The Summers County Board of Education held a regular meeting Thursday, October 8, at 6 p.m. in the board conference room. Four members were present in the room with one member participating by phone. Summers County Technology Systems Specialist and Communication Officer Ken Lester reported that six of the eight Bobcat Connect hotspots have been installed. The hotspots will be at Vandall’s Store, Green Sulphur Springs VFD, Upland Baptist Church, Country Roads Store, River Valley Baptist, Forest Hill VFD, Pipestem VFD, and Bluestone Primitive Baptist. These hotspots will allow students devices to automatically connect. A Chromebook Users Guide will be sent home with each student that maps out these locations. Superintendent Warvel said, “I want to thank them, the businesses, churches, and VFDs publicly for allowing us to use their property. I want to thank everyone helping us out with these Bobcat Connect Locations.”
The Board of Education and Superintendent David Warvel have hired Dr. Steve Edwards from Edwards Educational Services to assist the district administrators, school principals, and teachers with increasing student achievement and engagement. Dr. Steve Edwards is an award-winning administrator, trainer, speaker, and professor whose methods have completely transformed many schools throughout the world. Renae Jones, Director of Curriculum & Instruction reported that Dr. Edwards will work with a team of teachers at each school in October and later meet with administrators. Dr. Edwards will continue these efforts throughout this school year.
The board unanimously voted to approve the purchase of a new school bus for $107,265 from Matheny Motors.
Bryan Boone, Summers County Director of Transportation, said, “Summers County is purchasing a 2022 Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 65 Passenger bus from Matheny Motors. The Saf-T-Liner C2 is the safest most modern bus on the road. The 2022 Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 will provide the students with more legroom, more headroom and a second handrail to aid in entering and exiting the bus. The bus also comes equipped with air conditioning to help meet students special needs, medical conditions, and be comfortable during hotter days and long bus rides. It will have extra large 100 inch storage compartments to provide students, coaches, and teachers extra storage on daily runs and activity trips.”
The board plans to create goals focusing on student achievement at the next meeting. The Superintendent will also create some personal goals he wants for this school year. The board will discuss these at the next meeting, possibly in an executive session. Before the next board meeting, the board members will receive a training from WV School Board Authority’s Howard O’Cull.
Under the agenda item Superintendents Report, Warvel reported that staff and students are doing a great job with COVID-19 precautions. Warvel will continue Sunday updates at 3 p.m. He wants to consider Option 1 students attending four days a week.
He stated, “Elementary will be an easy transition, but we are going to have to figure out how to make it work for the middle and high school. We will need to be cautious in our decisions because flu season is upon us.”
He will continue discussions with the board, administrators and school leadership teams as well as the local health department. During this time, Warvel added that the Adult Education LPN Program that has been around since the ‘60s may not continue. The job has been posted five times and Warvel reports that interested applicants have backed out due to the salary.
Board member Robert Angell stated in the meeting, “I am sad to see this program go.” Warvel suggests the county grow CTE programs for SMS & SCHS.
CSBO/Treasurer Lauren Crook reported that there are 1,380 students enrolled this school year. Five staff positions have been absorbed from retirements and resignations. These were not cuts or reductions in force. Crook and Warvel are hopeful this will help reduce RIFs this spring.
The next board meeting will be a regular meeting on October 22 at 6 p.m in the Summers County Board of Education conference room. The board will also meet for a Consolidation Hearing, on October 29 at 5 PM at Summers County High School. The meeting will then recess to the Summers Middle School gym at 8 p.m. on the same evening.
