The Gilmer Schools Coalition met Tuesday evening, March 13, 2012 at 6:00 PM.

Dr. Simmons and Dr. Carl Armour relayed the details of their meeting with Mr. Heinlein of the State Board of Education and their attorney.

The primary discussion revolved around requirements for returning Gilmer County Schools back under the control of the elected County Board.

It was relayed that this would be contingent on how quickly the deficiencies of the OEPA audit were corrected and the improvement of a functioning relationship between the Superintendent and the Board.

The Superintendent should be providing updates on that progress to the County Board of Education and the Public each meeting.

There was also discussion and agreement to preparation of an ethics complaint and that the Coalition must meet with the County Prosecutor for better information regarding possible legal action if felt to be necessary.

The next meeting will be held with Mr. Heinlein and Mr. Blankenship’s attendance anticipated.

The Public will be notified of that date.

Based on available information and commonly shared beliefs, an ethics complaint should be filed against Blankenship because he had authority to stop the farce and Marple should be named too because of her position and knowledge about the way auction barn land was selected for the new school. If this issue does not involve gross conflicts of interest for person gain and corruption nothing else qualifies. When the complaint is filed there should be state-wide press and TV coverage to disclose that Marple is Attorney General McGraw’s wife and the complaint should be filed by the Coalition to demonstrate to citizens that it is serious about wanting to bring about positive change to the County. Regarding Hough’s involvement that is far out wishful thinking.

Is the only reason the Auction Barn site is not acceptable is because of the property ownership?  It seems like a reasonable location for a school to me.

Mr. Jones, the site preparation alone is estimated at over 2 million dollars and that is without water/sewer.  That is what WVU engineers said it would take to renovate Normantown Elementary.I do not feel it to be either ethical or very likely legal for two people to sit on the appointed board for site selection who own or have vested interest in proposed properties to be selected (Ultimately both properties I speak of were chosen).  Those are just two of the issues I have.

In addition Mr. Jones, I have grave concerns when any Committee appointed by a State entity meets in secret (without public advertisement) ,votes by secret ballot (a practice documented as far back as 2007) for a project that requires the expenditure of funds belonging to the citizens of the State of West Virginia with no minutes taken. Doesn’t that violate about every open meeting law? Gilmer County Teachers have educated students from other counties for years with no credit for an “inter-county collaboration” yet our student population will be decreased with the location of the second school Yes, I feel there are problems with the process.

Roy Jones, do you believe that there was anything smelly about the way the site was chosen with the secrecy, Nasia Butcher chairing the CEFP Committee, several members on the Committee resigning, appointment of new Committee members and Blankenship’s refusal to let them serve, and not giving Gilmer County’s land owners the opportunity to offer their land for sale or to donate it as a community service? The secrecy was so tight the public was not informed of the land’s cost or CEFP’s process for narrowing down suitability of the sites. Do you think it would be adviseable to start over with full transparency to designate a site? Should that be done and the auction barn land turned out to be best among all other sites so be it and the Butchers could have their money.

To Just my opinion,

You,Sir have hit the nail on the head, and directly!

This is precisely the problem, the secret ballot involving a meeting not published .. for the reason they wanted only elite attendance, is how the do it in Gilmer County

This type of underhanded behavior is par for the course for Gilmer County which has led to complete and total corruption.

We have a corrupt and dishonest prosecutor and Sheriff that back the corrupt regime and even offer them protection that goes with a County Commission Clerk that will rubber stamp anything because of lack of brains and education.

It is a poor poor pitiful mess we have here.

But, with quick thinking citizens as yourself sir, we will overcome the criminal element and rebuild.

Mr. Jones, just to enlighten you a little more about the choice for the new school and why people are upset.
Gilmer County Schools were taken over because Nasia Butcher was afraid since Mr. Bill Simmons was chosen for Gilmer County Superintendent she would lose her job. She did say, Gilmer County would not see the day that Mr. Simmons would run this county. Well, she made sure of that. (a) Nasia went to Ike, and had him make a call to Manchin, (B) Manchin’s wife Gayle is Vice President of State Board of Education, (C) she calls Jorea Marple who is WV Superintendent of Schools, who is the wife of Darrell McGraw, WV Attorney General, best friend of Nasia’s mom. Presto….Gilmer County Schools now run by WV State Board of Education. Oh, Nasias mom and Jorea Marple, are best of friends to0. The law firm of Butcher and Butcher are Esq. for the Arbuckle Trust, which one Butcher is the husband and the other a brother-in-law of Nasia and the Butchers own the auction barn land. Imagine that. Conflict of interest, they don’t think so. Butcher law firm is the attorneys who will probably write the contract for this as they (rumor has it) supposedly wrote the contract for Mr. Blankenship to come out of retirement because they could control him also and you see what a full circle we have come. But, Mr. Blankenship stated in this week’s newspaper, he does not know WHO owns the land or is in the Trust for the property selected. Someone made the comment to take it to the Prosecuting Attorney if all of this was going on. HAH. He is in with them and would find this very laughable. Oh yes, the Morris, Butchers, Houghs, Manchins, Marple/McGraws are all great friends. Mr. Jones, you must not live around here so now you know. And to look at other properties, that would not make a difference, they would still come back as “This is the best site available.“ Maybe….the Butchers will sell it to the State for $1.00 or even DONATE THE LAND. I have seen this done before. I bet they will donate it.

While your timeline seems to prove your point the truth is the State had the bullseye on Gilmer County for more than two years prior to the takeover.  The board made a number of stupid decisisons that did nothing to move the school system in the direction the state wanted it to.  Nor did the BOE want to accept the reality that the local schools needed consolidated and lead the county in that directions.  Instead, the fired a superintendent and hired a puppet.

When a BOE can’t make rational decisions on important issues then actions such as a takeover happens.  The finger pointing of the past is still happening and as long as this continues the county will not have any say in what happens.

The state is going to build a new school regardless of whether you like it or not.  Accept it, support it and move on.  The future students will appreciate it.

Donate the land you say?  You got hold of good stuff!

Blankenship has just let “the cat out of the bag”.
They will hide behind the eminent domain deal and think they can ram it through with that.

Just watch next weeks’ meeting on the 19th in Charleston.  The “die is cast”.  Blankenship will make a “pitch” to the Marple gang and they will rubber stamp his “elitest driven agenda”.

The public has had little to no involvement in this process since Manchin and the gang fired John Bennett and William Simmons in one fell swoop.

Gilmer County citizens and the Gilmer School Coalition have all been bypassed.

Guess we will know on the 19th?

Google Earth can be downloaded to do “fly overs” of the County for close looks at potential sites for a new elementary school. There are countless sites for consideration including those between Glenville and Normantown. A good question at this stage is why are we talking about a new high school? What is wrong with the one we have considering all the money spent over the years on upgrades? Could it be that by picking a site with enough land for two schools that land’s value shot up to fetch more money for its owner while knowing full well that a high school would never be built there? Naw, that type of trickery never occurs in Gilmer County with the elite watching out for us.

How much money is available to fund this “one” school to serve fewer students in Gilmer County with less busing to travel longer distances. I suspect not much after they pay for the Lewis County project. Won’t they have to ask for another levy to build a gymnasium or will they try for another County supported bond issue? The one school die is cast.  The devil is now in the details.  I support the Coalition effort to keep us better informed. The Administration at the Board of Ed level certainly did not. We were told all was well and the schools a great success story.  Perhaps that is why the take over hit us like a ton of bricks.

This matter of the schools and the building new schools and the site and all the other issues being discussed was before the voters at one time and people decided they didn’t want to pay the taxes required to go along with the total elite plan and concept for the future of the schools.

I see people chasing their tales like some crazy cat that had been digging around the Doug Morris garbage can and got some bad drugs.

The elite plan on throwing all of us way too, and they will succeed, if we don’t step up and proceed in a manner UNLIKE the way we are proceeding.

These people don’t believe in America, or free speech, or fairness, they could care less.

The elite just want the money and to HELL with everyone else!

I have an idea how to solve that problem, but you are not gonna like it much.

The usually accurate local grapevine is saying,  that the Coalition will not take any of the elected school board members to the meetings they are having in Charleston?  Is this correct?  Explanation?

If the Coalition wants credibility in Charleston then they will stay as far away from the local school board members as possible.  Gilmer Co citzens should be filing a petition to have them removed from office.

Mr Jones, you’re comment about the school could possibly be correct. 

But, that said, there are people who believe that the “cubie elitists” have done a great job both locally, but more importantly in Charleston, of making the school board the villans. 

I suspect that the cubies pointing their fingers at the school board, is their effort to promote the elites agenda, and Charleston took the bait, ‘hook, line, and sinker’.

Roy,it seems that you may have inside information. Would you state your facts so citizens will know why school board members should be replaced? What about Mr. Blankenship? How would you grade his performance so far? There is one fact though and it is that all school board members must begin to work together to do what is best for our children. That will take putting aside bruised feelings, ceasing shrillness, stop finger pointing at one another, and stop placing all blame for our problems on Charleston. Most citizens conclude that there is adequate blame to go around for all levels, but continuation with the blame game is counter productive. If all board members rise to the occasion to direct efforts to problem-solving with a commitment to full transparency, wonders would be done to rid us of our mess.

Rex,
It was well known in Charleston that the Gilmer Co BOE was dysfunctional.  They couldn’t agree on anything and was divided in to factions.  With declining enrollment and the available funds to support the current school structure, they would not come together to solve the problem.  When a previous Super wanted to make the necessary changes the BOE resisted and fired him.  When they fired the Super, the red flags started to wave at a furious pace in Charleston.  Then the BOE hired JB as Super who was not known for being a strong leader that did nothing but heighten the concern in Charleston.  This was not moving in the direction necessary to solve the problems or provide the leadership to lead the BOE.  I am sure local citizens were contacting the state BOE at this point asking for help to get control of the situation.  Most of you call it a conspiracy of selected citizens who contacted the state but everyone should have been contacting the state asking for help.

Roy, the road block to getting everyone working together as a team to straighten out the school fiasco is Dr. Marple’s fatal blunder of appointing Mr. Ron Blankenship as the superintendent. If she had appointed a person without strong ties to persons believed to have caused the State’s takeover and he/she had a proven track record as a peace maker and an effective leader under difficult circumstances, problems would not have worsened. The belief is that Mr. Blankenship was chosen mainly to protect the GCHS principal and to enable cronies to profit from selling land for a new school. His latest contribution to public distrust was his claim that he did not know who owned land he and others are pushing for the school site. If the State is interested in aiding Gilmer County, Dr. Marple should replace Mr. Blankenship immediately to appoint a highly qualified replacement without close ties to the County and its power brokers.

A divided Board, those we granted power leveraged their choice of Super against the restoration of one school versus the other. This brought it all to the forefront in Charleston who warned if they fired Ed.T. there would be problems. An intentional lack of transparency kept the very citizens they were disenfranchising in line until late in the game. Governor instantly found $500,000 for water lines with no request to Legislature. Surely this isn’t considered economic development?  The Super said water had to be totally pre-funded before it goes to SBA but he’ll just add what’s needed in the request to Charleston now. The decision after this weeks presentations will be revealing.

Mr. Jones,
We don’t elect BOE members to always agree or to kiss any Superintendent’s behind. The Supt. works for the Board, not the other way around. It is too easy to just say they didn’t always agree on everything. When does a democratically elected governing board ever agree on anything? Indeed, they never should.
John Bennett tried to do a good job as Supt. and it’s not like he didn’t inherit a mess from his predecessor. The board, under Bennett, ran a decent school bond but voters nixed it. What else could they have done? Since the people voted no on the bond, we will now reap the benefits. I guess we are now reaping the benefits. One thing for sure, Supt. Blankenship sure is reaping the benefits! $120,000 smakeroos per year!

To Mas, Roy, Coalition,  and everyone.

The school board in Gilmer County has not been able to “run” the Gilmer Schools.  Why?
There has been a movement for and by a few to get their own way.  Just the way a spoiled brat would do.
It is because an group of egotistical, self serving, all knowing individuals have been bypassing the school board and getting their wishes carried out.  Not the communities wishes.  But just those, well connected, well funded few.
These people have figured out how to “game the system”, and have become very adept at it.  The School Coalition has been “gamed and strung along” as well.  Charleston is playing the Coalition like a well tuned fiddle.
It is obvious that the State Of West Virginia only wants “show place” facilities.  All the new construction by the SBA has been at locations where the buildings sit on a pedestal for all to see.  Near the major highways, up in the air, showing them off “like the castles of old”.  What is taught, how it is taught, by whom it is taught is secondary.  We are going to “show the world” we are not a bunch of hillbillies.  They are very good at just doing the “window dressing treatment”.  Report after report has now verified this.
Yes, this mess goes back a long ways.  The warnings about firing Toman were correct.  You remember Toman was the football player, sports good guy, who “played ball with the cubies”.  The GC elites were all ready stirring their “cauldron” that long ago….and before.
They knew what they wanted, and they were going to make sure they got what they wanted.  They were aware that the school board was going to be “in their way”, and they were taking all necessary steps to make sure it didn’t happen.
Everyone knows that in all small communities, the citizens understand the roles, the functions, the purposes, and the rewards that small schools give back to the community in which they are seated.
This does not fit the elites view of palaces and grandeur.  The phony, make believe world, they live in.
Coalition, you will know by tomorrows vote on Honest Abe Blankenship’s presentation, if you have been played.
We don’t have long to wait now do we?

Bravo anonymous, Toman was even given a free place to live in and benefits and laptops for every member of his family. He even sat on GSC BOG.  Then he was given a job there!!!

Mr. Blankenship justified selection of the auction barn site for the new school because there is enough space there for three new schools when the population of students increases. Where did he come up with his projection that we are going to have that type of student surge? If current population trends continue we may have 1/2 the number of K-12 students in 10 years or so. Wait a minute, is it what the prison is going to do for us? We heard that line before to include a Wal-Mart, Shoney’s and a jet strip too. Wanna bet?

TO:  Way-to-go and everyone.

Toman knew which side of his bread was buttered——-and who bought the butter.
I have not had the opportunity to examine the elevations/topo’s of the auction barn property, that Blankenship is suggesting for a site, but does not know who the owner is.  I would be willing to guess that the site prep work would make the palace visible from downtown, possibly Rt 33 and Rt 5 as well.  This is that elite style.  Children and community are not their focus.  They never will be.  Its all about window dressing and eye candy….with a liberal dose of sports thrown in. 
But, think about this.  It would appear that our school district will shrink enough that there will not be enough students to fill the bench for teams.  That could turn into a very good thing, couldn’t it?  With Troy housing and loosing,  100 students and then sending more to Braxton, that will take us down to about 850 spread K-12…..or 65 pupils to a grade on average?
Eye candy is what these cubies are all about.  Like the new college dorm that quite apparently was not needed, but we were sold the bill of goods.  Guess the empty Pickens Hall holds the proof for that debacle.
Its not the quality of education is…..its all about “appearances”.

In all sincerity, how can a successful fact finding mission be played, Anon? Whether or not we like the the message presented, a lot of unknown information has been made public, discovered through research, out of town meetings and long distance calls made at the expense of individuals putting forth honest effort to sort fact from fiction.  I have heard no promises. When a name that triggers such hate in you comes up, it is not necessarily an indication of the speakers support or adversity. It could be just facts up for intelligent discussion.  As one prior comment pointed out, it is not to anyone’s advantage to vilify messengers of good intent.

The Gilmer Schools Coalition has nothing to do with the College and what goes on there is not addressed in the organization’s mission statement. Citizens know that the Coalition’s focus is on the County’s K-12 education program. Regarding GSC’s bottom rankings, how many of its Board of Governors members, including Mrs. I. L. Morris, took the time, effort, and interest to dig out the numbers?  There is one thing for sure pertaining to Ike’s sports program. If his ball teams ranked at the bottom, heads would roll without hesitation. Unfortunately, the athletics program, criminal justice, and construction get top billing, and that misalignment of emphasis caught up with the College.

I have a suggestion I would like to make. I think that the Road to the new state controlled schools when they are built should be called, “ANYTHING GOES ALLEY”. That is exactly what it is in this school system. The students are suffering, the parents are suffering, the community is suffering, Gilmer County is suffering and the “elites” that have brought all this on are riding high,the Gilmer County School system is riding high the State Board of Education, and other high officials are riding high. But….keep in mind, the higher and bigger they are, the harder and farther they fall. For now, ANYTHING GOES but the time is coming that will all change.

Well I will tell you it is really sad is the fact it takes the High School over 2 months to send a childs transcripts to a school.  I will tell you as well everyone who beleives in the system you are sadly mistaken..It only works for who you are and what you last name is.  SHAME ON THE HIGH SCHOOL PERSONAL!!!!  Beleive what you want karma will come back and bite you wait and see.