Gilmer County Board of Education Meeting Report - 07.02.12
Gilmer County Board of Education Meeting Report
Monday, July 02, 2012 - 4:30 PM - GCHS Commons Area
I. CALL TO ORDER - The meeting was called to order by President, Misty Pritt - All members (Tom Ratliff, Carl Amour, Phyllis Starkey), Newly elected member Bill Simmons as well as Superintendent Ron Blankenship were present.
II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – led by Board Member Phyllis Starkey
III. BOARD REORGANIZATION
Gilmer County Board of Education
(L-R) Tom Ratliff, Dr. Carl Armour, Misty Pritt, Dr. Bill Simmons, and Phyllis Starkey
A. Election of Officers - Dr. William Simmons was welcomed as newly elected Board Member. He was then nominated and elected as Board President with a vote of 4-0.
Misty Pritt was elected as Board Vice-President.
B. Committee Appointments:
RESA VII: Bill Simmons;
CGCC: Phyllis Starkey;
WVU Extension Service: Misty Pritt;
Audit: Carl Armour;
Safety: Tom Ratliff;
Inter County Educational Specifications Planning Committee: Bill Simmons.
IV. BOARD REPORTS
A. CGCC (Calhoun-Gilmer Career Center) - (06.19.12) Board Member Starkey:
**** CGCC ****
Members Present:
Mr. Ronald Blankenship, Presiding
Mr. Donnie Pitts, Calhoun
Steve Whited, Calhoun
Phyllis Starkey, Gilmer
Jason Hughes, State Department
Bryan Sterns, Secretary
Donnie Pitts substituting for Roger Propst
Members Absent:
Roger Propst
Others Present:
Nancy Weekley
The meeting was called to order by Mr. Blankenship at 11:00 AM.
Reports:
• Sterns reported that he has submitted the LEA plan to the state for review and is waiting for a response before presenting to the Council for approval.
• Stems reported that the chicken fundraiser for skills at the Wood Festival was very successful.
New Business:
• Financial Matters: The list of bills, an additional list of bills, the financial report, budget supplements and transfers, as well as a request for approval of payment of bills and additional budget supplements/transfers thru June 30, 2012 was presented for approval.
Whited moved to approve the financial matters as presented; seconded by Hughes.
Motion carried. Vote: Unanimous.
• CGCC Individual School Financial Report: The CGCC Individual School Report for May was presented for approval. Starkey moved to approve the report as presented; second by Hughes. Motion carried. Vote: Unanimous.
• Contract for Calhoun CSBO: Sterns presented a contract with the Calhoun CSBO for preparation of the CGCC Annual Financial Report for approval.
Whited moved to approve the contract as presented; second by Hughes.
Motion carried. Vote: Unanimous.
• LEA Plan: The plan was not available for approval at this time.
• Personnel: Sterns recommended approval of personnel items as follows: Resignation: Michael Taylor, Networking Instructor.
• Postings: Networking Instructor, ABE Instructor
• Employment: James Snyder for the Automotive Instructor pending certification
Whited moved to approve the recommended personnel items; second by Pitts. Motion carried. Vote: Unanimous.
• General Discussion: The Oil and Gas Extraction and Distribution Program was the first topic of discussion.
Sterns has included the addition of this program in the proposed LEA Plan.
Sterns is going to prepare a posting for the instructor position along with a list of resources needed to initially implement the program for the next meeting.
Sterns presented a list of resources needed to implement the new curriculum for the building and welding labs.
The state is going to pay for up to 15 copies of the needed resources and has suggested utilization of the county Step Seven Funds to pay for an additional set of 5 copies which would cost approximately $2,500.
Pitts is going to share this information with Propst.
• Adjournment and Scheduling of Next Meeting
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Calhoun-Gilmer Administrative Council will be held on Tuesday, July 17, 2012, at 11:00 AM.
***** CGCC *****
• The discussion was brought up about the fact there is no accounting program at CGCC and Gilmer County High School (GCHS). However, Calhoun County High School (CCHS ) still offers it. Board Member Starkey asked to see into having the program at GCHS. Board Member Armour indicated he is very interested in seeing the high school offering the program.
• Finally Starkey invited all the members to the CGCC meetings. She complimented the Center for the meal it provides. She also complimented the Center for their financial procedures.
V. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Minutes – June 18, 2012 was approved.
B. Personnel
Resignations:
• Margaret Osbourn, retirement, effective 06.30.2012
Postings (2012-13)
• Elementary Teacher, 1st Grade, Sand Fork Elementary
• Elementary Teacher, 3rd Grade, Troy Elementary
• Elementary Teacher, 5/6th Grade, Troy Elementary
• English Second Language (ESL) Teacher
Employment (2012-13)
• Casey Fought - Head Mini Titan Football Coach 2012-13
• Matt Walker - Assistant Varsity Football Coach 2012-13
• Isaac Osborne - Assistant Varsity Football Coach 2012-13
• Amber Frashure - Elementary Teacher, 2nd, Sand Fork Elementary
• Sharon Jones - Elementary Teacher, 3rd, Sand Fork Elementary
• Shelly Mason - Elementary Teacher, 5th, Sand Fork Elementary
• Kris Snyder - Itinerant Technology Integration Specialist, Elementary
• Jason Cunningham - Facilitator, Summer Academy 2012, GCHS
• Janet Coombs - Elementary Teacher, Summer Academy 2012, GES
• Alicia Cavton - Elementary Teacher, Summer Academy 2012, GES
• Brianna Short - Elementary Teacher, Summer Academy 2012, GES
• Mackenzie Langman - Elementary Teacher, Summer Academy 2012, GES
• Susan Kirkpatrick - Bus Operator, Summer Academy 2012, GES
• Randy Hitt - Bus Operator. Summer Academy 2012, GES
• Colin Hartshorn - Bus Operator, Summer Academy 2012, GES
• Mike Hill - Bus Operator, Summer Academy 2012, GES
C. Budget Supplements & Transfers:
• None
D. Accounts Payable:
• 05.31.2012 State Approved $673.40
• 06.13.2012 State Approved $1,200.00
• 06.18.2012 State Approved $672.71
E. Policy 5130 for Approval:
• A copy of the Policy 5130 was distributed by Superintendent Blankenship.
Click H E R E for the printable copy of the Policy 5130 – EXPECTED BEHAVIORS IN SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE
• Board Member Dr. Armour asked for a copy of the overall board policies. Blankenship said it was about 3 inches thick, and it was under rewrite. Superintendent said he will keep the board informed on its development.
• On policy 4373, Pritt asked whether all the guidelines were met for it and Superintendent said: YES.
• Blankenship noted the Country Roads Tours questioned in the last meeting was for Glenville Elementary’s trip to Pittsburgh Zoo. And still the question was asked why it was not brought in front of the board according to State Department’s policy. Superintendent said again he would check into it.
• Question was asked about a $1,200.00 payment to West Virginia Wesleyan College. Superintendent said he would check into it.
• Another question was asked about open blanket purchase order to AMAZON. Again, Superintendent said he would check into it.
• Armour asked about the payment to Board of Risks and how often it is paid. Again, Superintendent said, he would check into it.
• Armour asked for the overall budget of the County and what the total budget was. Blankenship said … He would check into it.
• Pritt wanted to know how much was coming in and how much the obligations were. Superintendent is to check into it.
• Starkey complimented Kendra Brown at the board office for her report and cooperation in fixing the mistakes and explanations.
• It was noted by Simmons the payment for 1400 students minimum to the counties is going to be phased out and then the counties will get paid for actual number of students. This is going to hurt Gilmer since it is losing many students to Lewis County.
VI. SUPERINTENDENT REPORTS
Gilmer County Superintendent Ron Blankenship
A. Summer Academy
• Superintendent explained he debated as whether they should have school on Monday after Friday’s Storm. Since there was no way to contact the students, he decided to have the school since he was afraid the students would be waiting for the buses to arrive.
• Classes in Summer Academy are K-1, 2-3, 4, 5 for a total of 4 teachers. Overall there are 30 students for the Summer Academy. But the total number is about 70 counting the Energy Express students.
• Armour asked how the students were selected. Superintendent said, the teacher recommended the students and then the parents were contacted to see whether they wanted to send their kids to the Academy.
• Superintendent noted at GCHS there is one facilitator, Jason Cunningham, and the students use the Odyssey on computers.
• Ratliff spoke of the Promise Scholarship. He said the students who have this scholarship have to pass each of the classes they take. And if not they get only one chance to make it up in Summer in order to continue with the scholarship. He said the evaluation is no longer cumulative and it is now subject based. Simmons said in the statewide Vision meeting the subject was talked about as to raise the level of education and keeping the students more accountable.
• Simmons noted about the greater desire for an exit plan after state takeover as well as standards the state has to follow in the Vision meeting.
• Discussion was made about better evaluation of students in Math and English before they get to college. Currently there are some students entering college who have not had any math since their sophomore year.
• Starkey noted, English and Math are the subjects that students should have every year.
• Comments were made about a great number of students who are getting dual credit at GCHS, but when they go to college they have to have advancement courses. Currently only 13% of these students with dual credit can pass the advancement classes.
• Also it was suggested the teachers who are teaching the dual credit classes must be qualified to teach college level classes.
• Pritt said we must realize the students who are taking these dual credit classes must be treated more like college rather than nurturing.
• Ratliff said, some of these students are A students at the high school, but they flunk those courses when they get to college.
• Also some of these students are not getting the background classes to be ready for AP classes (Advance Placement), but they are just dumped in AP classes
• Blankenship said, there was a Summit which was held at the college and one of the topics was on what could be done to reduce the number of the students who go to college and have to go through remediation.
• Question was asked why students who get A’s and B’s on Algebra III at the high school and when they get to college they do not know anything.
• At this meeting a great discussion was made among board members and superintendent about what to do to improve these situations.
• Starkey said it is very difficult to evaluate teachers because one time they may have a smart group of students and another not so smart, and other students who require more work. She said therefore teachers should be evaluated on progress.
• Ratliff said it takes a dedicated teacher to achieve success. He said if the teacher is not dedicated, students know it and behave accordingly.
VII. DELEGATIONS
None
VIII. FUTURE MEETINGS:
• Starkey asked for a better pattern for board meetings rather than from month to month and on different weeks. She said the meetings are to be set a year in advance. She also suggested the meetings should be later in the evening so more people can attend. With the current meeting time of 4:30 PM people are still at work or getting off work or having dinner. She said it is required for everyone to know the meeting time. Blankenship said he will put a list together.
• Armour said in a meeting he attended SBA spoke of getting public more involved and to do that the meeting should be no sooner than 6:00 PM. He also indicated the board needs to get the community more involved with the education of their kids.
• Simmons said, we have to make sure kids get the best possible education. He suggested for all the board members and superintendent to work together to better the education. He said he is working to see what can be done to better help the smaller rural counties. Simmons likes to have more support and involvements from parents. He said the board likes to see more help from the parents.
• Finally, Ratliff said technology is great, but there has to be a backup system in case it does not work. He was referring to the recent storm when a lot technology related equipment such a telephone systems were dysfunctional. He said from a safety stand point we have to take advantage of old ways, have an old telephone for example and make sure it works.
The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 20, 2012 at 6:00 PM in the Media Center of the Gilmer County High School.
IX. ADJOURNMENT
Meeting was adjourned at 5:40 PM.