good experience working with them at Tomahawk. >> Any problems? I know there were some change orders, but there were minimal >> there were minimal change orders and there's there's a couple things that they had to finish up with the epoxy flooring and uh that still has to be done, but there I mean they're certainly got to come back and do that. They just couldn't do it while students are in session. So other than that, yes, it was a good experience working with them. >> I know I know there was some issues with the uh heat. Um >> um you you might have taken another

170CMTA project I think because um so the addition was happening but also the entire school had a complete HVAC renovation. >> There were some issues with that >> but we've got that ironed out anyway. >> I think they might still be fine-tuning. They're they're waiting for the air conditioning system to be up and running so they can finish doing all their troubleshooting. But yeah, we are closing in on on wrapping that up. >> But that was Myers. Yeah, that was a that was the CNA project. >> Yes. >> This a geothermal. >> Yeah, this one was a geothermal. That is correct. Yes. >> I mean this this >> Yes. Enwood Early Learning Academy is a geothermal project. Hedgesville was not. >> So we have a motion. Did we? >> Second >> and a second. All

171in favor? >> I. >> Motion carries. Thank you, Mr. Tyson. Appreciate it. Uh, next on the agenda is the um discussion of possible action on placing county file GAI solicitation of staff out for review comment. Um, Mr. Murphy >> will provide an overview of that. >> Sorry, Mic. >> That's okay, Mr. Murphy, we we wanted to prevent having salesman come in and solicit from our school staffs. And I I can remember the problem where everybody showed up really for a meeting only to find somebody trying to sell us insurance that's employees. and the principal got a new coffee pot and that was his motivation and we had to sit there and listen to insurance salesman usually maybe some other things too at one of our earlier meetings we wouldn't protect our employees from that pressure

172sales tax and I I respected the board's concern but in the same breath that we were at a later meeting and uh my good friend here mentioned that we needed to support uh United Ways uh fund drive. I remember I uses or something and and I I thought well in our effort to do one we might have harmed another and I believe that I passed out a list of all the agencies under the United Ways unity campaign that they let people do it. So I thought, well, how can we how can we continue to support if we want to not to pressure our employees, but give them the the information. How can we share information that they uh they would would not be aware of otherwise? And I I talked with Penny Porters was a

173U and I found out that they our employees not only try to find help for the their students by this list of projects, but they also and uh we still have that bitter taste of the House of Delegates killing the locality pack or the market conditions. I'm sorry we have to change names here, but but the extra money to survive in this economy. And sadly, we have employees who have to go to United Way to seek help. And I'm not going to go any further than that than to say, uh, it's a fact, Joe. >> Yeah. and and uh so I've come up with a wishing to restore lines on on your blue copy there lines 16 and 17 but also to expand that uh and with help of staff to refine this idea but

174I want to restore the language notwithstanding the above the United Way is authorized by the board of education to solicit funds annually ly from board employees without without additional approval by distribution of the material through our employee mail or the physical mail or the digital process. But just to let our employees know, no speakers, no drives or anything, but just let our employees be aware of the many organizations that are out there in the community helping their children. It's a umbrella type process. The employees get to designate where their money would go if they wanted to do it. But it's I am trying and I if you all have suggestions I'm more than open to it to make sure that we're not strongarmming our employees of how they spend their money. This is a voluntary

175process, but I think the United Way does a lot of support for our children in this community. And uh I would suggest that we uh put that language back in with the with the proviso that the United Way provides their own material be it physical or digital to the employees. So, Madame Chair, I yield to any questions, but at the proper time, I'd like to make a motion for that reinsertion of second. Um, I just want to say that, you know, I I voted against this the last because we took the United Way out and I I know the good things that they do for this community and and the school employees have always been uh on board with whether they wanted to contribute or they wanted not to contribute or however they whatever they

176wanted to do. There was no pressure. Um, so, uh, I'm I think that, uh, something that we definitely need to approve. So, with that, we have a motion and a second. >> Miss Power, >> I I I want to preface this by saying I am not against the United Way. I think this is not the putting it back into policy is not what we should be looking to do. I think what we should be working toward is putting together a cooperative agreement. I think the the solution and what we want to do can be found in an at in an alternative manner. I don't know that what we should be doing is singularly singularly putting a nonprofit that works yes within our schools as far as with our staff with our with our families in

177the community one singular um entity. Yes, it has many different branches in a policy. We have many other um nonprofits in our area that work with our kids, work with our families and our staff that are not named and do not fall under the United Way that that should also then be named within policy. I think we are going to catch ourselves in a little bit of a um quote catch 22 if we can if we go down this path in doing exceptions. that is my um caution as we go through this. It is not um against United Way. I am for us working with our community partners. I just think our method, the way that we go about this is what we need to to do in a correct fashion. That's my that's my

178argument on this. I do not believe we name another entity um in a policy. >> It's bad business practice. >> Mr. Martin, Mr. Ryan has a question. Yeah. My my question is um by saying say we um agree to this that it's still sending this out for public review. So it's still not official until we vote again. Is that correct? >> Okay. I just want to make sure that nobody was misinterpreting what our vote would be tonight. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> We're just voting to put the policy up. But I'll say this, United Way um represents 48 organizations that fall under that uh United Way heading. It's that's not just the United Way one organization itself. It's 48 organizations that fall under that that they represent. So, >> and I understand that, but we

179have to think about the fact that there are so many other nonprofits that we work with, backpack programs that are not under the United Ways heading that we that we look to for assistance within our schools. We are we I'm cautioning over going down a slippery slope of why not then start naming all the other groups that are in our area that we partner with. >> Well, the backpack program is on this list. >> Not all of them. >> Others that aren't. >> Okay. The Berkeley County Backpack Program is on the list. >> There's others that we partner with, Jackie. >> Yeah. Well, right now we're just discussing to put the policy out for comment review. >> All I'm saying is >> argue. We can argue about that. >> But but Pat said if there

180was another alternative method, he was open to that conversation. I'm offering that as an alternative part of the conversation. That's all I was doing. He asked that. I'm answering his question. >> Okay. >> Yes. Thank Thank you, Ma, for doing that. I I would point out that earlier this evening we had a very extensive presentation from Eagle School and in that presentation Eagle School mentioned two of the groups which uh are on this list. The Martinsburg Initiative and the Martinsburg I mean the Boys and Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle helped support that program at the school. um and uh she had positive comments to make about both of them. The Marksburg initiative for example funds one of the staff members as I recall. So we are benefiting from the investment that the this community

181not just the school system but this community makes into these organizations. I'm sure there are others. Uh I know part of the backpack program is also supported the program that helps speed our children uh on the weekends and over extended periods of the schools being interrupted. But uh I can look at you can go into any high school and see uh Rotary scholarships being granted. Uh you can see our employees sending their children to daycare at the at the Northborn Preschool and Daycare Center. Uh you can see the u uh children first development center. Here you can see the um the area where um uh we heard the violence community alternative violence is involved in our school system. So we we have no idea sitting here on this board the amount of input that this

182this organization this umbrella organization has on our on our schools. I think the panhandle home health has a van that goes around to Burke Street school and invests in the well-being of our children and staff. I think they can go out and get the blood pressure and stuff, but we uh u we we just don't realize I didn't realize until I got this list the food programs and the and the organizations. Plus, I want to point out that if the employee chooses, like the Apollo Civic Theater, if the employee chooses just to give $5 to a group like the Apollo Theater, that all that contribution goes there. It's a convenience for the employees as well as a investment in our community and particularly our children. But I was what really struck me was it's sad

183but our employees to survive in this community some of them have to go to some of these groups for their help to survive to continue teaching in this community. So I I uh I I' I've heard the the concerns that you express, Miss Power, and I respect those concerns that we don't want to open a gate here, but this is not a 40some groups coming in. It's one group acting as a as a catalyst to help all these different groups, which in turn help our community and our children. urge the adoption of the amended uh policy and I give staff a chance to expand that word. I want to make sure the school system is not printing anything that the United Way if they had material but if they do it digitally they have the

184access access to do that and uh I I ask that the staff have a chance to fine-tune my language make sure those two restrictions are in there. >> You've heard Mr. Murphy's um motion and we have a second and you have a question >> with I mean from policy we passed that the board passed in February removing striking the United Way from it >> right >> um it was more of a neutrality sentiment if I'm not mistaken u power Mr. Right. I don't want to speak for you guys, but with the policy that we pass, if the superintendent approves this letter, they're able to distribute to staff. Sorry, that'd be correct. Her policy that be >> Yes. Within compliance with the with the policy, >> correct? >> Super. Yeah. The board says policy the superintendent

185implements. >> Yeah. If it if it went out digital, it would go out through communication. That's uh that's what the way I see it or however they do that. I don't know what they do now. >> You know my technology background, Miss Power, you have an advantage on me. >> Well, well, not necessarily. I always like paper. You know me, I have a paper planner. I don't necessarily like the whole digital thing either. >> Well, we've heard we've heard Mr. Murphy's uh recommendation to amend that policy to go out for re comment and review. Mr. Wright seconded. So um any more discussion? >> For the for the record um I believe the board should be holding a neutral position and not naming specific organizations like we passed before. Personally, I've handed multiple thousand dollar checks

186to United Way and Chando Valley through my they're through they're my my company or company I work for. So, I understand what the United Way does. I appreciate them and they do great work in the in Burka County, but just as a board policy, I just think we need to stay neutral. >> I'm going to Well, I was going to say I'm going to vote yes for it just so I want to be able to hear from the community. I want to hear what the community has to say. Hopefully, the community will respond and it won't be a policy where there's no response from the community. So, public, if you're listening, please give us your comments so you can better inform at least myself in terms of how I want to vote the next time.

187>> Well, and and all the board. So, and that and that's the idea here to place the policy out for review and comment from March 17th to the 20th with Mr. Murphy's proposed language and then it will come back uh at I guess in the board meeting in April. So uh having said all that I mean we've discussed this which was probably should have been discussed at the next meeting but since we've already moved that over the coals and we have a motion of second all in favor nay. Motion carries. Next on the agenda is um Mr. Cam L. Before you get started, here you go. Dr. Sax will explain it to you. It's >> That's all right. >> What was it from? the same thing. >> Oh. Oh, the same list. >> No problem.

188Thank I just wasn't sure what it was. >> I thought it was a different list. >> Uh, good evening members of the board and superintendent Sax. The personal actions dated for Monday, March 16th, 2026 are as follows. Tonight we have eight coaching appointments and five coaching resignations. We have one extra duty appointment and one resignation of an extra duty contract. We also have five additional healthcare appointments. Tonight, uh, beginning on line 22, we have 12 new unpaid leave of absences and three revised unpaid leave of absences be your consideration. Uh, for professional personnel, we have five professional appointments, um, including two who have gone through an alternative certification. I do need to announce a correction on line 47. Um, that should be a second grade interventionist, not a second grade teacher. Um, tonight we also

189have the appointment of the new principal, Mount Ra intermediate or intermediate school. that is Miss Carrie Zimmerman who is in the audience with us this evening. Um on the professional side, we also have one appointment of an epic supplement. Beginning on line 43, we have 24 policy 5000 hires for the 2627 school year. Uh those are for the positions affected by the uh K5 move at Bunker Hill, Mil Creek, and Valley View. Uh we have seven professional resignations and one retirement. And beginning on line 76, we have 21 transfers for the 2627 school year. Those are for staff at the new uh NYOD Early Learning Academy and Mountain Ridge Primary School. Uh for service actions, we have three new service personnel appointments and four midday appointments. We have rescended one change of assignment of service

190personnel. We have four service resignations and one retirement of a service personnel employee. We have two transfers of service personnel employees and we rescended the transfer of one service personnel employee. Tonight we also have one service personnel upgrade for your consideration. Um, we have one new appointment of a substitute nurse that's pending West Virginia Department of Approval. We have 10 new appointments of substitute service personnel and four professional substitute teachers. We have three appointments of professional day-to-day substitutes and three resignation of substitutes for a total of 128 professional service and substitute personnel actions for tonight for consideration of superintendent tax's recommendation. >> Questions for Mr. Camloski? >> Uh, yes. Um, just to make sure I'm clear. So those that are transferring to the Inwood Early Learning Academy, it says effective August 14th. Of course, that's

191not going to be So how is that basically how is that going to work? Wow. >> Can I answer that question? >> We we actually plan to open Enwood a year early. Then when it's completed, they'll actually be located. >> Yes, >> sorry. Thanks for they'll already be in place um at Jared's >> T. We have so much going on. Not so easy to not >> any other questions for Mr. under policy 5000, we have teachers. So, they're they're going to they bid on a job. It's at another school because there's no room for them at the school they're in. So, they go they bid out, right? >> Well, their policy 5000, it's it's an internal post. >> All it's internal. >> So, those jobs were posted internally. Um, so the way that affected them

192was what I did was I talked to the three principles affected. I gave them the seniority dates for their staff. And what we did was we went down through starting with the most senior, working down through the least senior, and we said, "Here's the pool of positions we have." And essentially what the option was they had was they could either stay in their position or they could move to one of the quote unquote new positions, >> right? >> Um, and we worked our way down through that. Um and and then you know at the end now at Bunker Hill there will be nobody on transfer of Bunker Hill. >> I and I'd like to clarify also under policy 5000 this may be a question someone's asking especially from let's just say any of the K5

193reconfiguration reconfigurated schools is you know they were you know last year we implemented a a practice. I don't know that it was done completely like I asked it to be done last year. So, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'd asked our HR team to be able to go out and have specific individual conversations with any affected staff on transfer or potentially a riff if that was to occur. But, um, you all took about two and a half to three weeks and went through that process trying to visit every single staff member to have that personalized one-on-one conversation. So they're just not getting a a transfer letter without any context. Um and so it was really important to me as superintendent we have those conversations under policy 5000 and some of these reconfigurations where we

194knew that we would have additional classrooms internal postings. The principles are responsible for filling those vacancies. Right. Correct. And so they would be having conversations with their staff based upon seniority in a very specific sequence to determine who based upon seniority um would want to either stay in their position or have the flexibility if because other more senior staff have already selected to have a a a position that is a vacancy let's say in a new grade level in that configuration. Right? So the principles are having that conversation because they have to be able to mutually agree upon that change under policy 5000. >> And that's entirely between the principal and the staff. >> It's entirely between the principal and the staff. Once that occurs, if there are any staff that there's not a position

195for based upon seniority at that point, that's when you're going to be making those personal visits to have those conversations with staff. They probably already are aware that they don't have a position, so they know they're going to be on transfer, but but you're going to be able to go there and have that conversation with them about where the possibilities are that they might be able to land and when they're going to find out where they could possibly land, as well as the uh larger district posting of where there's going to be of when there's going to be able to be specific jobs they may want to bid on if they're not really satisfied with the job they're being placed in based upon transfer. Am I correct? We go out and have what I call

196touch points with every single one of them and we will hand deliver them their transfer letter and we will have a face tof face conversation with them. And as part of that conversation, we say to them, look, here's here's what's going to be available. Here's when these are going to be posted. Here is what you need to do in order to get to another position. Um, you know, and and we don't necessarily close the door on them even going back to the school that they're in because there could be movement that would allow them to go back to the school that they're in. and they naturally have a lot of questions, which is what um Karen and I, that's our role is to help answer those questions for them and to try to make it

197personal. That way, they're not just getting a letter, then they're emailing somebody and, you know, trying to get answers that way. And I always tell them, if you have questions after the fact, here's my contact information. Just email me. We'll set up a time to talk or I'll email you back. But we try to answer as much as we can in that meeting with that. But yes, actually, I'm starting tomorrow. Well, and and with um as vacancies uh open up at other schools in the counties, you know, some of those people could go to those schools instead of so there will be a lot of could be a lot of movement. >> I mean, they're they're you know, the the unfortunate part is they're leaving their school and their team. >> Most don't want to

198stay where they are, >> right? But they will go to a school that is looking for a certified teacher. Yes. >> Yeah. But you just I think I heard you correctly. A teacher say at a primary school is low in seniority. So they take a a job at another school. They accept that position. But then a position back at their home school comes open. They are not locked in there. They can go back. They >> Yeah. >> And we tell them that. >> Yeah. >> And and we did I mean there was there were incident you incidents last year where that happened. Mhm. >> where they somebody had went somewhere and we we ended up putting them back in the school they were at. So I mean really nothing finalized until the kids. >> So

199when you're when you're filling positions this early in the year for the next school year, there's a there's so much movement. So >> and I told all three principles that we're doing this and and they I mean I think they understood for the most part, you know, I said on March 10th it's going to look way different than it does on July 10th. >> Yeah. And you know, we are really just at the the start point of this. Um, but it is a stress. I mean, it's stressful. Yeah. It's stressful for them and and we want to try to make it the least stressful that we can possibly make it. >> Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I I will say I think that you know anytime you're you're in a staffing season where you're having

200to even even if you weren't doing K5 reconfigurations at those three schools, you know, enrollment changes and and uh we have to make staffing decisions based upon those enrollment those enrollment shifts. Um and and part of it is is making sure that we're uh efficiently delivering uh high quality instruction and support for our schools. Um and and sometimes that means that that uh because enrollment changes and drops in a certain school, it may increase at another school. Um you know, I think that's the one thing is that that from a professional standpoint, you know, everybody's going to have a everybody's going to have a position if if they're willing to to apply for it, right? Or to or to to be locked into the place they may have an option for. Um and you know,

201these are these are things that we don't take lightly. um we uh mle them over because we know that it affects our people. We know that it affects uh our staff and our staff's families. Um and these are very challenging decisions, but we have a responsibility to be able to um you know uh live to live in a a district that is efficiently operating um that is putting students first and being able to to have that touch point is so important to us. um it doesn't make the job any easier. Um but it is very important that we have those touch points with our staff so we can try to reassure them and we can try to work with them in um DS, you know, answering questions and hopefully alleviate some of that stress. >>

202Dr. Saxs, um could you discuss the splint classrooms, you know, one, two? >> Yeah, actually I could, but Mr. Molax would do a much better job. >> Okay. >> So, Mr. Molenax, could you answer that question? We have we uh we have several split classrooms currently this year. Um correct? >> Yes. >> And that's um at Hedgesville. >> Yeah. Actually, what I think of off top of that is Mrs. Murphy out of Hedgesville. She's done a phenomenal job of having a split class this year. >> Edgesville. >> Yes. She has a a one-two split and um she makes the kids feel like they're doing um you know the first graders are doing second grade work and the the second graders are getting a review and then they're starting with their lessons. She does a great

203job of it. We do have a couple of those placed next year. We're going to wait till we see our enrollment to see exactly what that class is going to look like. But we do have those in place because what that does for us is it helps us to cluster kids when we need to and it will look different from from school to school. But it also allows us to avoid transporting kids from that school to another school. So we really want to keep them at their kids. How is going to look depend on the principal and how they utilize that that staff. Um I think Mrs. Orin and um Mrs. Murphy did a phenomenal job this year. We >> we had several situations in looking at staffing that we were going to have kids

204that had been zoned for a school that we would have to overflow and we really didn't want to have to do that. We wanted to be able to keep those kiddos and those families with locked in the schools that they have become accustomed to and and not overflow them and provide a different dis you know additional transportation and of course you know those kids are already established you know then you got to decide well who who you going to offer who you going to tell that they're overflowed right so again our hope was just to be able to keep those kids together and while I understand that um you know we might not always want to be able to do a split classroom it can work very effectively if done right and with the right

205supports and that's what we're committed to being able to do but it keeps those families from having to be transferred to another school >> I mean especially if they have siblings in school absolutely yes sir >> any other questions for Mr. Camoski hearing none. Can I have a motion to accept the personnel actions as presented? >> Second. >> All in favor? >> All right. >> Motion carries. >> Madam President. >> Congratulations. >> I would like to introduce the new principal of Mountain Ridge uh intermediate. Thank you. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you. >> I'm sure you have respect for the whole board meeting. >> Would you like to introduce who you have with you this evening? >> My husband, Tim Zimmerman. >> Very good. >> I was hoping all that holding hands. >> Have four children.

206We got >> Zimmerman. Could you share just a little bit about your background with the board just so they know a little bit more about you? >> Yes. Um, I have been a an administrator since 2015. I was a principal in Montgomery County schools for four years and a principal in Frederick County uh schools in Maryland right now. So of the year but um I've gone through you know being a classroom teacher staff development teacher um a lot of anytime I have an opportunity to learn a little bit more um as Mr. Mal said shared I just finished my letters to administrator's course and um enjoy leading book studies with my staff. And you have four kiddos who go to Berkeley County Schools. >> Yes, they do. And that was my goal was to be

207able to be in the school system where my kids are and they've been very happy out here and um I it's just been very nice seeing how well they've adapted to the schools here and really connected with staff and something I was hoping I could be part of. >> Well, it's a pleasure to have you on board. >> Thank you. >> Nice to meet you. I I hope some of your insights and other experiences in other places that you you feel free to share them with us and >> yes the West Virginia legal system laws you don't have to be discouraged >> well I liked hearing from the school tonight because I recognize a lot of that work and um understand I've used I Ready um since I became administrator. It was something that um

208my principal that I worked with as a assistant principal jumped in right away with curriculum associates and I ready. So I'm very familiar with it and um I loved hearing what was happening over there and I see that as a great opportunity in the school system. >> Thank you. That's good to hear. >> Thank you so much. >> We had a board member week board members we had an opportunity to introduce Mrs. Zimmerman to uh the Mountain Ridge Intermediate staff this afternoon. Um so they could uh put a face with the name on the board agenda tonight. Um and so u it was uh was very nice and I was able to actually have a really good conversation with those uh Mountain Range Intermediate teachers about their day. >> Um and I would have to

209say if I was in Miss Zimmerman's shoes, I would be so excited. >> Good. >> Yeah. I'd be so excited. They What a what a positive staff. So yeah. >> So good routines in place there. So >> thank you so much. Yeah, welcome once again. I'm sorry I had to set it. >> Uh, next on the agenda was a legal update. We do not have that. So, um, I have a motion to adjurnn. >> So, move. >> Second. >> All in favor? I have my parents.