001I'm glad that everyone's here this evening and thank for attending. Um, can I have um person of to it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you so much. >> I have a motion to approve the agenda. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> motion carries. Uh first on the agenda is the caring educator award and principal from elementary. >> Yes. Thank you. >> It is my pleasure to introduce the evening is Tara Triggs, our ace honory. Cara is a kindergarten teacher who is well respected and well well known and highly respected at Heisville Elementary. She brings warmth, patience, and joy to our students each day. At this time, her close friend and our school librarian, Miss Becky Millie, would like to share a few words about
002this trip. Good evening. My name is Rebecca Neely and it is truly an honor to say a few words tonight as we recognize Tara Triggs, my co-worker and dear friend as the February recipient of the ACE a caring educator award. Tara has spent an incredible 29 years as a kindergarten teacher all at Hedgesville Elementary School. For nearly three decades, she has been the very first teacher for countless students, helping them learn not just how to read and write, but how to be kind, confident, and excited about learning. At story time, she's known for the sweet phrase that she says to her kindergarteners. Crisscross applesauce, hands like angels. Even after her students move on to other grades, she still considered each of them to be her kid. That kind of impact is impossible to measure. Tara
003is a pro product of the Berkeley County school system herself. She's a proud graduate of Martinsburg High School and a diehard Bulldog, which makes it especially fun for me to tease her when I see her wearing my beloved Hedgesville Blue and Gold >> at all of our school spirit days. Beyond her classroom, Tara continues to serve our school community in so many ways. She is a dedicated member of our school's leadership team and hiring committee. She helps plan several meaningful events like our Veterans Day celebration, mentors new teachers, and proudly serves as our school's union representative. Always advocating for students and staff with care and integrity. Tonight we are happy to celebrate along with her family, her husband Chris, her daughter Bren, and her parents Linda and Ron, who have supported her throughout her career.
004Tara truly embodies what it means to be a caring educator. Congratulations, Tara, and thank you for everything you do. Go ahead. Say it. >> Oh, thank you. I couldn't do this without amazing faculty attached to the elementary and presence. >> Well, we as a board appreciate the involvement you have in your community. You not only know those little children in the classroom very well, but you know their families and I would reckon that you know where they live and at and Hollywood which is the port space. So on behalf of the board, we too feel appreciative of what you've done for 29 years and what you hope to do another 20 years. We hope that you hear this. >> Thank you very >> next on the agenda. Uh Dr. Twitter intermed. President Long, Superintendent Sax,
005board members, and guest. >> It is truly an honor to recognize one of our top intermediate school students as Berkeley County School's February student of the month. She has no idea this is happening before. Tonight I am proud to introduce Kenna Mentor, a fifth grader who is the epitome of a model student. Do you think she's here for a leadership learning opportunity? >> McKenna is strong, confident, and consistently approaches her responsibilities with both grace and seriousness well beyond her years. She is dependable, thoughtful, and always rises to the occasion. This is especially evident during our morning announcements, which are delivered live through Microsoft Teams, allowing the entire school to see both me and our student leaders. While that level of visibility can be intimidating for some students, it does not deter McKenna in the slightest.
006I can ask her, often on the fly, to read the lunch menu, make an important announcement, or share information about a student leadership initiative, and she handles it with absolute poise and professionalism every single time. But what truly sets McKenna apart is her character. Two weeks ago, the students in Mrs. Church's class were asked to write a journal entry about what superpower they would choose if they could have one. McKenna didn't choose invisibility, super speed, or flying. Instead, she chose healing. >> Oh. >> Explaining that she would want the ability to help people when they are sick or have a condition so she could help them get better. That simple response speaks volumes about who McKenna is. Kind, empathetic, and genuinely focused on helping others. She doesn't lead for recognition. She leads by example. Consistently
007demonstrating safety, ownership, accountability, and respect. She truly represents the very best of Tomahawk Intermediate School and Berkeley Capital Schools. So at this time, Mrs. Otto is going to share a few words. Mrs. Otto is McKenna student leadership adviser and she has some nice things to say about it and I'm an empathetic prior. So um first of all, I just have always loved having McKenna in my class. Um, determined, leader, competitive, graceful, generous, thoughtful. These are just a few words out of many that I could use to describe McKenna mentor. I had the pleasure of getting to know McKenna last year in my fourth grade class, and I continue to be blessed with the opportunity to work with her this year in student leadership, of which she has been voted president. Her leadership shines through in
008everything she does. Whether it is coming up with ideas for our student leadership club, making the uh making sure that those ideas are followed through on or just being a friend to everyone around her. McKenna genuinely had a heart for others, which is evident in the projects that she involves herself in. Last month during our leadership meeting, it was McKenna who recognized that our cos and our custodians don't get the recognition that they deserve. And so she launched a campaign to shower them with treats and small gifts to let them know that the work that they do at our school matters. But what may also makes McKenna special is her determination. Something that I absolutely love about her. This quality was evident last year. Math was hard, but she persevered, never afraid to ask for
009help and always willing to allow that productive struggle until she was able to grasp new concepts. And while last year I couldn't get her to do a social studies fair project because of her busy schedule, she did one this year and she is on her way to the county fair in a couple of weeks. >> I'm sure that part of her perseverance comes from her years of learning dance. But these qualities are what makes McKenna an amazing student and an even more amazing individual. I'm excited to recognize her as Berkeley County's student of the month. Congratulations. That made me curious. When I spoke with Dr. Trudeau, a few things about what she admires about you. The list went on and on, but she said, "You're a true leader. you set an example and you take
010you tackle responsibilities and you don't flinch about you just want to do more uh and and you're a uh you have confidence and you do that all with uh having respect for your fellow workers and and just as you did with the custodians and the the uh kitchen staff u very much appreciative and so proud of you. What a leader. You know, you might be up here one day. >> I was gonna say, how old are you? >> Nine. >> 10. Okay. So, in eight years, you can file, run for the school board. >> And if you do, I will contribute to your campaign and be out there holding up a sign that says vote for McKenna. He'll be a viable candidate. I'm just saying. >> She can do it. She can do it. Thank
011you so much. You're you're a bright shining star in our school system. >> You too. >> McKenna, can you share with us who you have here tonight with you? >> Oh, very good. >> Well, I want to say mom and dad, congratulations. what a what a wonderful young lady that you all have. Um, and McKenna, what a blessing it is that you are you have so many skills and I'm just so proud of you. Uh, but I want to thank mom and dad because it's very clear that you are supporting your daughter in amazing ways. So, thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Very proud. Thank you. >> Starting agenda is Mrs. Ferguson. Oh, there you are. Your question is your room. Thank you. >> Good evening, President Long, members of the board, Dr.
012Saxs, and guests. Thank you for your time and the opportunity to recognize Christina Hair, our PTO president as Jerrytown Elementary's volunteer of the month for February 2026. Christina plays an important role in the school community at Jartown Elementary School. She leads our PTO with thoughtfulness and reliability. Her quiet consistency supports our school in a variety of ways. She prioritizes the needs of our students while also providing meaningful support for our staff through her time, care, and dedication. She helps create a welcoming, positive, and connected environment for everyone, and her service does not go unnoticed. I wanted to share with you some of the comments that the teachers at Jartown um prepared for her. This is from Miss Wolf and she says, "I've had the honor of teaching both of the hair children who have been
013a joy to have in class. Christina has always been a supportive parent helping in any way needed. Our PTO is so lucky to have her. We all appreciate her hard work and dedication to Garristown Elementary School. Thank you so much for giving so much of yourself to our little school. We will miss you all next year." Miss And then um Mith Edwards um she says Christina has spent several years supporting the staff and students of Jerrytown Elementary School. She's given her time to creating activities, collecting donations, and organizing materials to benefit all of us. She's the parent you go to when you need something. She's the parent you ask when you need a real opinion. Christina is the parent who cares for all students. Thank you for all you've done for Jurtown Elementary School. To
014please join me in thanking Christina Christina, thank you so so much for what you do. It's parents like you that really keep our schools going and make our children proud and the school proud. So, >> yeah. No, absolutely. Uh, thank you for what you do to to give back and to be a partner in education at Jared'stown. You know, the saying is that it takes a village and, you know, uh, by stepping up and volunteering of your time, uh, putting in forth the effort to to bring people together to support our students, um, is so so impactful. And so the difference that you're making every single day for the families and the students and the staff at Jaredstown um is no small feat and it's important work and we are so blessed that we have
015you in Berkeley County and at Jaredstown supporting our students, our staff and our families. So thank you so much. >> Definitely as others. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. All right. >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you, Madam President. board members. Um, want to welcome you to our February 2nd regular board meeting. Um, which, you know, is at the conclusion of, uh, what was quite the winter weather event that we've had here in Berkeley County for this school year. Um, I think it's very clear that winter weather has certainly arrived and with it comes a lot of difficult decisions uh, surrounding school closures. Um, and I just want to take a moment to emphasize that, you know, when we look at, you know, making decisions to close school, that student safety is always our
016first priority, uh, when we evaluate our weather conditions. Um, that said, we also recognize that for many of our students, the safest and most stable place they can be is actually within our schools where it's warm, where there are always caring adults, and where a hot meal is lovingly prepared by our food service staff. Um, we don't take these decisions lightly uh because we know that the impact goes beyond just mised instruction. And so we do understand that inclement weather can create challenges for families, whether it be the lack of, you know, the fact of closing school um or it's keeping school open and it's transportation or child care or access to technology. So, just please know that our schools are always prepared to work with families and to offer support wherever possible during uh
017these uh weather times. With our five built-in snow days now used, any further weather related closures uh we will transition to remote learning days. While we fully acknowledge that remote learning isn't ideal for everyone, it does allow us to protect instructional time with extending the school year, something that is made possible under West Virginia code, which allows up to five such days to be counted towards our calendar. Uh we appreciate our families and staff for their flexibility, understanding, and of course, we remain committed to balancing safety with uh the need to keep students learning. So, um, once again, you know, we'll have up to five remote learning days that we can use from here on out, uh, before we would have to start impacting our actual calendar with OSE days and those types of days.
018Want to give a superintendent shout out to Caitlyn Hall. Uh, we are so proud of Hedgesville High School senior Caitlyn Hall, who was named a Quest Bridge Scholar and will attend Duke University this fall. Caitlyn's hard work over many years, both in and out of the classroom, has definitely paid off. She has balanced academic rigor with the varsity athletics and meaningful leadership experiences. Her story uh was featured in our newsletter and podcast that was released on Friday, shows what what is possible with perseverance and support from an engaged school community. So, please join me in welcoming and congratulating Caitlyn uh on and her supporters at Hedgesville High School. You can learn more about Caitlyn in uh the BCS Insider which is on located on our district web page as well as on our Facebook uh
019and social media channels. Uh couple February calendar highlights to make you aware of. We have some important dates that we want to highlight. February 4th is a faculty senate day with a two-hour delay for students. Under West Virginia code, faculty senates must meet at least six times annually. These meetings provide school staff with critical time to address academic performance, student needs, and a collaborative uh improvement uh and the ability for some collaborative improvement planning. They represent true school-based leadership and shared responsibility for student success. On February 13th marks the release of um our interim reports, which really just serves as an academic progress check midway through the grading period. We encourage all to review their child's progress. Um if you're a primary school family, you can access your child's progress via Seesaw and then of
020course our intermediate and secondary schools. Um you can access it through schooly. Uh these platforms help keep the learning partnership strong between our homes and our schools. And then finally on February 25th, we'll observe a teacher prep day with a 2-hour delay. This day gives our educators, you know, essential time to plan, assess, and to adjust instruction. Um, instruction is a continued success across all of our Berkeley County classrooms. Uh, we are thrilled to host family yoga nights in Berkeley County in partnership with Berkeley County Parks and Recreation. These events offer families a fun free to focus a free fun opportunity to focus on wellness and spend some quality time together. Uh sessions are scheduled by a grade level and take place at the Berkeley County Recreation Center. You can see the dates there that
021are available. Uh space is limited and I want to thank our family engagement coordinator Travis Williams for putting this uh activity together for our families. If it's successful, then you know, we want to be able to try to do more of these types of events for families um to again engage with your students and your children in some meaningful meaningful ways. So, we hope to see you at yoga nights in Berkeley County. Um our we're also getting ready to welcome the next generation of learners to Berkeley County. Uh, kindergarten enrollment for the 202627 school year opens on March 1st and kindergarten open houses are going to run from April 13th through April 20th across our elementary schools. These events uh give families a chance to meet teachers, explore classrooms, and get a preview of the
022kindergarten experience. We strongly encourage families to attend, even though it is not required. U, it's a great way to build excitement and comfort for students and parents alike. To view the full schedule of openhouse dates by school uh and to begin the enrollment process, families can visit our district website uh and click on kindergarten enrollment. We are also actively working on our new 5-year strategic plan with the goal of completion of the 5-year strategic plan by July 2026. Our partnership with handover research has helped us ensure broad meaningful engagement with staff, families, and community members. And this plan will define our district's priorities and guide decision-making around instruction operations uh and engagement all with a clear focus on improving student outcomes. For those that are interested, uh my announcement will be available that that we're
023talking about here this evening on our board docs page. And if you um go to uh the BCS logo, it will take you to the planning road map. So you can see that this uh week is National School Counseling Week. Um each February we recognize school counseling week as a time to celebrate the vital role the vital roles that our counselors play in supporting student success. Our counselors serve students across academic career and social emotional domains helping learners navigate challenges plan for the future and develop the skills they need to thrive both in school and beyond. Um this uh on February 16th, we're going to be hearing from Kevin Frankhouser and our our counselors at our instructional update at our instructional update um along with additional information on our family uh and community engagement uh
024activities. So once again, we want to thank our counselors for a very important uh role that they serve um in our students and our meeting the needs of our students and our families. Uh as we near the 100th day of school, uh we're reminded of how far we've come and how much opportunity continues to remain ahead. This year's theme is empower continues which continues to guide our efforts to support every student, every family, and every educator. Thank you for your continued leadership and for everything that you do each day to make Berkeley County Schools a place where all students can learn, lead, and thrive. Our next regular board meeting will be Monday, February 16th. uh 2026 at 6 pm uh right here at the uh Winchester Avenue uh office. We also have a special board
025meeting this Wednesday at 400 PM uh where we will be considering the final uh potential bond call measure. Madame President, board member, that concludes my update and I'm happy to answer any questions that may be may exist. >> Questions on Wednesday the 11th year. Uh, Wednesday's the fourth. >> That's this one. >> Yes, sir. board announcements. >> Um I just give a heads up because and I'm sure we have some students who are caught in this fostered uh issue at the state level. But uh uh the case workers that are there sorry some of them have cases loads of 30 or more some as many as 50 and uh nationally it's recommending they only have 15 but it's an issue here in the state and the legislature is working but I just want to make
026sure that we keep our guard up and don't see us trying to dump something more on our teachers. in trying to solve this problem. The solution is to hire more case workers, but uh I know budgetwise I I don't know what the state's position is. I I just like to caution us to watch out and make sure that problem that's a major issue. it's not uh shifted on to our staff who are already working very hard after a lot of pressure academically and uh but something needs to be done for these girls children as well. >> Thank you sir. >> Someone else uh next on the agenda citizens forum uh we have no one signed up to speak so we'll go straight into monitoring items and that's with Mr. Budson our FY25 audit. Thank you.
027Thank you, board superintendent. As you recall back in September with the annual financial statement, they run off that at this point the artist have come in and issued their audit report. I'm happy to say that we have an unqualified opinion, which means it's a clean audit report with no findings in their recommendations. And again, you've seen this these back in September, but on page eight, our total revenues for districtwide is 319,618,812. And our total expenses again districtwide all funds is 36,898670. That gives a net change in position of 12 positive 12,7212. Again, that's all funds combined. What we like to focus on is our general funds. So that unrestricted fund is what we control and our fund balance there is on page 16. Our unrestricted fund balance at the end of June 30th 2025 was
02835 million 41,821. And then given our revenues in the general fund that gives the reserve balance of 12.7 for our unrestricted reserve. Obviously there's a lot of H there a lot of notes. Any questions feel free to reach out to me. These financials are uh they've been audited. We posted them on the federal audit clearing house and the West Virginia State Auditor's website. So, they're available to anybody who wants to see them. And if you go to our website, there's a link to get you to these this copy of the map as well. >> The link that's that is on our website, where is that specifically? Is it on our front page? I think if you go under departments there's one that's superintendent operations and under there say those department says finance and if you
029click there it's on that page. >> Okay. >> Department superintendent finance. >> Okay. Um, and then if you scroll down, there's one that says report >> and and when you did that, um, Leah, was that shown for everybody in one screen? >> Okay, perfect. I just wanted to make sure everybody was able to see what was done. Perfect. Thank you. Awesome. Sauce, >> the uh, student transportation cost. So you you have a comment here on the page increasing um more than 12%. Sir, is this in-house transportation cost or how what's >> the increase would be the out the contract services. >> Okay. Would you have an idea of how much they increased over previous year? I know we were over six and a half million for outside contracted services, but I don't know it was
030prior year. >> Okay. >> But I can get that number for you. Well, I I just I I knew that you were trying to >> Well, just remember this is the end of year 25 25, right? >> But I'm but I mean we were >> Oh, yes. We were trying to address that could be vigorous. >> Yeah. And uh the uh I I saw a couple things here like the compensated vacation that you had. >> Yes. So there's a new government accounting standards board 101. It's accounting for compensated absences. So we have to do an estimate in there even though we the board will not actually write that check and pay for those as people take them over time or it's sick time and they retire. Again, it's new government accountable pronouncement we have to
031follow, but it's not actually anybody we have to pay out. >> And in the uh I just want to make sure in the custodial funds that we keep >> scholarship money included there, but >> if they run through the school, they run through the school accounts. Some are at trust with banks that we don't have control of. >> We don't Okay. But the ones that we do have control of, if interest is earned, it stays with that fund. >> Correct. It will stay with you account. >> Yeah. So if people want to create scholarships at their alumni, they can do that. And it's it's all >> alumni are different than schools. It depends on how they're set up. But yes, we do have some scholarship accounts at some of the high schools. >> We do
032we do provide for them. But you said there were there like only a few correct >> correct that I'm aware of. >> Yeah. >> And and the school special uh activity funds are these funds that like we give so much per pupil to the school. >> So this would be all funds at the school level whether it's part of our student allocation that we give or it's fundraising that they've done on their own or the grant they've gotten on their own. Uh all that stayed at the school level. So this would be and within the school they have different funds on how they track that. >> Okay. And is the faculty senate money part of that? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> We actually transfer the money to the school then they manage at the school
033level distributing those funds to the the staff >> and and the factory senate funds is solely under the control of the factory senate. >> Yes. >> Yeah. I mean the principal just tell >> No. >> Okay. or the board officer. >> No. >> Okay. On the excess limit on page 72, I' I'd ask you this question and I think I understood it. If I didn't, I want to make sure to walk away understood. When you put down the estimate, estimated per levy call, that was what was on the on the advertisement or what the levy will generate. But the levy does actually generate more as the county's properties grow. >> Yeah. The county continues to grow as those values continue to go up. Our levy and those let those dollars. >> Okay. Now, when we
034do the revenue estimate for our budget this year, you don't go by what the estimated per levy call is. You go by the previous year's generated funds or even the what the assessor provides to you. >> Correct. So the assessor will send us in early March what the assessed values are for the county. We apply those rates and that's what we put in the budget for for the upcoming budget. >> I was just trying to find some low ball numbers and get some things out of it. I just failed >> out of the budget of 31.6. You never have a balanced budget. >> I know. I mean but that's but that's what the you're you're required to use for that. >> Thank you. Uh Jim, can you go back to page 16 and again what
035you said? >> So on page 16, this is our governmentwide financial statements. And at the top there, you can see we have several funds there. So each fund remains on its own. What the fund I was talking about, our general operating fund, which is the first column. >> Yeah. >> And that's what we control. The others are restricted funds for specific purposes. So if you look about middle of the page where it says fund balance, there's one called unassigned and it's 35,4121. >> Okay. I just want to make sure. >> So that's our unrestricted fund balance. We have assigned fund balance which is for carryover purchase orders. And then we have the committed what the board committed to spent in fiscal year 26 that we're in now. So our total compound is 43,384570. However, some
036of that's committed to PO and future expenses. questions for Mr. Bucks. >> Mine's more of a just looking at what happened in Hancock County. I don't know if you can talk about our systems in place of how we can avoid something like that just in the future. >> We're not in that situation. >> Yeah. I'm just like obviously it's all over the state. We we we don't keep keep our our our ledgers in Excel say that >> talking about like like weas like that sort of thing. >> Yeah. We we use the state information system. We reconcile all of our bank accounts every month. Um and we make sure everything ties and the fact that each month I wrote to you the treasury report and those numbers tied to an actual bank rack each month.
037>> Um so we monitor very well, very forthcoming. Every month we provide financial statements to you guys in a summary form and our folks always open. Of course, all our activities also with the state's checkbook system, so anybody at any time can look at what we're trying to one of the problems. Just just a general comment not there. The CO funding allowed us to and we were worried about the deficit learning there curve and it provided money for counties to do things that were nice. But then when the what 60 some billion >> for us it was 62 63 million in total between all the code >> all three free allocations. It allowed you to see what you could do if you had the money but some counties tried to keep doing what they saw
038without the money and and I think we've tried to do that with it with some positions we created. Now we have the money because of the excess living money. >> Correct. >> But it's still uh it may be desirable but not possible to do some of the things that we had the money with CO and we are not able to do other things for the employees because we've totally accepted the cost of some of these desirable programs for our students. Yes. >> And that's that's something that some counties have gone above and beyond where they're trying to keep those desirable positive things and it's it's not affordable. >> Well, and we stressed u you know in the positions that we were hiring with CO funds that um there was a huge possibility um that they
039would not be in those positions. Uh forever. >> Correct. >> Unless we could fund some of them ourselves. We made that very clear. >> Yeah. >> Other questions for Mr. B. >> Just a quick one. Like as we're looking at the budget for this next coming year after all that surf funds are gone now looking like year over year are there any red flags you want the board we should be aware of that like the percentage jumps that are like like in your you look you look numbers every day all the columns >> well you're aware through other meetings that we've had concern there we've spent our reserves the last two years to provide for additional salaries to some of the staff or to the staff and you know that is not sustainable without a
040funding source. I think it you know we always talk all the time about choices with as Pat said limited funds that we have. >> Well uh you need to can you clarify that are you are you talking about >> well we're going to probably have more conversations about that when we do more budgets. >> Well we are but I don't want it to end on that >> note that we need in the operations. We we've spent more the last two years out out of reserves that weren't coming in, but that was >> decision that was made, choices made at the time. Obviously, it's not sustainable for a long period of time. The board is mindful of that. They're aware you guys are aware of what our res balance is and what we're trying to maintain.
041>> Yeah. And made that clear when that decision made. So, which we've been discussing at our budget committee, the budget. >> Yeah. as well as like looking at like students like student services, food service, those inflation costs above what the CPI is right now. It's maybe main >> part of the question as well. We monitor that. When you look at consumer price index, they do break down by segments. They look at food, they look at transportation, they look at energy. So we do monitor all that as we prepare for the budget season. >> Yeah. red line I suppose at this point. >> Well, costs continue to go up, but at the same time, Berkeley County positively has been a growth county as far as assessed values. Uh, but until we get to assess values for
04227, you know, we can assume we're still growing at a consistent rate, but until we get those numbers, we won't know for sure. >> Well, one thing I'm very appreciative about is that there brings that to us. Well, once we looked at it, we know transportation contractor cost was one upshore. >> What about the energy costs, the the federal the federal law that was just passed, big beautiful bill, Medicaid, Medicare? Have you heard anything from Justin about what the impact is going to be? >> We have not yet. You have a comment, Mr. >> No, no. I'm saying I got my assessment. They're going to go up a lot. >> What is >> my expenses? >> Thank you, Mr. >> Thank you guys. Forward to that. >> Instructional update. Uh, Dr. Woods. PreK. Well, no.
043Um, Mr. Dilly and Sarah. Good evening, President Long, Dr. Staff, and members of the board. I'm going to apologize ahead of time. I had drop in and I'm praying I get through this presentation with my voice. Um, but our prek court team is here tonight to provide you with a an update on our recent prek state review and discuss the possible option for our prek calendar model for the 26 27th school year. The course team includes myself, Kelly Durango is our special ed representative, Heidi Bob Urban is our Head Start representative, and Tara Lesby is our child care for the fifth. So I want to begin tonight by celebrating the substantial growth and improvement our program has achieved over the last three years as reflected in our December trienal review. In 2022 23 review, the
044focus was on compliance correction and rebuilding alignment across systems. At that time, we received nine required follow-ups and seven recommendations. But by the 2526 review, our program has changed dramatically. We moved from nine required follow-ups to zero and from seven recommendations to four. And we also earned three accommodations. This progress reflects more than compliance. It shows purposeful growth in our instructional systems, collaboration, and overall program quality. We have shifted from remediation to refinement. And that shift sets the stage for the continued improvement goals we'll be discussing tonight. So I'd like to present several key highlights for four sections of the review. The first section is universal prepaid access. We now operate with a fully transparent placement process provide consistent transition supports for families and have ensured that every classroom is inclusive as outlined in the
045policy. Section two is the early childhood collaborative team. Our early childhood collaborative team has made significant gains. We now have fully aligned comprehensive contracts with our partners complete with oversight and impact provisions. And our meeting structures are purposeful, organized, and occur regularly. Section three, curriculum instruction and assessment. This is the heart of our work. We have moved from inconsistent curriculum use and over reliance on worksheets to classrooms grounded in the creative curriculum aligned with West Virginia early prek standards and guided by the formative assessment practices. We've strengthened our environmental design expectations and elevated the quality of classroom environments and instruction. Section four program assessment and improvement. We have a comp comprehensive CQI or continuous quality improvement plan with measurable goals and action steps. And we now use a researchbased observation tool each year to guide
046instructional improvement and identify areas where professional development is needed most. These are the four recommendations the state review team had for our program. first include all estimated contributions in the appropriate columns on our budget sheets to accurately reflect each partner's support for our prek program. So what happened there is one of our childcare partners employees there are a teacher um and they just didn't include that they paid her salary out of their funds on that budget sheet that was an easy fix. The next two recommendations are concerning our need to continue to support teachers in implementing appropriate prek curriculum and environments. So they suggest that we support teachers in aligning environments and daily schedules with prek standards, CPI priorities and developmentally appropriate practices and continue to support teachers in using a formative assessment to plan
047individualized instruction. So we have a lot of turnover with prek. So we have a lot of new teachers um that still need supported and learning um things. And the last recommendation is to draft a document outlining our process for making sure that our early learning reporting system data is entered before each window closes. So we do have a process, we just need to type it up. These recommendations highlight the system level thinking behind investigating all options for prek programming. They enforce a simple but powerful truth. Strong prek programs rely on time. Time to plan, time to collaborate, time to train staff, and time to support individual needs. We'd also like to recognize the great work already happening. State leaders have expressed appreciation for what's being done in Berkeley County prek and thanks to our thanks
048to our teachers, our administrators, and our partners. The prek program option I'm presenting to you tonight would help us build on that comm momentum and keep going in the right direction. So now I'd like to share the new model that we're proposing and how it supports that continued progress. Under state policy, preK students are required to attend 48,000 minutes of school annually. Currently, our BCS preK students attend 58,000 minutes a year. They're well above that requirement. More days may appear beneficial, but the real impact comes from the quality of the experience that we offer. One of our options would be to move next year to a 4-day instructional week for students with the fifth day serving as a preparing for success day for staff. This approach prioritizes instructional quality, alignment, and well-being of those students
049and educators. West Virginia is not new to 4-day models. 44 counties across our state already operate with some variation of a 4-day structure. So the counties in the green and the blue are the ones that operate on 4day model. Though we're not introducing something new or untested, many counties have been using this model successfully for over 20 years, demonstrating its effectiveness and developmental appropriateness. In prek, worksheets and workbooks are not developmentally appropriate and are not permitted. Young children learn through movement, sensory exploration, problem solving, and rich social interaction. Creating these lessons and activities that meet children from a range of ages and developmental levels in the same classroom takes intentionality and time. Teachers must regularly update their material, prepare hands-on activities, rotate resources and design environments that support cognitive growth, encourages creativity, and fosters emotional
050regulation. The research is consistent. Highly engaging environments reduce stress, decrease challenging behaviors, and improve academic outcomes. This model will give teachers the time needed to create those engaging lessons and learning centers consistently. The classroom environment is often referred to as the third teacher. A well-designed space communicates our values, invites curiosity, promotes independence, and supports collaborative learning. PreK classrooms include 8 to 10 learning centers that must be organized, sanitized, refreshed, and aligned to current units of study rate. Without sufficient planning time, the quality of these centers suffer and ultimately so does student engagement. The preparing for success day guarantees that this critical instructional component is prior prioritized appropriately. So to give an example, this week most teachers unit of study will be snow and ice. So teachers are bringing in snow for the kids to measure.
051Use measuring cups to scoop. Um they'll be conducting ice melting experiments to make predictions and notice cause and effect. They'll be creating paintings with colored ice cubes and strengthening their fine motor skills by crafting snowmanatic clay. Teachers will turn their dramatic play centers into hot cocoa shops with signs and menus teaching children that print has meaning as well as learning mathematical concepts such as quantity and money and also understanding various roles people have within a community. These engaging developmentally appropriate activities require thoughtful planning and time that a preparing for success day would intentionally provide. As I said, we do have a lot of new teachers. So professional development is very important in prek. We have to have a dedicated time for mandatory onboarding of new staff. So within 30 days, they have to be trained
052on prek policy. We also have annual PD requirements that come from our CQI plan. Our 3-day early childhood positive behavior interventions and supports academy and in care training. It also creates a space for targeted mentoring, practice based coaching meetings and for teachers to attend early childhood conferences. All of this supports build strong confident educators. And the model would ensure that we effectively provide that much neededed training and support to all of our 160 prek teachers and teaching assistants. challenging behaviors are highest in preK classroom and we know that's because it's age expected until they can learn socially appropriate ways to get their wants and their me needs met. So behavior teams are critical for prek. But responding to these challenging behaviors effectively requires careful planning. So behavior teams need time to analyze, create intervention plans,
053develop visual supports, meet with families, and collaborate with specialists. The preparing for success day would enhance our capacities to support all children. ECAP responsibilities for the preparing for success day or ECATs are essential partners in creating engaging, safe, and wellorganized learning environments. They support keeping the room and materials organized and sanitized. In pre-K, children aren't very good at sharing toys, but they're very good at sharing germs. I got my from my prek. Um, rest mats, toothbrushes, and toys need to be regularly sanitized to keep our children healthy. This model would allow kitty cats to also help with lesson preparation, participate in professional development, and be a part of those behavior planning teams, which is important because they're in the classroom supporting those children as well. PreK teachers complete early learning reporting scale assessments three times
054each year. Families um receive a detailed report as this one, but our prek reporting windows don't always align with our county parent teacher conferences, making it difficult to have the meaningful conversations families deserve. A weekly preparing for success day ensures teachers have dedicated, flexible time to meet with families and review these reports in a supportive, understandable way that aligns with the reporting windows. It also allows our Head Start teachers to do their required home visits. PreK teachers are unique as they serve as both general education teacher and special education teacher. They can have up to a roster of 50% of special education students and multiple types of IEPs are required in preK. Currently, teachers are often pulled from classrooms to conduct these meetings. The preparing for success day would allow teachers to schedule the majority
055of their meetings on that dedicated day, which would reduce classroom interruptions and ensure teachers have the time they need for scheduled IEP meetings and the accompanying documentation. When staffing shortages occur and floers are reassigned, prek staff often miss lunch breaks due to the requirement that they have to have two adults in the room at all times. This proposal allows staff to make up lunchtime, this lunchtime on that preparing for success day, reinforcing our commitment to valuing and respecting our educators. And then direct benefits for students. The heart of this is our students and the model would benefit them directly. First, young children need rest, consistency, and a developmentally appropriate pacing. A 4-day instructional week would reduce fatigue, support emotional regulation, and sustain engagement. Research consistently shows that high quality interactive environments lead to stronger and
056behave academic and behavioral outcomes. So this shift on caring for the whole child and supporting them needs. Here's an example of what the calendar may look like. So they would still have class 136 days. We would still go over the required time of 48,000 with the 50,160 annual minutes. The instructional day would be lengthened to 6 hours and 15 minutes as opposed to our 6-hour day. Now, most of our programs would operate 7:45 2:00. So, this structure maintains compliance, supports instructional quality, and enhances staff capacity to meet student needs. We also are partnering with little eagles to provide care for students on that fifth day at little eila edesville early learning academy and inwood early learning academy. So 24 spots at each where they would get that care on that Friday if they should need
057it. So in conclusion this 4day option would be a strategic investment and elevating quality. It would equip teachers with what they need to teach with purpose. It would strengthen our connections with families and it would elevate the quality of learning so that every student has the opportunity to succeed. Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration of a new option for prek and I'd be happy to answer any questions that you may have. >> Questions for >> I have several. >> Yeah. Um and you mentioned that at the twomies you'll have somebody coming in to cover the students on the fifth day where teachers have this day to work. >> Yes, that's right. >> Uh what about like we're we're born think Trinity Episcopal is that the same one? So, our collaborative partners are um
058Norborn, Step Ahead, Kids World, and Little Eagle. Um, and I believe they would make a plan to provide that hair their center for the fifth day. >> So, >> because they usually do it on holidays, too. >> So, they're they're prek teachers or our employees >> working at their site. >> Yes, in some cases. It it varies by contract. So, um, we do employ the teacher at Hatch Nor. They are our staff, the teacher and the ECAD. Um, Kids World, the teacher there, she owns that child care center. Um, the teacher at Step Ahead owns that child care center. Um, and Little Eagle employs their teacher, I believe. >> Okay. >> But they would not be responsible for caring for children on that day. They would be doing their planning and professional development to other
059prek teachers. >> Uh, West Virginia is a leader in the nation in prek. you kind of go downhill, but we do lead the nation there. >> Uh, did we have an enrollment decline this past year? >> I never had numbers. We had 800 versus >> I actually have that um because I was I was working on that today. Um uh we had to >> February. So we had we had about a 20 almost a 29 student drop in prek um from 25 to 26 at least from February. Okay. uh from FY25 um it was like from the the second month enrollment reports it's like 22 I think um so not not huge but we also attribute that a lot to we were not able to fill one of our pre-K classrooms at um Valley View
060um we just couldn't get it filled and so we just were we were not able to to staff that classroom um we do feel like we're in a better shape for next year in that regard. Um, and so actually I I talked with uh Mrs. Wolf this morning about what our forecast could be based upon the number of classes we have available and I believe it's right around 1,200. Am I correct? Was that the number? I believe so. Um, right around 1,200. So we could actually have more students uh based upon capacity. One of the challenges, and I'll let her talk about this a little bit more, is that we had applications that that people chose not to to go because of of space. So, can you talk about like the north end challenge? >>
061So, once we filled the north end and we had new applications come in and we had to start pushing towards the middle and then eventually the south. So, we had some families in Marlo that were offered Bunker Hill because we're not districted. It's based on where we have space, but we do try to work with families. I keep documentation. If a spot comes open, I will call and say, "Hey, a spot came open." >> But how many students did that that how many families or student requests did that impact? >> I we're going to keep better data on this next year. If I had to guess, I had at least a hundred emails. I was able to resolve 30 of those. >> So, >> no, you since you were asking about numbers, how many prek
062students do we have now? >> Right now, we have,94. >> Okay. I know it was a thousand but I didn't know >> the uh but we still have the even after we build the two prekmies as uh we will still have classrooms in the regular schools. >> Yes, that's correct. >> And how will this plan work that you're proposing with those classrooms? >> They would have the same expectation. um their students just won't come on Fridays and they'll use their Friday the teachers will to plan. >> Okay. So that's how they say >> it's um Bington Burke um Marlo >> Valley View Pesar not Valley View I'm sorry Pascar Winchester >> and um one suggestion when we schedule and this is the calendar committee thing but whoever your representative is we have to stop scheduling
063for the elementary people the same night as prek and I mean not prek primary and intermediate because the parents can't make it to both schools and when they have several children they're straddling two schools and then with themies that we're going to be open to be three so we have to get a separate night for prek Okay. And if we're going to keep these other two organizations now where we're going to go to K through five schools, this problem will be alleviated. But it's unfair to the parents. They kind of like they have to pick between their children which one will get their attention. and uh and that's unfair to the parents and unfair to the teachers because if you have parents come to committee and talk we by all means we want to encourage
064that. So, I'm just saying that to the superintendent and the calendar committee, we if we're going to continue this approach, then we should have separate nights for this for the parents to be able to go to their children's school and not have to pick and choose. I thought there were separate. I believe they are, but I can't talk to um middle and high school etc. >> Lewis can answer that >> or Dr. Woods. >> Yeah, different the intermediate high school on the same night. So that's the only one that we tried to space them out so that we didn't have the elementary the primary and the intermediate together. But I I agree that when we open the centers, centers should have their own night separate from primary. And >> when you talked about special ed,
065uh you have children as young as I remember sitting it into it. I think they said you have children as young as 2 years, 10 months. >> Yes. >> Who are going to who are in these prek schools because developmental issues and everything. But uh and then you were talking about the behavior problem. I can remember a couple years ago we had a a terrorizing youngster and it took forever and I think parent I think that impacted our following enrollment and we had parents coming in for one or two over but people had genuine concerns about their their children's safety and this environment with the child who needed to be staffed in some fashion to a safer shape or environment. >> So, we have been working closely with the West Virginia Behavior and Mental Health
066Technical Assistance Center out of Marshall University. They are the ones that provide our early childhood positive behavior interventions and supports trainings. They do other professional development for us on different um behavior issues such as creating behavior plans, uh managing meltdowns, and they've also coached some of our teachers this year. So, my final question, are we being asked, not tonight, because this is a mentoring, are we going to be asked to approve a calendar that allows them to have these minutes? >> Well, we wanted to first bring this to your attention that we're exploring the possibility for this. We have some logistical things that we need to be able to work out with uh our district leadership, but we didn't want to put a lot of effort into that before making you aware that we we
067want to talk about it. Um, and so we're going to be working with uh, you know, uh, Mrs. Wolf's team. Uh we're going to be working with instructional team operations uh that includes transportation, food service, so that there is um a clear understanding of especially on that fifth day, how's that going to look differently and how can we make sure that we're utilizing our staff efficiently um in order to you know appropriately uh implement a a 4-day model so that um we have those kinks worked out before we would ever bring to the board. uh the request for you to u consider that and we feel like we can resolve those things fairly fairly quickly with our team to make sure we're we're in a good place. Um and because time is of the essence,
068we want to be able to have that work and then bring it to you so that we can actually have prek registration and families know. So I would anticipate us trying to work through some of those things and then um if we can work through them, then we would bring it to you for for an item for consideration. We we I thought at one time years ago we had four days of instruction and teachers have a fifth day. >> Okay. Now we didn't have all >> I know. No, they had a fifth day to plan and prepare for that was one of my questions. I don't know why we did away with that. So in Berkeley County, I know they switched to five days in 2015 and I believe Heidi that was because Head Start
069changed their requirements. >> Yes, they required 1,020 hours. >> Oh. >> And so they changed because of that reason, but I believe you still have some flexibility with that. Now I do. >> So some counties did go to five days and then, you know, decided to go back to four when they were able to. Will we have to pay any more money? I mean, for the fifth day that the kids were at the mies, that'll be at the parents expense to Okay. >> Um, however, we could still serve them with our reimburseable meals. Uh, we could supply the meals for those students that are participating. Um, so we could still capture, you know, that support for those students, but the families would have to pay for child care through our partner on that fifth day.
070>> And what about the bus transportation with >> Yeah. So that's that's exactly part of what we want to be able to work out. Um um Mrs. Wolf has already started some of those conversations, but we want to iron those out before we bring you a formal recommendation. >> I have a couple of questions. Okay. um for I want to say and I apologize it's slide number two for the state reviews um for 2022 to 2023 and then you have the comparison to 2025 2026 required follow-ups for 2223 was not and then 2025 to 2026 was zero recommendation 7 for 22 23 and then 25 26 there were four for those comparisons between those those two years. I I want to say congratulations >> for for that huge difference. But my big question, especially as
071you've noted down towards the bottom, it says focused on the compliance correction system alignment reflecting strong suitable instructional systems and your your the correction the focus. Would you say would you say there were issues with um consistency across the board with certain things? >> I I wasn't on the team at that time, but I do believe that it was issues with compliance policy 2525. >> Okay. Okay. Um, I'm just I'm I'm looking at some of the things that you were that you've got here in sections one, two, um, three, and four. And I guess my my question goes back to like just consistency between classrooms and alignment with standards, the the state standards um and how you guys were able to to bring everything kind of together with what not just with the state but
072with policies that what the what the legislature had put in place and that sort of thing. So, so the first thing that we did was make sure all of our classrooms were inclusive of stu students with special needs because that is in policy that we are inclusive. Um, not all classrooms had access to the creative curriculum which is the adopted prek curriculum for the county. So, we brought in trainers from that company to train our teachers in the curriculum. We did a lot of professional development on what centers should look like, what developmentally appropriate practices, um, age expected, um, skills and behaviors. Um, so a lot of that corrected. >> I have a question. >> Yeah. >> Slide real quick. What are the three obviously there's zero to three combinations and has that been addressed?
073>> Those were the combinations where they were saying that we've gotten kudos >> got it. >> We received commendations for um >> we developed a training resource. I might have skipped this side. I apologize. to support staff and accurately >> skip the most important one that there is >> to support staff in accurately in reporting progress on the child outcome summary. So that's special ed reporting. Um we have staff registered as a stars entity. So enabling the county to directly offer and register professional development and support teachers who require those West Virginia stars training hours. And then our continuous quality improvement plan. um they were very impressed with that and how it includes measurable goals with specific and relevant steps to enhance our quality and effectively besides ser I have a couple questions um regarding
074the boarding have you reached out to parents to get any feedback as to what I'm considering just one other day but that for a lot of parents like wait what that's going to be a challenge >> so we have head start has the parent policy council. Um they discussed it in one of their meetings and the parents were on board with that plan. I have to say too, we now are partially a 4-day program. Um one to two weeks every month or four days for our prek students. So I think parents would be appreciative of knowing that every Friday they need care instead of random Mondays. And it it enables our programs in the county and our resources to to provide um more supports for those Fridays too. >> Okay. Sort of a combined question
075because you mentioned the the turnover. Um what are some of the reasons that you see for the staff turnover? Um is it student behavior? And if so, what can parents do to better prepare their foods? >> So prek is hard work. It's very physical. you are up on your feet all day long. Um the students don't go to specials. Um the teachers are expected to sit and eat lunch with the students. Um so it's very demanding and it also with the IEP portion of the paperwork and the meetings that have to be included. Um I think the free day teachers get burdened. Um, so that's why I think the sport day model will help where they have a day where they can catch up on all of the extra duties because that said, they are
076both general education teacher and special education teacher. Um, there are some opportunities for parents to join um some training on positive behaviors. Um, Head Start offers a positive solution for families night where they train staff on, you know, how the staff train parents, sorry, on how to handle their child's behaviors. We also send whole newsletters. Um, they're called backpack connections that have topics such as, "How do I help my child manage anger? How do I help my child express what he wants? How do I help my child share and take turns?" So, we share those with families as well. And we could have more opportunities for family training if we have those Fridays and have the teachers. So >> one other question um still back to slide number two with the required follow-ups. Can you
077give examples of what those >> Sure. >> There was nine of course then zero. So what >> oh the required followup? >> Yes. What what were those >> that from 2023 they were >> we had be inclusive of children with special needs. Um No, >> it was the creative curriculum wasn't consistent. Some of the instructional things in the classrooms needed to change, become more center focused. It was a lot of classroom instructional >> things as well. >> Well, I had about six questions, but four of them have been answering these questions. Um my question um my question about the ECATs I I see their duties and and for the to me for what the qualifications that ECAT has to have now why can't they do more hands-on instruction? >> So we would like to train
078them more on how they can deliver um instruction in the classroom. I believe one of the Aspire um BCS candidates is doing a project where she's working with me on teaching and training staff on how to do co-eing. So how the ECAT can help its centers and what the ECAT can do at circle time um to increase instruction and differentiate the first >> um because as I said with the qualifications that they have to have now um it's I don't want to waste a good you know that's like co-eing and I don't want to take that away from the teacher because they have a lot more qualifications but um there two good people there that we need to use efficiently. And I think that's an important piece of this 4-day model because it is very
079hard to train 160 people at the beginning of the year. And so if we had every Friday to pull groups of ECATs and train on what instruction looks like, what developmentally appropriate practices um developmental milestones and skills that should be expected for the different ages of kids in their classroom, I think that would improve a lot. And I'm sure that there's lots of things that the ECAT can't do that the teacher has to do. >> Yeah. >> You know that I think training the ECAT to be able to have that co-eing ability would assist the teacher in greatly. >> Absolutely. >> Well, I remember when the the first models came out to the learning models for ECAT, it was it was uh unreal. I mean it was really a tough program >> and that was
080part of some of the responsibilities that they would be co-eing and and and their portfolio was now it's nothing like it was before unfortunately but I do see that those people could be used and not that you are not using them to the best of their ability but I'll be glad when we can use them more we might keep them those people longer >> and I think that's part of that refinement piece that we want to move with. >> Another question I had was uh the the um facilities that like Norw and there's another one that is not that is that our teachers are there. How are those individuals evaluated if there's not a supervisor there with them? >> They are assigned an administrator >> should be a work session >> um their administrator is
081the Burk Street principal. >> Okay. and the step ahead. >> So, he makes regular visits out there. He has communication with them. If he has um professional development that he's doing his training, um they're expected to come. >> Okay. I just >> I'm sorry. Hang on one second. We're hearing a voice coming through the speaker. >> Yep. >> Yeah, I heard it, too. I thought it was >> Want to make sure >> It's not Louis. There we go. >> Okay. Very good. >> Thank you. >> Other questions? >> Just one. These children 6 hours 15 minutes. They do take a nap, right? >> Yes, they do. >> Or they they attempt to have them take a nap. >> They don't take nap. We think rest time. >> Rest time. Quiet time. Yes. Um, is it
082worth thinking about this? Um, I know there's there's a lot of studies around half day versus 4 day, but not really 4 day versus five day. So, if you can find any of that, that'd be great. I could not find anything support either one. So, >> okay. Yes, I'll do that. >> Thank you. >> I don't want to go backwards. I want to move forward. >> Yeah. >> Thank you so much. >> Next on the agenda is um special education update. Dr. Woods and Michelle, you see Billy, Kelly, everybody. >> Sorry, we got a team here. So, u we're going to talk about the continuum of services around special education and other documents will be talking a little bit later about a disaster schedule. So, um basically what we're going to be talking about tonight
083is the service delivery models. Uh and this is with our policy 20119 which as you all know is our bible to special education and is also federal read is the IDA mirrored through the state of West Virginia. Okay. Um want to emphasis this slide u currently uh that all these decisions are made around the IEP team themes. Uh research uh shows that we should do explicit instruction around reading and math. Uh decisions are made around progress monitoring evaluation data and L and LE is least restrictive environment. So we have to take in consideration what our students needs are and appropriately place them. Uh our first model that I'd like to bring up is co-eing which you all are a little bit familiar with. I know I know Mrs. L just brought it up a little
084bit. Um but it is in the general education classroom that this takes place. um they uh the general ed and and special ed teacher also um share the responsibility of instruction and uh these supports are a grade level curriculum while addressing the IEP needs. So this is a classroom is in the general but there are some supports for our special education students in this in that area. Uh next one is our resource rooms. Um, basically these are taught by our special education teachers. That may be English, it may be math, it could be science or social studies just depending on what our students needs are. So that we do offer this as well. uh placement is determined once again by the IEP team and that's that model RER uh which is our retach and enrichment
085um service and basically what this does is it's a pull out model. It could be used with by some of our classrooms for possibly reading tests. It can be um or other things that if there's a concept that was missed in one of the classrooms, they could be sent to this room to get uh that services. Um the uh students primary remained in the general ed classrooms. Okay, just to reiterate, all our decisions remain student centered and are data driven. So once again, this takes place in the IEP team's uh purview and so those decisions are made based on those individual students needs. And now I'm going to turn this over to the continuum of service models. Mr. Frank is going to take care. >> Mr. Bill, >> yes. Last meeting we had a number
086of parents in here >> and were they concerned about the co-eing and inclusive services model? >> They were uh believe that they were looking there were some rumors out there that we weren't offering all the continuum services and just to kind of reiterate that is not true. We are looking at all services for kids. Once again, that goes back to that IEP decision and what the data shows us that those students can handle. And like I said, least restrictive environment always plays into that. So, we really have to look at what is best for our students. So, we do offer these companion services and Kelly will explain this here in a few seconds, but this is one of the most important slides you'll see tonight. >> If you're visual like me, which is why this
087slide exists. So it does look at that continuum of services that we provide for students and that we're required to provide in both policies IDA and 2419 our state policy. It takes you from the general education placement continuum all the way down to special education placement continuums. So these are all the different ways that we provide to make sure that students um can access a continuum of services. And as Mr. Billy just mentioned that least restrictive environment. We're required to look at every student and trying to educate them in the least restrictive environment which falls in the consultation general education placement area. So that would be considered their least restrictive environment being educated with their general ed peers. So just to take us back a little bit in 2020, we started having a series of
088special circumstance reviews that the state came and did for us. And some of the things that they found as they did those special circumstance reviews was that we needed to make sure that we were making individual decisions based on students data and not doing anything to predetermine what placements could look like. not restricting ourselves based on things such as schedules or staffing. The green one is what I was just referring to earlier that talks about least restrictive environments and making sure that students have access and the supports necessary so they can be educated in their least restrictive environment. And then in that blue it's really talking about one size does not fit all. It shouldn't be all or nothing. For example, a school should not have all students served in one way. Their IEP shouldn't
089all be 30 minutes pull out for every kid. You have to really look at every kid's data and then decide what do they eat, how much time should they be served based on that data. This is um a slide that talks about and I think we've talked about this a little bit before in some different areas that looking at that provision of service and that continuum general education and what types of things can be provided there and MTSS and intervention time is going to be looked at in all schedules K through 12 to make sure that students have access to something for everyone. What does their data say? Do they need retach? Do they need enrichment? Do they where do they need retach? So that again it's not everything is the same, but it's something
090for everyone and it's based on data and making sure that in our continuum of service we are dedicating time for that academic instruction enrichment if need be andor the reteing. Why do schedules matter with the continuum of service? I think that we were hearing a lot of what this is going to drive this or this is going to drive that. Really, they go together. You can't have those conversations in isolation. You have to consider what schedules look like when you're determining continuum of services and talking about that student's data. If you have students that have a particular need, you have to be able to look at your schedule and find time to provide services to support that need. So, it's really important. It's not one or the other. Those things dovetail together and they have
091to be part and parcel of the same conversation when you're talking about a continuum of services for students. Where would you provide those services? It has to be somewhere within that master schedule. So that's why it's so important that those conversations take place together and not in isolation. Things that we have to um do when we're looking at students and their services, we really have to be careful to avoid predetermination pitfalls. We can't just design a schedule based off kids IPs. We also have to design a schedule that meets instructional requirements in minutes and then like I said before find time within that schedule to provide those services that a student's IEP indicates. We need to make sure that we don't fall into that label category. Every student with learning disabilities gets that 30 minutes
092of pull out because they're a student with learning disabilities. No. What does their data say? Are they close to grade level in some areas? let's make sure they're getting that service. Um, I've heard Dr. Saps say it before, grade level instruction every day for all students. Those students that are in that area to receive that need to be exposed to that. And then if they need some of those other areas of continuum that we've mentioned, then we provide that as well. We have to make sure that we don't replace core instruction with other things. Core instruction has to be protected and provided. We don't want to replace that with any of those other things that we've talked about like MTSS or intervention. You need the core instruction and then build upon that. We don't want
093to replace that for students. Predetermining services, we want to make sure we avoid that. And we also want to make sure that we consider sk students and their schedules as we finish that design on our master schedules. One more reason why this is really important and how this matters is consistent is the consistency among schedules across the district. We want to make sure that if students move from place to place, they're getting equitable education in Berkeley County schools. We don't want a student to be in the north end, go to the south end, and not have access to all the same services that they were previously getting. It's also great for district comparable data. We want to make sure that we're providing everything we need to provide and can compare what those services are looking
094like. Um, the other thing that's really important is when you have consistent master schedules, there's no question about your continuum of services across the district. You're making sure that you're providing all of that as well. I think that wraps up my slides. afterwards. >> Um, so to piggy back off of what the what the team had shared, um, one of the things that we've been trying to do is engage our principles in that master schedule dial like like when we think about everything, um, as it relates to those continuum of services. Um when we also think about all of the information that we've gleaned over the last several years from the um special circumstance reports that um pretty much looked at each programmatic level, elementary, middle, and high school. And then if you also think
095about um our CSI reports um that we got for some of our schools, really looking at what are some of the things that they're saying as it relates to to our master schedules. Are there some things that we can kind of glean through it and look? So, some of the conversations have been um very um systematically, but then also some things that we've noticed at different levels just to to kind of look through and and help our principles kind of think about. So at the elementary level, one of the big things um that has come up is just ensuring that we're protecting tier one instruction or instruction um and as it relates to uh House Bill 3035. Also, um some of the guidance that a lot of our administrators and and teachers are getting as
096it relates to science of reading and letters. Um one thing they all stress is that core instruction has to remain protected. you know, if you're pulling students in and out of core instruction, there's always going to be some type of seismic gap. So, as we think about what those MTSS and intervention services look like at that level, but then also really talking to our educators to hopefully remove examples like this where students are getting from tier one instruction. Um, I know several of you all have engaged with us in walkthroughs and you've actually been with some of us and actually seen it kind of kind of occur and we want to help our principles really kind of think through that and help them um make sure that as they're they're planning these schedules and putting
097these supports in place, we can minimize those things from occurring. At the middle school level, one of the things we've really kind of dived into is um alignment to policy 2510. Um and especially as it relates to our ELA structure and uh course intent. Um so one of the things that has come up when we review those schedules that we've identified deviations from uh the intent of what policy 2510 um has wanted us to do. So one of the good examples is um for reading. So, the policy states that reading um is not a standalone core core course. It it's supposed to be built into the fabric of what you do for ELA. Um if it is built into the fabric and you you try to do what they consider like a separate reading course,
098there wouldn't be a grade that's associated with it. The grade would go through ELA. If the reading course is built separately, it would be built like an elective for students if they would need that that extra support. but it wouldn't be built within that that core function. Um so one of the things we we've started engaging the administrators in is like what that kind of looks like. How do we help them um kind of build that out? And um we definitely want to compliment um folks at the department of ed. We we've had some great conversations with them to really kind of dive into it and to make sure as we're interpreting it the right way, how would they like to kind of see some of that guidance as we put forth that our other
099schools and then um at the high school level ensuring that we have that flexibility uh for post-secary readiness and and graduation outcomes as you know as it relates to the balance scorecard. So, um, one of the many examples is just really thinking about if we have a student, let's say, for example, a sophomore, and they have failed a math course, but they're pursuing one of our career clusters. Um, do they still have uh multiple pathways to remain on track? is there based on what they might need to to make up that course and still go down whatever CTE route for example that they want to the the schedule allows that they can still get that um remediation or that support and they don't have to make a difficult decision where they say hey I can
100no longer um be a part of that CTE cluster now I have to kind of change pathways um as we know the more um options that we can provide for that it will keep us on track as it relates for the balance scorec card um specifically about our post-secary achievement threshold which has to be uh 65% or higher at our schools and then also to maintain our ontrack graduation rate of 90%. So the big um key takeaways that myself and the members of the team want you all to think about is as we're having these conversations as it relates to the continuum of services just um really making sure that we're being very proactive on some of the things that we have have seen in some of these reports. Um but most importantly also to
101make sure we just protect core instruction that we're not um putting putting teachers and students in in positions where students are getting pulled or missing out on instruction which can um impact their learning. >> Questions questions. Um, I had a mitigator when I was reading while I was reading this meeting and sometimes I I I feel sorry, not sometimes in this case I feel sorry for principles. It sounds like they have to walk on water when they're developing this schedule protecting everyone. I remember as a teacher having one class where we had the the students faced into my class and it seemed like my classes expectations or productivity went down rather than the the average students who were in there and the students who had a co-teer in there with them. I mean I just
102I just saw a difference there. I don't know if that was part of my expectations, but I I I was worried about the regular suits and everything. But one one question I have is you're not going to miss core instruction, your ELA, your mayor, and then you tell that, okay, we'll pull these kids out at other times. I think part of the IEP process, you you should identify to the to the child which of your specials would you mind that you really want to go to and you get them there like AZ or or something, but then you let the OAPS occur during the other special classes because that would work best. But we have this weighted mentality that says, "Well, they can't miss specials." Now we're saying they can't miss core subjects. And so
103what are they going to miss? They can't miss recess. And you don't want to hold them out very much. So I'm just sitting there listening and thinking about the principal sitting there trying to do this. A second that's a concern but question I want to ask is why can't they during the IEP process identify some of the special classes which are not a big priority to the child. Well, the team speaks specifically about the IEP, but what I'll say is on um as we're helping them with the schedule now, we're actually helping the principles identify um if I can use for example like at the elementary level that there are pockets of time where there's like the maybe like 15 to 20 minute sections in between different portions of the core and their electives where
104they can actually provide some type of intervention or enrichment. and it's still not um messing up the rest of the student's schedule. So, there is still time to do it. What what we're just trying to make sure is that when there when there needs to be intervention, there's teachers are or classes aren't being put in a position where like if I'm 20 minutes into my math class, somebody's pulling kids out and then I miss them for 20 minutes and then, you know, the next day it's the same thing or the following day. So then after a while, you know, that might not seem like a lot, but if but if I'm getting pulled 15 to 20 minutes every time, you know, I'm teaching or I'm introducing a lesson, there is going to start being a
105gap that gets built. And it's and it's hard um for the teacher to to really then play catch-up with the student. But that is actually something that when we're look at the schedules, you know, with some fine-tuning what what our principles are finding, we're able to to have a a very solid support structure, but then also to make sure we capture all these continuum of services that we have to do, especially for our our most at risk students. Did you ask him a question? >> I I'm just sitting there saying I agree with what you're saying. Why? Why send the candidate student to your math class and he misses the initial math class and he's graded on the initial math class which he missed half of. I see I see that. I'm just saying why
106do we have say protected courses like specials when the child needs the extra time and if you have to sacrifice the time which is more important to that child the remediation or the music choice >> that are that is some of the decisions we do have to make uh and that is some of the considerations we do make in those meetings that um and sometimes it comes out during the actual scheduling of the child that when we when weekend especially when it comes down to like when we have OT services or speech we have to look at uh when those gaps when they're available right we don't want to pull that's an absolutely one of the things we do not want to do so we do have to look at what where can we pull
107from and that might be music it might be one of those >> like the various >> I would let the child say hey I do not want to miss this special class. I mean, that's and I don't want to hold it over. Well, if you do better, you'll get to go to that class. I don't want to do that. Let him go to the class and enjoy what he enjoys most. But he has five, usually five special classes and let him pick one and you send him to that time slot to the >> I think that could be one definitely a consideration in those meetings. We can have those conversations around okay, what would be your preference? It might not always work out, but it could be a conversation we definitely could have >> or
108at least a rating of one, two, three. Which one? >> Well, their preference or their parents prefer. >> Exactly. Parents do as well. So, I I understand that as well. So, >> I do think we need to think about at high school, you have to have a certain number of credits and electives also are part of the credits, right? And a student may not like art at all and say, I want to miss art every day. And that they're not going to get their credits. So, um, that's something and there's so many different things and components that we have to look at. Um, when they're not in high school, it's a little bit easier to do that. But once they do get in high school, we've got to think about what credits do they have
109to have. Um, and if that's the class that they prefer to miss, we can't have them miss it every time. with the CPE approach. We can allow woodworking to be an art class or some things like that too. >> There is credit. Yes, sir. >> Yeah. Uh but follow up on you. I was just thinking we do have some master scheduling going on in the county now like the first 90 minutes of the class of the day is reading or something I believe. So are we are we talking about having everybody at the same moment on the same thing in master schedule here? Is that what this presentation said? >> No. So every that so not every school will be having English simultaneously at the same time. We're we're talking more about the the structure
110of the minutes mean like for instruction and then we're also talking about if we're saying um going back to the slides earlier if we're saying like these are the continuum of services that there should be these different um services offered. Does your schedule have that built in there where you can if a student has an IEP? Whatever the need of the child is, there is somewhere for that student. But then also being proactive having that MTSS intervention period so that there can be supports because you know even our our best students there is going to be something that they they struggle with. you know, I might be the best English teacher. I mean, excuse me, a best English student, but I might be an average or maybe below average math student. So, there are going
111to be some concepts that I'm going to need some support on. We just want to make sure there's mechanisms in place for all students. So, that way, um, as decisions have to get made and things come up, we're not putting ourselves in a predicament where we we end up with a a school or schools where they don't have all the service models. And because that is one of the big things that came out of all of those compliance reportings that there was only like maybe one possibly two service models and not the full full spectrum. Also, I think when so many students moves would move move from one end of county to the other and mental uh specifically get those um um courses or they help that they need because of the different ways schedule
112is implemented >> and I think that's what we were talking about equitable not exactly the same but equitable services so some level of consistenc Yes, ma'am. >> Anything else for Dr. Woods? >> I I I I like the breakdown that you have here between the co-eing, the resource service, the rear services. I I like that. My my assumption is that not every single one of these is that every single school, am I correct? >> I mean, currently, >> currently, yes, >> that is true. Okay, that is true. Um, what does that look like if we were to have that in every single one of our schools? >> Um, from an instruction standpoint, it will it will just ensure that we have all these different services in place. Um, >> I mean, is that a goal
113of ours that that we're trying to make sure that we have all all of those services at every every school? >> Yes, ma'am. that our schedule allows for whatever the student needs that we can we can do that >> eventually. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Something that one of the special circumstances reports did identify when they came they came three years in a row the state did that the code teaching was not being offered in the elementary intermediate. So and so there wasn't a continuum of services. So that was something that they did identify and we we've worked and continue to work to try to get that at the schools. >> Thank you. >> Anything else? >> Just to Dr. S. when we adopted our cell phone policy, it was inclusive of both staff and state,
114right? Uh, I would have to research it, but I believe so. Yes, >> that's what I remember. >> Okay, good. >> Yes, I was prepared for that question. >> I know. I mean, I was I was under the influence of the >> test. you all did it. But I I just I've just heard the complaint that sometimes we have people who are not doing the work focused on the student but focus on a on a device in the past. And I was just wondering >> if that was inclusive in the policy that we said staff you you're working with child not with the uh not with the >> I will get you an answer before the end of this board meeting to double check. I don't want to make an assumption. I believe that is
115correct. But I can I can see >> but we are I have some team members that are actively searching >> for whatever because that was a big issue with staff that you search like that but >> yeah I do apologize but Carla can you answer that question since you are actively looking or you need some more time. Um, it is just students. >> Yeah, it's just students because >> Oh, well, I didn't think it would be students. >> Well, >> however, however, >> however, with that being said, that that, you know, um, we do have employee codes of conduct and those sort of things that talk about, you know, u, the fact they need to be focusing on students and instruction and those sort of things. And that of course we have some positions that
116that you know absolutely absolutely prohibit it like for example bus drivers >> but but um if it if there is a problem there then we know that our principles are addressing that and they're made aware of it too. So >> I did I actually did think that there was a limit to how much staff could use your vote in their classroom during class per >> maybe it's not that specific policy maybe it's somewhere else in a different policy. I guess not. I hope something duty. >> What' you say? >> The neglective duty issue. >> Well, we don't want to go there. >> I have a question. >> Thank you. >> And thank you, staff. >> Next, Mr. Tyson. >> And as you're mosing up here, would you close that door because the heat has not
117shut off, so we've already mosied up here. So, >> oh, bless your heart. So, so are you hot? >> Yeah, I'm warm. >> Oh, that's >> that's a change. >> Well, when that thermostat's broke that the heat shut off all the heat. >> That was the intent or you probably was sleeping. >> Well, good evening everyone. I've got your bond and construction updates. The first slide will be the Hedgeville Early Learning Academy. And currently in the front office spaces, all of the drywall installation is complete. Painting has happened. That would be the lower left portion of this picture. Uh perimeter sidewalks are essentially finished except for a few that finish um this week. Not much happened last week as you can imagine, but they almost completed the sidewalks before the snow, but they'll finish that
118up this week. And that's around the entire perimeter of the building. also around the entire perimeter of the uh the closed in playground area. You might remember um has a concrete sidewalk and then they'll come in with the playground and do a foreign play service in that area. The exterior metal siding panels are being installed. This is on the motor skills room is primarily where you'll see that that feature and a couple other places throughout the the building. And the last section of the building that was delayed is being closed in uh which is represented by this picture here. Uh that's a a summary there. The completion date is May the 5th and then as soon as this wraps up uh we're prepared to start bringing in furniture and get everything set up and ready.
119Questions on hedges though? >> Great. >> Come along. >> Very good architect has worked hard. >> That's right. it not because he's sitting in the room that you're saying is it >> sorry Ernie >> the next project is the Martinsburg fine arts edition which is the the focus of course is the auditorium that's the last piece to finish up and right now the biggest thing that's happening is all of the acoustical panels are being installed and um simultaneously the plaster repair guy is almost finished that's been quite a process a lot of plaster work needed to be done in that space. So that is always finished. Painting is following along behind uh the the plaster uh work. And then the um HVAC duct work, they are always finished. I try to get a picture to
120show you this one right here. See how the duct is hanging down below where the panels landed. And so uh that of course is not going to be a good look. And so they're raising those back up. That's the last piece they have to do is to raise a few of those diffusers back up. sodium line panels. Um, in the month of March, they will begin installing all the seating and then this project is still on schedule to finish April the 6th. >> Are they new seats or the old seats? >> New seats. Brand new seats. >> Do you know if um I don't know if anybody knows, but are there going to be any scheduled events prior to the end of the year in that auditorium? >> I don't Can I talk to uh
121principal uh Miranda Lynch there about such things? And uh yes, there's going to be something not quite sure what that is. I think she was kind of hesitant to schedule anything until she knows for sure that April 6th it's going to be rev but yeah there will be something I'm sure school want to do. >> It'll at least be ribbit >> graduation. I think actually that is I think that actually is on the agenda is to have a overflow graduation there or bit of a rain. >> Uh the next one is Mountain Ridge Primary School. Um prior to the snow there was continued work with black masonry happening and setting up all the steel dwarf units. Um they're going to get started again this week. Last week they spent most of the time clearing snow
122and then getting the site prepped again for work this week. The uh the site lighting is in progress and almost finished up. Uh you can see like down this road you'll see these little concrete peers that seems like they're everywhere but that is almost finished up. The um the plumbing rough end of course electrical all these guys are following along behind the block installation. And then the uh steel girder trusses and uh roof decking. All of that is in progress. They're getting closed in little by little and they'll pick up the piece again this week of course now that they're able to get in there and work. Um I provided for you somewhat of a schedule. I know you had a question about this at the last meeting, but the one of the big concerns
123is what about this road entrance off of Jared'stown Road. So there's the proposed schedule. uh the Department of Highways, we should have have the submission and approval by March 11th. And then at that point, we can uh do the bidding of this project for the road entrance. Bids will be due probably the end of April. And then I'll be back on May the 4th uh for approval of that part of this contract which is basically clipping in and tying in that road entrance off of Jerusale which also adds a turning lane similar to what already exists at the other entrance of the intermediate and the middle school sections. Any questions on Mountain Ridge Primary? Well, >> it's really come along, hasn't it? >> It's come along. Yeah, >> absolutely. >> Looks great. >> Who's contractor?
124War uh Warner Warner construction same as um the head of budget. >> All right. The last thing is um about to happen and that's the Inwood Early Learning Academy. And so I've met with uh Mckenley last week to get the final schedule of how this is going to roll out. And so this is a proposed schedule. I think it's going to happen like this. They think it's going to happen like this. I advertised this project for bid next week. uh pre-bid meeting February 24th which is one of those mandatory on-site type of things and then March 3rd or maybe March the 10th they weren't quite sure kind of go back and forth and that would be the bid opening and the intention is to be back before you on the March 16th board meeting uh
125to present uh this for approval and then of course construction to happen as soon as possible following that approval and review process. >> That's exciting. Um, can you and I I did not follow up with you, but I know that you have found a solution, but we have a plan to be able to preserve playground area for the students uh when that starts. Is that correct? >> Uh, yes, that is correct. Yeah, I still need to, of course, meet with the school about that. I'm waiting on a actual over site plan drawing so that I can present that to the school to show them how that's going to impact their last two months of school where we're going to start construction, but that's going to of course restrict the space of the playground. So, as
126soon as I get that, I'm going to be sharing that with the school so they know what what our plan is. I did meet the principal so you know kind of what our intention is. >> But we are developing a plan. you know developing this plan and >> they have a they have some playground they have some playground activity area uh even while construction begin. Uh yes, thank you. >> Will Falling Waters be on this schedule? Will we see things? >> You will see Falling Waters. I didn't have enough information to confidently share with you tonight, but at the next board meeting, I'll give you some timelines for the Falling Waters uh project. We are uh working on doing tree removal. Uh we're getting some quotes right now because there's a lot of acreage of
127trees that need removed. Uh there's some other you there's a a house there that needs demolished and some cleanup things like that. So those things are in the works. Um but once I get some more dates uh that are set, I'll update you at the next meeting. >> That that project though, Mr. Murphy, is progressing very uh aggressively. Uh we've had several follow-up meetings with the architects uh to um uh finalize and hone the uh square footage and the the spaces. And we've pretty much gotten to a good point there. They're working on some um uh I guess aesthetical uh uh considerations as it relates to like certain roof lines and those sort of things. And I believe in talking with the lead architect on the project, they're going to be updating us sometime either
128this week or or early next week. Um uh but as as Mr. Tyson has uh mentioned, there's some preliminary work that we'll go ahead and start moving on the properties. Um and then we're we're working on like a a May May timeline to go out the bid. >> Uh that's all I have for you in advance. Did the snow impact any of the schedules? >> It did not impact the schedules. I mean certainly it it messed up them being able to work but um it did not impact the schedule. >> Well uh what um that early learning cabin were they able to work inside? >> They were able to work inside. Yeah. The portion of that is closed off and heated and so they were able to continue working on on that. The only thing
129that it delayed not that it's a schedule delay but it just they they couldn't finish pouring all the sidewalls. >> Okay. because the temperatures but this week they'll be able to finish that up. That was the last piece of concrete work outside around the right around the immediate. >> Any questions for >> just any major problems with the existing the 32 buildings? Yeah, >> there the significant problems were um I think we had two portables where we had some frozen pipes and uh so I think u I think they have been fall as of today. So there was two schools impacted because just the portables because of frozen pipes >> I can imagine. So especially board no first >> not very um update on the potential bar call in the language for financial options. >>
130Good evening president Dr. sex. Uh we've been working with the SBA, our architect firm, BS Rice, uh the bond uh accounting firm as well, trying to hone this presentation for Dr. sex to get ready for uh Wednesday's meeting with the SBA and we have submitted a letter to the SBA uh to be able to include them in an upcoming bond election if you so choose to put that ballot before uh the citizens of Berkeley County. Uh one of the things we spent a lot of time last week looking at was what are the actual costs of these bond projects uh and going through this very carefully uh with the architect firm and their estimators. Uh, and you'll notice compared to our previous conversations, a lot of these projects increased and caused mainly because we added
131the contingency speed as well as escalation for 3% for a year for a couple years there to allow for knowing when the bonds will be sold in 27. That the cost that we had before was actually the cost per square footage to build it currently without any extra fee. Uh so as you Leo if you don't scroll down uh through this bond language the chart here uh before we get started I just want to share with the board we do have uh Mr. Nassiff who is our uh finance council and then we also have um uh Mr. Tom Piery from Bulls Rice who is our bond council um who is who are both with us. they've been working on this project with us. So that if there are any specific questions regarding specific language or
132finance amounts and those sort of things, they'll be available to answer some of those questions as well. I apologize. I just wanted to share that. Yes, the Hedgesville Middle School, the new school, uh this would be uh written there and also the language was really on the bond from your previous draft shows a strong emphasis on the CTE portion because of the land as well as what will be done with the existing facility using that uh to turn around to do some alternative education and secondary programming within that facility. So that gives us a little more flexibility if we need to using some bond dollars to fix up the current facility if necessary during that time period. Um as we move through that one is there. Then we look at the workforce development center and
133CTE center. Uh this is a you notice a split there of the SBA dollars versus bond dollars. Uh requesting more for SBA or other sources for that project. So that way if for some reason uh the SBA dollar would change uh based upon the needs project when that is submit submitted to them uh during that time period if we were unfunded completely we would have some flexibility to try to get some of the projects still completed during that time period. Uh you will be hearing uh in the coming weeks the handover market study research to be able to talk about the programs uh that we would include in such facility as we get closer to that time period. the addition to south. Uh this is the one where we looked at bringing the students out
134of the portables uh and also doing some work within the school to do some more uniformity within that. Uh this language was more flexible uh based upon how those bids come in and alternatives that you could add to it. uh during this time and this is one of the projects we did see a larger increase uh in that as we added things uh to the project base to look at during this time period besides just the classrooms. >> Could could you name some of those things just so the publicware? So, we're looking at uniform flooring throughout uh some updating with the painting. Uh depending upon where the cost, it may or may not include HVAC just depends on the cost at that time because this would be something that we could look at in a
135later date once we got the other two major projects. You were a couple years away. So, depend on the escalation of prices of construction at that time to what exactly you could do. We said a lot of flexibility there besides the permanent classrooms and the safety and security aspect in the front. Uh reoing some of that but our main focus really is getting the students out of portables into a brick and mortar structure but within the building must high cafeteria. This is one that we are still working with the architecture firm to figure out exactly what needs to be done here. Uh our last thoughts were at some point is to add one a new kitchen and then that uses all that space to be able to reconfigure that flexible space for our seating capacity
136of our students. >> And that's the goal there is to definitely increase the seating capacity just so that um because honestly the the cafeteria and kitchen were built to accommodate a smaller size and so that is definitely the goal there. And this is another project you saw a larger increase before I believe one year previous it was down around $3 million. So you saw this almost double in cost because of the nature of trying to be able to expand this landlocked almost facility between classrooms and a gym. You only have the ability to go backwards uh with this project uh during this time period. >> You mean backwards >> behind the school direction not progression. >> Correct. Well, um, >> when we go backwards, I worry about the, uh, >> we should there's enough land
137there with the docks and everything and the road and a little bit of extra space. We should not impede even the road to be able to go towards the tennis courts or anything. It won't affect any of that at all. >> Just worry about the caverns and all that back through there and sinking. Um, so we go backwards. I guess that'll all be >> correct. >> Uh the Spring Mills Road campus, they're still studying on that one. There's no changes there on the cost that was put towards that out of the bond compile uh for that. uh leaving this a little open based upon what the project as well as what a traffic study or impact study would show us what exactly really truly is needed there to affect the uh spring on campus and
138the safety aspect for parents and our students and guests to visit campus during that time. And I'd also just like to share with the board that, you know, one of the the key pieces of information we wanted to make sure we included in here um is that in in our work in our collaboration with the the state road um is that we recognize that there there are uh certain do grants and uh state grants and things like that that may be available. And you know, if this was to remain in the bond call and the voters approve the bond, the the 2.5 million can be used as as matching funds um to to do even more on the Spring Bills Road uh campus uh to alleviate some of the congestion. Um, you know, what we're
139asking for is that the the minimum the minimum amount, which would be in order for us to do some turning lanes and those sort of things, which we um know will will definitely improve site access, but uh the goal would be is if we can get some matching grants as part of the the bond measures, we may be even able to to do a secondary entrance on the back side. Uh here we have Rosemont with the SBA project that we put forward earlier this year that was just under the line uh for that project. Uh looking at the cost of this uh would be to add the again remove the kindergarten classrooms out of the portable to be able to put them in a permanent structure next to the building as well as looking at
140how we can renovate the kitchen and gymnate the gym area. Uh and as well as the student or the staff work rooms to get that out of that area so that there's more space for our students in those areas uh during that time period to be able to provide services to our students. uh Tomahawk is the only intermediate that has a gym and captorium uh way was laced. So, uh, given the size of school and being an intermediate in our in the current situation, looking at adding some sort of multi-purpose space, uh, to this facility, uh, that would did allow for it to be a separate standalone cafeteria area that connects to the current kitchen with some updates to the kitchen to expand it a little bit at the same time. Uh, and then that
141would free up the, uh, gym that they currently have. uh that way you could get special dement during their lunch hours if necessary uh during that time period. the Edgeville classroom. This again was part of the SBA presentation that we asked for uh is to get students out of those portables that are there approximately eight classrooms uh to put those addition onto uh the the actual school during that time period uh and the associated restrooms and everything that would come with that uh addition at that point. I just want to share that you know when we had uh approached the SBA on this project we had also include a renovation to the cafeteria space. Um we did um you know take a look at trying to make sure that the project lists uh fit the
142the the the scope of what you know we had talked about uh with it for the most part of the bonding uh amount to keep taxes relatively as close as possible to what the voters approved in 2022. That that that required that we had to make some amendments in certain places. This is one such example. Um we did reduce the scope of this project um to just the classrooms and those associated restrooms. If you know additional money becomes available then obviously the the cafeteria space renovation could possibly be included depending upon you know um if if there's bond dollars left over at the end. But here specifically what we're committing to is is prioritizing classrooms um at Hedgesville. >> Right. Another the the next project is another one of those that we reduced in scope
143was the HVAC in Martinsburg. Uh this is to look at the UTOP rooftop unit itself uh and getting that replaced. That's over 25 years for Martinsburg versus finishing up what we took out was the uh geothermal for the rest of the building just to get kind of keep it within line of what is needed versus what we really a wish list item uh during that time to be able to provide that comfort for the students at Martinsburg High School. doesn't mean it's not possible in the future. It just means we're not tying it to this specifics. >> The the existing uh geo process we put down using what's already there, >> right? It just doesn't do the entire school. >> Yeah. >> There's still the other units operating within that building. and brother systems. Uh
144the final project of inclusion in this bond call that we're presenting to you for your consideration uh this week is the improvements to Muscleman High uh with the female uh addition to the wrestling facility as well as safety improvements for the existing press box. uh during that time uh you'll kind of see at all totals with all this information with the SBA in the bond election and other sources. Uh we hope that the the total projects will be over60 million. Uh we're proposing that the bond project itself be about $15 million. That's so we've given you two options to look at the original 1125 as well as 115 million. Uh looking at some of the new numbers, Mr. Nass could kind of talk you through that with the homestead exemption. That two and a half
145million uh is less than $2 with the homestead exemption increase for that uh that he sent this evening to us. So some of these numbers are still changing as we're working through this time period. So, uh, with the estimated cost of the insurance the bond, you would be putting before the the public in Berkeley County 15,400,000 the possible bond measure. So, thank you, Dr. Gulie. Just a couple points of clarification that I'm going to ask Mr. Nassf, Mr. Nassf, if you can just share the difference between the 112 uh million version and the 115 so that the board can see that. >> Sure. Um, the first thing I want to stress though is that uh the school building authority uh will be hearing a presentation uh on Wednesday morning at 10:00 a.m. from us to
146uh determine uh the amount of money to allow to to bless us with to put in the bond call. Um and uh at current juncture uh the executive director um based upon his recommendation that is currently um uh on the the public agenda um he is recommending to his board to uh grant Berkeley County Schools the ability to include $45 million as matching uh funding as a matching funding source. Um so we're very much grateful to Mr. Neptune for making that recommendation to the board. Um, and you know, we're we're very hopeful that the board uh will see this as a um one a commitment from the school system um as well as the potential commitment to of our voters to uh support what's going on here in Berkeley County to address both our capacity
147challenges and workforce development opportunities. Um so we remain optimistic that um uh that that uh that will be granted but um as you know we have a special meeting at 4:00 that afternoon to finalize uh any kind of bond call uh language. And so I would like for Mr. Na Mr. Nassiff if if appropriate to just share the difference between 112 and a half compared to the 115. And of course, you know, we wanted to look at 115 because we felt like it it allowed us the opportunity to get all of these projects done within a with with our reasonable budgets. Um, we did have to again make some reductions. One of the other programs that we we also did reduce that I just wanted to bring to to to light though that you'll see
148that is not on here was that was discussed was the Jaredstown um elementary repurposing for an alternative uh alternative school. And again, it's not because we don't want to still move in that direction possibly for elementary programming. Uh but when we looked at the totality of elementary and and middle school, high school programs, uh we were going to have to add about 12,000 square ft to that facility to accommodate all the needs. And there again, we felt like having Hedgesville Middle School was the the the U middle school and high school programming. It was going to require very very little if any uh resources um at least at this point uh to repurpose that building and it it keeps that the the preservation of that building. Um so we thought that was important. as it
149relates to the Jaredstown facility, uh we we feel that we have a long-term commitment to to you know trying to make sure that that facility is also being well utilized uh both from the interim ability of our prek center for next year uh for Inwood to uh looking at how we can move our elementary alternative programs perhaps to that site. And so we want to be able to continue to explore that. But again, we don't think that the financial commitment is going to be nearly as high as what we thought if we're only going to have elementary there. So just wanted to share the the rhyme and the reason um as to how those edits took place from our last conversation. >> CT before I turn over to Mr. Nat, are there any questions about
150how we honed that project list? >> Okay. the CTE spent 45 >> the CTE center. So that's a really good question. So in talking with SBA the it's actually the SBA project is actually um I'm sorry the CTE building is actually at 56,300,000. Um, we are asking for consideration of the SBA to fund that portion of the project at 35 million and uh, Martinsburg South at 10 because they may not be able to give us if if the bond is approved, they may not be able to give us all that one lump sum. So, we need to spread it out over maybe a project or two. >> Okay. Uh, Mr. Nassf, uh, could you share the two different finance scenarios, please? >> Sure. Um would you me to pull it up on the screen or
151just discuss briefly because the impact is pretty similar. It's a negligible between the two scenarios. Um the >> you can bring up the scenario you put in your email just so that they can see that written out perhaps. >> Absolutely. Let me do that right now. Okay. Okay. One second. And on the fourth we will have all our right. >> Yeah. He he's actually sent them to us today so we can and we'll send them the video. >> Correct. Yep. Let me guess. >> Well, the ones you have. So, just to share with you board the ones that were shared with you originally. U Mr. Nassf has updated as early as today those numbers. Um and it means that there's they're we're actually in a better position than we thought. So, so that's a good
152thing and that's what he's going to share. So, and then we will get you those refresh documents sent to you as soon as possible. >> Yeah, I think um the the key here, let's take a look at these right here. >> You zoom in just a little bit more. Oh, thank you. >> Yeah, let me see if I get these. I'll get this as big as I can. How's that? >> Pretty good. >> Okay, great. U the the changes from what's in your board packets are actually an improvement. It's a slight reduction based on using higher assessed valuations in the county. Slightly higher. Um so the the impact if you can you all hear me by the way? >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. Very good. Uh so uh the important thing to note here is
153that we took a look at the series 2023 bond election order what the voters approved. Um and so based on what they approved um and the analysis that was done at that time for that particular bond issue, the amount uh for a class two I know this is kind of a little the columns are a little messed up here, but the typical class two which is a residentialowned home of $200,000 appraised value that the voters approved at that time on a monthly basis an a tax of about $18.96 per month or $22752. And so what we did was we took a look at these new sizes, this 112 million. And the result is, as you can see, per month is an increase of less than $1 a month from what the voters approved. And for
154115 million, it's only tw per month on a per monthly basis about 22 cents per month higher to actually borrow another 2 and a.5 million. What that means on an annual basis for voters is that the 112,500,000 for a typical 200,000 appraised home um for class 2 uh $236.40 40 cents would be their combined um this is what they are authorizing. Uh we expect that to be lower and the amount as an impact of $15 million would be $264 higher for the whole year. And you can see what they approved were about $98 little little less than $9 per year uh to move uh to put a $112.5 million bond issue together. And if you increase it to 115, it is $264 per year more. It the the differences for homestead exemption um those particular
155taxpayers are you know you can see here even less. So the difference between the 197 and the 199 I think that's what $180 um difference per year. So this would be the analysis that we prepared that would um ultimately the levy rates that we would be showing you would um for the individual bonds and I don't have those up on the screen but I can that will essentially will will be what we would be using in your bond election order when we come back on Wednesday but wanted to know if there are any questions regarding how what the impact potentially is on the voters coming to the um you to to to kind of you know at the day of the election to approve this bond levy >> question just for Mr. ask >> just
156just cuz I'm I'm I'm being anal. >> Well, stop the anal and just ask. >> I understand. I'm just making sure I'm understanding. Before our previous scenarios from back in 2022 for that bond, >> correct >> were the those bottom numbers. >> Yep. So, this series 23 right here would be what the voters authorized. >> Yeah. Right. And then our numbers for this year preliminarily are just a smidge higher. >> $79 or so. >> Yeah, it's about uh exactly $9 higher. Uh little less than $9. Yeah. October. >> If you look at it on a monthly basis, which sometimes it depends on how you know taxes are paid semiannual and annual, but you can see on a monthly basis, it's less than a dollar per month higher. So, we really tried to keep the, you
157know, that that that, you know, these these scenarios very tight with what the voters approved in 23. And of course that's the maximum that would be what they're authorizing is the maximum of what we would sell the bond for. So this is this would be worst case scenario >> based upon interest rates and all that sort of stuff and in all like what what they would see as something that would be less. >> Yeah. Significantly lower because this is sized on a 5.5% interest rate. Nobody can kind of look in a crystal ball to see where things will be when you're ready to do your bonds. um early next year. Um and so we would expect based on today's market that rate to be 4% or lower depending on you know market conditions. And so
158this you know this is kind of be very truthful to the voters. This is what they're authorizing you right to kind of move forward on the goal ultimately and if rates could cooperate would be that the actual levy rate would be significantly less. >> Yeah. And and I just add to the extent that assessed valuations rise between now and the time of issuance that would also have the natural impact of driving down uh the burden per taxpayer. So I think board members um what would be you know what would be helpful is if there is any discomfort to uh the $115 million proposal. just making sure that we are aware of that so we can hone the budget uh in preparation for um that to be uh put on the agenda for for Wednesday. Um
159>> that's a decision that we have to make here. Well, what I would say is that ancillary, I mean, obviously we don't want to vote on it tonight, but but I think if if there if there's >> questions, >> if there's questions that will help us and then of course, you know, uh we'll be prepared to present however you you see fit on Wednesday. >> Questions? >> The language, I mean, I'm not questioning the gentleman's numbers. The language, it gives you the flexibility that things come in lower. the money that you save you can shift elsewhere in the in the county. >> Once all bond projects have been completed >> then could be done but it's it's only but it's only on the bond projects the the the site. So um Mr. Piery >> can
160you can you help answer that question for Mr. um uh Murphy please? >> Absolutely and it's a good question. So to the extent um there are access funds available those funds may be applied to the projects listed in the bond call. Now upon the completion of every single project so so that's you know no additional dollar no additional construction equipping improvement etc then those if there are any funds remaining um then those may be used for other capital projects within the district. Um but but in in our experience a lot of times to the extent those surpluses are available they're they're reallocated to the other bond projects that are listed in the bond call and that is permitted. Is is that responsive? >> Yes sir. I I just wanted to make sure that we had
161the flexibility if if uh if things come in lower uh or the market changes and you you can get your labor lower or whatever um that that we have that flexibility. >> Let me say that the amount that you are borrowing is a is a maximum amount. So when you, you know, even if interest rates are lower, you're still borrowing 100 million 112,500,000 or or or the U, I'm sorry, the 112, 900,000 or the 115,400,000. And so the only difference is the amount of debt service that has to be paid. It has an an impact you if the maximum rate's 550 and you can only borrow X. If the rate comes in lower, it just means less taxpayer dollars required to repay the bond. >> Mr. Piery, oh, Mrs. Mr. Piery, uh, Mrs. Long had
162a question. >> Um, I I just wanted to reiterate that what uh Mr. Pierce said that we can that language will be on on the bond call about uh being able to use that money for other projects that's listed on the bond call. Right. >> That's correct. And in fact, it's also on the ballot that will be before the voters. And so to the extent permitted by by law, we give maximum flexibility to reallocate those projects or or those funds to the projects to the extent surpluses exist. >> Okay. Thank you. Other questions for Mr. for Mr. Percy or Miss Dr. F. I think we are good. Thank you all very much. Appreciate it. >> Thank you. We appreciate your opportunity. >> Thank you. We'll see you on Wednesday. >> Yep. >> Yes. >> Anything
163else? Next on the agenda is the consent agenda. Have a motion to approve the consent agenda presented. >> So move. >> Second. Second. All >> in favor? >> I motion carries. >> Action items. Um, discussion of possible uh adoption of a card policy. EL policies says Ryan will hand over. If it's okay with you, we can go we can go one by one and I can explain and then uh but item 10.1 is um uh the policy on purchase on the government P purchasing card. This policy had been reviewed by council um and there were no edits. Um but the and the policy was out for public review and comment from January 6 through the 21st. And Madam President, I recommend approval of the um adoption of Berkeley County file DL. >> Were there any
164comments? I apologize. No comments. Okay. >> Um do we want to do these separately or all together? Well, separate. I have questions. >> Okay. I have a motion to >> Oh, you have a question on that? >> I have question. I have questions on several. >> Okay. Question. >> Okay. So my question um for the PE card um if there's a balance left at the end of the month is it the employees responsibility to pay it and then the school system pays them back >> it's going to be your >> I'm going to ask Mr. about to answer that question. >> Where's the question? >> Okay, so somebody has a P card is in and they go to purchase something. Is it their responsibility to pay the balance at the end of the month or
165is it because where like I have a a card for my job and if there's a balance left over by how much it is, I have to pay it and then it's reimbured to me. No, no, no. The PE cards are actually in county name. Employees may want to use it at the end of each month. The employee turned in their statement with all the receipts attached. We post it in our wea system and then we write it. We do one transfer United Bank for everybody. Okay. >> Any other questions about that policy? None. What was the what when what is the present limit that we have be correct? >> It varies by the person enrolled. Most cards are issued usually at 5,000. If you're a director and you do extensive shopping might be 25,000.
166If you're child nutrition, it could be 100,000. And of course, our payroll or two accounts payable staff have significant higher credit cards. >> Right. And the schools have only the principal have the P card, right? >> That's true. It's the school has the PC card. >> Yeah. School principles shall serve as cards. >> And I think there need to be I think it might be 25,000 school. The high schools are larger. >> Okay. >> Any other questions? I can have a motion to accept policy DL vard policy. So move >> second. >> All in favor? >> I motion carries chapter is the equal for policy. >> Yes ma'am. This policy was also up for public review and comment on January 6th through the 21st and no comments were received. Um the our council noted edits
167to a line of terminology currently used in our EOE policies as well as removal of the word size due to ambiguity of the term uh and the death of legal precedent for what the term means. Um madam president, board members, I encourage approval of policy file GA a >> questions. >> Yes. Um because SAS was removed um is anything preventing someone from being discriminated based on their their weight? >> Um there would not be because u uh well look make sure I'm answering it correctly unless Justin would like to >> I mean it's not one of the legal defined areas under the Civil Rights Act, >> right? >> Of his size. It could fall under disability depending upon maybe a health condition that would cause that. So the answer is yes and no. >> Thank
168you Dr. Any other questions regarding that false might >> I mean it's time blind statement how could we have that clear >> it's got to >> I did read all those policies even >> I didn't have a question >> was that long >> yes >> um I would respectfully request that you refrain from criticizing us for having so many questions >> I'm just kidding I'm just kidding from the ref policy It's five seconds. That's a name that's got 64 questions. >> I want to make sure I'm clear. >> And I'm glad you are >> and the public can hear the answers. Um, >> sure. >> Yep. >> I don't want to go back. I don't want >> If you have a question, I want you to ask and I'm being serious. >> Okay. Um I
169have a motion to accept policy GAA equal opportunity employer move second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I motion carries. Uh next outside employment. >> Thank you madam president. Um file GA outside employment was reviewed part of council. Council noted edits to improve broadness and improve language to adhere with the scope of legality. Um, it was out for comment January 16 and 21st and no comments were received. Uh, Madam President, board members, I recommend approval of Berkeley County file GAGA. >> Questions? >> Just some people in order to survive in the system but be employed have to work a second job. And some jobs you take your work home, they're right with you. It's going to feed that. And I just think we have to acknowledge it as people have to be able to
170survive in the classroom but work it outside the classroom. >> I think the pol the way the policy has changed is much better than the way it was. So it uh >> yeah I know I'm not taking anything away. I'm just saying it's it's tough to work two jobs. >> Yeah. Sometimes three. >> Yes. >> Um >> I'll move the move the policy. >> Second. Second. I have a motion to set policy G. >> Well, this one question because I thought about this one last. So, is there anything what about employees? This says so not knownly and intent to use their employment by the board or the procedure of that employment for their own private gain or that of another person. Trying to think of how to ask this. What um what about employees who
171are are or could in the future be in business with other employees like because say um say um Jackie say >> it's like secondary employment. Are you talking about like like outside? >> Okay. Okay. So, say say Jackie is an employee going for position. I I own a business or and I could I would give her preferential treatment >> because she can help me in my business from the outside as well. >> Well, that's an ethics violation. >> That's violation. But I'm saying that it would also vi violate how do we prevent something like or how do we I guess deal with something like that. >> Once again, I just think that's an ethics violation and I don't think that's a >> we go to the >> the uh extreme of >> but like say
172like I'm hired for a position and I'm I'm your supervisor here at at the board but we also are in business together. Would that be an issue? in what conflict with this position, right? >> Well, I think I think to I think to answer that question that there's some hypothetical there. The first is if there was some form of quidd proquo that you know um because you're in business with me, then I'm giving you some sort of latitude in in either your current assignment or to get a job. That would be an ethical violation for sure. Um, and I think that this policy is is making it known that you can't do that because it says knowingly or intentionally using their employment by the board or the prestige of that employment for their own private
173gain or that of another person. So, uh, it does not prevent employees from being in business with one another, but you can't do it um with the opices of that. Um, >> again, there's some sort of quid proquo that if if you're in business with me, then you get this or or something like that. That would be a clear violation of ethics. >> Want to make sure it's out there. >> Okay. >> Any other questions? Um, >> I have a motion to accept policy G A. >> No, no, not on this one. >> He's got he's got some other >> I think we already had I have a motion that motion and none. >> Okay. All in favor? >> I opposed. >> Motion carries. >> Madam President, um uh Bley County file GAJ gift uh
174to staff members uh was updated to line with the West Virginia government e governmental ethics act which is still in effect. The act regulates school employees acceptance of gifts from certain parties. This pol policy was out for review uh January 6th to the 21st and no comments were received. Madam President, I encourage u approval of file G AJ gift gives to staff members. >> Questions? >> I I I was just going to say one of the sad things in the classroom Christmas is that you have a lot of children who give you gifts and you have children who can't who don't have the money there. gifts in Christmas. And I used to I'm just I don't want to make this part of prophecy, but I used to tell my students, I do not want any
175of you to give me gifts because I know there are kids there who won't give a gift themselves and they definitely won't be able to give me a gift, but yet they they have that feeling of whatever. And and and I knew that I like them, they like vinegary. Uh, it's it's a touchy subject, but >> you hope they liked you. >> Well, I I I would say that there were there might have been one or two. But anyway, I I just I just remember and when I read this policy, I just remember that and I remember being a student who couldn't give their teacher a gift. >> And I remember feeling, you know, like, oh, I really like that teacher, but my family just didn't have it. But uh that's a sensitive thing. I
176just hope our teachers realize at Christmas it's unless you unless you have a wealthy class. Uh it's it's also I did get some body odors that I did not >> can I have a motion? Okay. This is my last. Okay. So um on the the one line says um it talks about food. However, this does not prohibit any employee. >> Can you tell me the number? >> I'm sorry. Uh line 13. >> Uh says, "However, this does not prohibit employee from second person meals and beverages of any dollar value if the person purchasing the meal is present. Otherwise, public employees may accept meals and be beverages from such a person totaling $25." Should it one? Should it say uh no more than $25? Um and also does that mean there's no limit on how much
177somebody could spend >> if they're taking you out. >> They're taking me out the >> Yes, that's true. >> If they are present. >> That's government. >> No, not my not. >> Well, I know what >> not the fact. Okay. Exactly. All right. That's the second because of >> but I do see what you're saying is is um otherwise public employees may accept meals and beverages from such a person totaling no more than $25 >> annually. >> So >> we need to correct that then that's in there later on. >> It is there is there >> so it is there. Yeah. I was surprised about the no cap on that. Is this is this language in there more? So, I mean, we have teacher appreciation weeks. We have we have people who donate stuff for
178the first week of school that put on stuff for teachers and staff that is like here's free lunch. cheers stuff for for for people like is this to encompass >> I'm trying I'm trying to navigate this in such a way that like >> our our our community doesn't get turned off in in >> right >> giving our staff appreciation like this is >> well and again it's but this is so there's a there's a couple different things I think the first is that we want to be able to comply with the West Virginia ethics act >> so that we have so we have specific language >> agreed >> and um I think it's also not not as much about what's going on with like gifts from students or or families to teachers or service personnel.
179It's really because there are many positions within the district that work with uh outside companies and businesses that we want to make sure we have guard rails that follow the ethics act that everybody is always acting above board and they're not potentially swayed because you know uh someone uh some business uh drops off a $300 Yeti cooler or something like that and and one could you know say well because that happened then are they sending in business by way. We want to be above board on every thing that we do. Absolutely. >> In order to make sure and so that's why there's the $25 uh threshold >> or if uh say for instance somebody owns a pizza parlor and that's right >> buying pizza for an entire staff. I mean all that's >> Oh yeah,
180>> right. Which is goes back to my comment about >> you know our community does support our staff. So >> So what what is what is gifts that are purely private and personal in nature? Oh, >> what line is that? >> Oh, sorry. That's line 41, the number five. >> Well, I think that would be a gift that would be um something that is given to an individual that is for their own personal use of some sort. >> My husband gave me flowers. Well, no, that's not what I was I was >> no, that's not that's not the way that I was thinking because this is more like you said >> I'm trying. >> It could be it could be it could be jewelry or >> Yeah, it's like jewelry or or a car. Yes,
181exactly. >> It says allows an employee to accept that. So that's what that's my >> gifts that are purely private and personal in nature. And that's the ethics act. The ethics act also makes ex exceptions for and allows an employee to accept gifts that are purely private and personal in nature. That's why I'm sitting there thinking, well, it's purely private and personal in nature. That's of >> not related to the >> not related to your job. It's it's personal. It's private. It's the the the spouse giving a happy birthday gift or something. I don't know. I mean, >> it's a poor showing up in my driveway when um um >> an architect thing is is is due for us to vote on. >> Well, that's Dr. Can you help us out? >> I'm trying to
182think of a scenario as well in my head. >> This is more of I think Miss Power is on the right. If >> there's a principal in one building, there's staff members in the other building. The gift between a family member which is then the next line underneath that is totally exonerated because it's personal in nature has nothing to do with their job their role responsibilities >> and they're not expecting anything in return related to their job. >> So no quit proquo. >> Yeah. >> Right. Well the reason I'm because see like I have to go back wherever because we have to do this every single year. One of the things is like if me and you had a personal relationship different years I can give you something. Okay. >> Versus me and Jackie just
183met. It's No, no, no. We can't do that. It's that's the personal and private relationship because me and you knew each other before you even started working here >> versus we just met and I'm trying to have a little hey let's you do this thing quick or something like that versus hey we always go to let's family we vacation every year go skiing together or something. >> But are you proclaiming it from the mountain tops that you're doing this? Am I >> No, it would be it' be it would be ethical for me to do that because we knew each other versus this could be open up the doors for unethical behavior. >> We are actually discussing things that that is permissible by the ACE commission. So why we are >> the um the reason
184is because >> yes it's okay with ethics but if we can go further than what the ethics says is allowed and restrict things even further so that we don't potentially have problems. >> I just don't want to necessarily restrict a principal I hold on let me get there. I don't want to restrict a principal or a teacher in one school giving a gift to their spouse that is teaching or being or a principal in another school because it's their anniversary because of this >> that's covered by the next one. That's fine. >> I think we're just we're just um we're we're nitpicking. >> We're nitpicking as policy. >> I mean Leo, >> that's my opinion. creating our own problem. >> So now we'll glue in this. What I'll do is I'll find out exactly the
185way that ours is worded so you can see the difference in that. And if we want to add it later, we can. If we don't, we don't. >> What do you want to pull this? >> No, no. You can always amend it later. It's fine. >> I I can bring it back to the next 4 in. >> Well, I mean, it's up to what >> what would make you comfortable. >> Well, I mean, it's not a big deal to pull it and have it and bring it back. Why you um have that language? This this board works well together. We can continue this. I >> I'll get it tomorrow morning. I >> I You can pull it. >> I just want to make sure that we're >> Well, let's pull that and have it come
186back next week. >> Stay out of I think that's pulling this whole thing. Here's here's something of great value and it's a it's purely private. >> Well, I agree, but >> I mean I mean I know it's >> I know the ethics. >> If I could just offer if if we pull it what u I would like to ask Mr. Wright to do is if you send me some of that language, I'll make sure we send it to the council for them to take a look at it and to make some recommendations on how that can be solidified. >> Yeah. No, that would help greatly. So, um, and we might be able to clean that line up a little bit. So, we're going to full policy today. >> What's next? >> Madam President, um, file
187um, IL special education uh, replaces Burke County current policy uh, which with a sentence adopting the state's policy as its own. The rewarding and reformatting removes the risk of policies being out of alignment if the state were to make an update that was not yet reflected in our own county policy. So it brings that uniformity again with the state policies. Uh the policy was um out for review January 6 through the 21st and no comments were received. I recommend approval of policy IL special education. >> Questions for Dr. S? Hearing none. I move I move the option. It's a it's a strength, but it's a strength. >> Are we just eliminating it? >> No, we're way. >> Okay. We're going to use policy 24/19. Well, hang on. >> I don't know if it's Well, I
188guess all the state polic it's it's it's updating the it's actually updating the policy to make that reference explicitly. So, it explicitly references that we will follow state policy. >> So, it's a policy that says we're going to follow a state policy. >> Second. >> All in favor? I'm proud here, folks. >> Policy JHCC High School student journalism. >> Yes, Madam President. Um, file JHCC High School student journalism. Um, council recommended an overhaul of policy fully aligned with the West Virginia student journalist Press Freedom Protection Act. It was reviewed January 6 to the 21st with no comments received. Madam President, I recommend approval of file JHCC, High School Student Journalism. >> So move second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> Motion carries. >> Madame President, um file J AI, solicitation of staff. >> G
189A >> I'm sorry. My dyslexia is is coming into play. G >> G AI. Thank you. GI um um I'm sorry apologize uh uh language updates um were recommended to clarify intention and responsibility as well as the process. Um this policy was out for comment January 6 to the 21st. No comments were received. Madam President, board members, I recommend approval of GAI solicitation of staff. >> Quick question. We adopted some insurance carrier and they were out in the schools strongarming the employees to buy insurance. Now I I don't remember the correct why we had this insurance but I remember we were told you have to vote for this insurance and then it gave it gave the agents of that company access to our employees and I think that >> um the only thing I'm aware
190of I mean we I want to look into that but the only I'm aware of is that we do have um through our health it's a health savings plan where there is uh counseling of employees to be able to use a health savings account. Am I correct? >> To my knowledge, that happens when we turn open enrollment. >> Turn open enrollment. There's several different companies that have that ability. All the 403b companies have the ability to talk about their 403 because it's an IRS approved >> uh program and he has like six or seven different companies that people can invest in. Uh the American Fidelity, which you're talking about, covers that uh plan for the IRS tax deduction annually and gets that signed. Uh and they are one of those providers that provides uh the
191health savings accounts and other activities for our employees to make that available as an employee benefit option, >> but they definitely should be strong. >> Mr. Murphy and I both had a lot of questions about that company in the past >> because they were requiring um requiring individuals, teachers and staff to meet on their planning periods and they had to sign off that they met and I think that was strong. >> I see the code section says you have to make a good faith effort to get those signatures during that time. >> Well, but you shouldn't have to u threaten them with their life if they didn't sign that paper. Yeah, it was just it was uh it it made the employees think that we were pushing this stuff and I mean coach says that
192well you want to sign you can sign if you don't you can't tell somebody what to do on the planning term >> and we worked with the last couple years to lessen that. >> Okay. >> I'm just made that clear to them. >> Yeah. I haven't heard any complaints since then and >> it's only during the open enrollment period that that occurs. >> Okay. Um I have a motion to I have a question. >> Sorry. Um why I um this is nothing against the United Way. Nothing against United Way. Well, why is it that United Way is the only one that's authorized to solicit funds annually from board employees without without additional approval? Why is it only them? >> This was what was in the previous policy. So, it was pre-existing um and uh I
193think because it was in the pre-existing policy, we just left it in there uh because they had been I guess a board partner for quite some time. >> Okay. I I'll I'll take a shot at answering your question. >> That's totally fine. And I have no problem leaving it in there. Not necessarily. I'm just saying like it it is that always who we want to have though. >> I I would say yes because the agencies that United Way supports helps our students. >> Yeah. And then and that's and perfect. That's fine. I just want to make sure I'm I'm good because I'm >> And you're going to say, "Well, I can think of 10 other agencies that help our students." I know. That's why I'm That's >> But I'm just saying this is one umbrella
194group that does it. >> Yeah, it does. It does. But if you if you looked exactly the list and list and list of what the United Way uh supports the health do, >> it's probably because it's an umbrella. There's so many other there's so many groups under probably why >> I'm assuming. >> Thanks, Mr. Treatment. >> Okay. I don't why why why do we have that as a policy of reward? I don't think we should mean solicitation of staff. >> No to allow it as a named entity. I I get it if I Yeah, I get it if we allow it. I just I don't like that it's the only one organization did an annual drive that allowed for payroll deduction. Yeah. be able to do a donation to the uh United Way, but when
195all the changes would allow cut back to what could be deducted from a paycheck, we've kind of went away from those annual drives uh for that organization. Uh we they've been brought back a couple times, but also trying to get somebody to coordinate those schools have been more difficult uh during that time as well. >> Yeah. >> Is this Let me ask this question. Is this better to because I don't want this to to necessarily be something that goes 20 years or in this case 43 years, >> right? >> And you're stop that. Stop that years. I don't know that I necessarily want it to go 43 years um to get to to again be reviewed and it stay in there. Right. So my question is, is there a way that we can we can
196pull that out and it be it like something that we vote on yearly with like part of our budget or something that we're able to say here's some approved entities that our staff can um >> well you want to do that yearly. >> Well well actually one of the things that I think is important context is because of there's policies like this that have not been reviewed. We actually um asked for a uh review of all of our policies to see what was potentially needing to be updated uh and to make some recommendations and we're actually going through that process now so that we don't have situations where 40 some years have passed and and so uh that should be one corrected uh and we can we can potentially do some annual reviews. Just to
197share uh I understand your frustration because the last time that this policy was updated I was two Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Because I was two. >> Okay. Thank you. So, I'm just like I'm not going to tell you how old I was. >> I'm just I'm just sitting here and I'm going, "Wow, June of 83. Technically, I was one." Okay. Um, >> I'm going to be hungry if you don't make up your des mind up on this call. So, >> it can be amended. >> I just don't I just don't I just don't like I I'd say amend it >> to to what? >> It' be the last. >> Yeah. 16 and 17. a second. >> Oh, do you have an amendment? >> Yeah. So, here's one thing I would suggest is that that
198um United Way uh has been a valued partner of the the school district for quite some time with being able to provide services and um I I would u I I would recommend that um that if any changes are made, we we we wait on that um for a little bit of time. Let's see how this works. >> Okay. Um because again they have been a a very valued community partner. >> It's a bad thing. I have no problem if they want to come and listen. I just don't like it that it's in this policy as a standalone entity that they just have curb launch. I have no problem looking at it and I that's that's not my problem. It's that in 43 years then we'll revisit it. >> Well and I think maybe that
199that um >> Jessica >> I I just texted you. This is still part of that first review of the whole policy manual that we implemented a couple years ago where we saw >> first review I know but then there but we're going to be doing it every 3 to four years on a cycle. So you'll be able to see council review this whenever this comes up again. So three to four years. Guess what? I might not be here in three or four years. >> Well, if if she has a motion, I want her to speak to it and I'm gonna speak against it. >> I love you. I I'm just saying I am not against the United Way. I think it's a I think it's a wonderful organization. I've donated to it myself. I don't
200that's not that's not it at all. I just think this is the wrong location for it. >> Well, where would that put it? >> Well, it would just fall under line 14 and 15 that any other organization, nonprofits, that they would have to get written >> written authorization >> from me, you know, to do so. Yes. >> That's all. I just don't think it's as a board us having that policy to give preference to any organization is that's not our words. That's like not having Eastern Panhandle Community Foundation on the same line. >> We have so many different organizations that are wonderful out there that do that do that have that are umbrella organizations that do more than just one or two things for our kids. Multitudes. And I just I I don't want it
201to to look like we are giving preferential treatment to just one organization as having blanket approval. >> Carl, do you have something? >> Um well I I mean I do I agree. Um I think it is an umbrella organization. So I think it probably captured most of the organizations at the time that did support our students. Um but there are several other nonprofits that you know could be eligible. I just want to be careful that we don't leave it up to too open-ended that we are then managing individual requests on a daily basis because what it is is not really it's basically giving organizations access to our staff to communicate with. We have each as a for that, you know, for general 501c3 organizations, but basically this would give them access to our um for
202us to share information through our channels. >> Again, I'm not banning anybody. >> It's just not naming organization or policy. >> That's what it comes down to. Well, I I want to give you a chance to speak earlier. >> Well, that I I I feel I feel like I've already spoken to it. I just I I I >> I'm hearing everybody. I just I I've spoken my peace and that's totally fine. >> I I I respect the point that the two of you are bringing up, but it's a good point. Um I but I I believe that as it's been pointed out that we all agree uh it's an umbrella organization one-stop shopping. The employees are not coerced to get to it but they do have but they are aware of it and within the
203the solicitation documents that the United Way provides. You can pinpoint where you want to go. For example, I've often give it to the Boys and Girls Club. >> Y and and the uh but I don't give to other groups, but I think it's it's a convenience for the employees. It's it would be a convenience for our staff at the in payroll because they have to enter this into the code because this is taken out of their check. It's not >> any longer. >> It's not written before. You could but I don't think >> okay well at any rate >> so why do it's helping our children >> through different different means just like the backpack program and others and I I feel like we should for this one organization uh which represents many organizations we
204should keep this language in the document but I do think that you two raised a good point in your objection to it and I'm not going to criticize be critical of what you're the point you're making. I just think that this is just a a simple policy question of convenience for our employees that we're offering to them and I think we should continue that. >> Was it originally put in the policy so that it was easier for staff to be able to earmark an amount to be pulled out for their deductions in their paychecks? >> Not necessarily. say Jackie probably know more information that but it's more of the ability as Carl said who the district communicates on behalf of >> okay >> through our messages and our emails okay >> and text messages and
205in our newsletters that we put versus them going out and using peach store or other methods to contact people >> so this would still allow Carla to be able to through the communications department to have messaging on behalf of that organization versus the Boys and Girls Club individually to the staff or the capital being gain. >> See, it sounds more like a cooperative agreement more than it does a policy. >> So, where are we going with this? Just make a decision. Are we taking it off? Are we putting it? >> Oh, Damon, what does that look for? >> I'm not Go ahead. >> No, I'm not. Actually, just make a decision. >> So, so we want amendment. You want amend to take it out? >> I've already made the I've already made the motion to
206remove 16 and 17 >> and Mr. Martin >> in favor of that motion. >> I >> oppose. >> No. And what are you doing? >> I'll give you five seconds here. actually fail. >> You're voting with him. >> So, you want to take it out? >> It's removed. >> Okay. >> And so, now we would just need to vote on the totality of the motion. >> When you amend the policy, >> yeah, I'll move that we adopt the amended policy. >> All in favor? A second. I'll second. She seconds. All in favor? I >> no. >> Um, >> so that'll come back to us with the amended language. >> Well, you it'll be done. Yeah, we just we just deleted 16 and 17. >> Okay. You mean 24 and 25? >> Uh, 16. >> That
207was that would be policy. >> Yeah. U Madam President um Berkeley County Schools policy in independent education evaluation IE um uh was updated for local providers and the highlighted section noting an overall cost maximum which is on page 8 was added. The policy was out for review January 6th through 21st uh 2026. No comments were received. I recommend approval of uh Berkeley County Schools file E. >> You have a motion. >> I'm sorry. File I have question. All >> in favor. >> All right. Motion carries. Now that's it. Mr. Mr. Kamaroski on U good evening members of the board and Dr. Saxs. First five actions dated from Monday, February 2nd, 2026 are as follows. This evening we have five coaching appointments and seven coaching uh coaching resignations. Tonight we have one extra duty resignation and
208we also have five new healthcare appointments. Uh on line 18, we have an unpaid uh beginning on line 18, we have an unpaid uh leave of absence to your consideration. And on line 20, we have three unpaid leave of absence requests and an additional revision of an unpaid leave of absence. That revision is to the starting date uh of that person's leave. For professional personnel, we have one professional appointment, two resignations, and three retirements. Those retirements are effective at the conclusion of this school year. We also have one transfer that is effective at the beginning of next school year. Um for service actions, we have six new service personnel appointments and four midday appointments. We have one change of assignment and four retirements. We also have one transfer of service personnel and one service personnel
209upgrade. This evening we have four new appointments of substitute service personnel and we rescended the appointment of two substitute service members. On line 54 we have the ratification of an unpaid suspension and termination of a substitute service personnel employee. That employee is Francis Kuikoa. Tonight, we also have one resignation of a substitute service personnel employee. For professional substitute teachers, we have seven appointments of professional day-to-day substitutes and one resignation of a professional substitute teacher um for a total of 62 professional service and substitute personnel actions for tonight for your consideration of superintendent Sax's recommendation. If you can indulge me for one second on line 42, um you know, every retirement that we have and Pat, you talk about this a lot. people when they leave, you know, whether it be service or professional, we lose
210a wealth of knowledge and and really what makes the fabric of of Burkham County special. And um Michelle Brock has been here for over 27 years. And tonight, um her retirement is on there. She's retiring as of June 30th. She has been a huge part of our department since 2018. um she is the one who handles all of the board actions which as most of you know you know during the busy season we could have over a thousand actions um to lose someone like Michelle who is so diligent um you I really just wanted to give her a shout out you know she's been a huge part of our department she really is the heartbeat of our office so Michelle I just want to thank you on behalf of everybody in our department uh we
211will miss you and you'll be very tough to replace >> she'll be very blessed we've got a few retirements Here we got Kelly Sour. >> Yeah. >> Kindergarten at Hedgesville Elementary for 33 years. >> I mean >> Randy Shay too who I coached against for years. >> Some I remember them well. Brett Brett Murray's Well, that's a chamber of >> Kina Kina Con. >> Yeah. >> You know the Chamber of Commerce. >> Yeah. >> I I'm just appreciative of the insight and experience that she shared of Muslim. students and our friends >> over the years. >> Yes. >> Um have a motion to accept personal actions. Second. >> All in favor? >> I oppos. Motion carries. Next on the agenda is executive session. Do we have a move for executive session? >> Yes ma'am. So
212um under West Virginia 36-98-4 session to discuss real property and related >> second all in favor it's uh 910 and we will adjourn from there and uh Michelle I mean Jessica she'll give me that information session.