Monroe County Schools

News Release

For more information, contact Lyn Guy, Superintendent, P. O. Box 330, Union, WV 24983 (Telephone: 304-772-3094/Fax: 304-772-5020)

For immediate release - March 3, 2010

Keith Butcher, the Executive Director of RESA I, presented information on the agency’s assistance to Monroe County at the regular meeting of the Monroe County Board of Education, held March 2, 2010, 4:00 p.m. at the Board Office in Union.

Butcher provided information to Board members on the history of RESAs in WV, the make-up of RESA I, and the services provided to Monroe County, including the technology and WVEIS services that were used daily by individuals in the county. Butcher then answered questions regarding the work of RESA I and told Board members he welcomed requests for help from the county.

The meeting opened with corrections to the minutes of February 23, 2010, and the approval of the minutes of the meeting held February 25.

Jeana Carr, Head Start Director, and Superintendent Lyn Guy, presented information regarding progress on the Early Head Start Program. Guy reported on the budget, the building construction plan, and the solicitation of bids form engineering firms on the development of a site plan. Jeana Carr noted the steps required for approval of different aspects of the plan and answered questions regarding the budget from the regional office, including whether or not additional money might be awarded for construction, and whether the budget was sufficient for the building construction. Carr stated that she seriously doubted there would be additional funds on the project, but that many of the items in the budget were not crucial. \"It would be nice to have the parking area paved, for example,\" she said, \"but it’s not essential to the operation of the facility as an Early Head Start Center.\"

Guy then provided Board members with information regarding block scheduling and trimester scheduling as requested at the previous meeting. Board members set March 11, 4:00 p.m. at the high school for a meeting with high school administrators and counselors concerning the scheduling for the upcoming school year. Guy said that the group would meet with state WV Education Information System officials on Monday at the RESA I Office in Beckley.

Under Policy Development, the Board approved the Emergency Operations Plan revisions as a working document that would need to be updated each year.

Under New Business, the Board approved extending the contract of Jeana Carr 15 days to accommodate the additional work to oversee the Early Head Start Program. They also approved a request from the FFA at Monroe County Technical School to hold their annual equipment auction on April 17, 2010, at the Tech Center.

Under Personnel, the Board approved the hiring of Theresa Gwinn as a substitute teacher and then approved the list of individuals placed on administrative transfer for the 2010-11 school year. The following probationary individuals were rehired for the 2010-11 school year: Meghan Beech, Mike Collins, Sharon Pitzer, Jennifer VanHoy, Kristen Dillon, Kelly Givens, Heather Broyles, Alicia Mann, Amanda Hill, Adam Neel, Lori Neel, April Weikle, Nathan Dixon, Angela Parker, R. David Wilson, Jr., Erin Dotson, Jennifer Persinger, Heidi Houck, Malory McPherson, Diana Sparks-Isom, Cathy Jones, Greg Morgan, Matthew Horodyski, Ed Lilly, Pamela Mullens, Jeff Dunbar and Julie Shiflet.

The following service probationary employees were rehired for the 2010-11 school year: Callina McNair, Stephanie Aliff, Mary Ann Beasley, Dreama Settle, Wayne Radford, Wanda Sparks, Naomi Walker, Tina Dillon, Kevin Casto, Ken Plumley, John Spangler, Jr., Glen Lively, Tammy Pence, Melinda Fullen, Annette Hill, Steve Echols, Robert Miller, and Wayne Kelly Johnson.

The meeting adjourned at 5:50 p.m. The next meeting will be an expulsion hearing to be held Tuesday, March 9, 2:30 p.m. at the high school, as well as a discussion on funding for the new Peterstown Middle School. There will also be a special meeting to be held at 4:00 p.m. at James Monroe High School to discuss and take action on the scheduling at James Monroe.

The next regular meeting will be March 16, 2010, 4:00 p.m. at Peterstown Elementary for the purpose of hearing from that school’s Local School Improvement Council.