By Stephen Smoot
The logic comes from the notion that success in school starts with the student being at school consistently. From the West Virginia Department of Education to the county, school, and even grade level, an emphasis on promoting better attendance and focusing on chronically absent students has taken priority.
Since 2023, Pendleton County Schools central office and school staff and faculty have pushed attendance and the metrics reported at the second board of education meeting of the month of March show definite improvement.
“We thank You for keeping us safe,” prayed J. D. Wilkins, board president, to open the meeting.
With no public comment period needed, the board approved a recommendation from Nicole Hevener, superintendent, to rescind Reduction in Force notices and transfers. Next, the board approved the posting for a speech pathologist position.
Later in the meeting, Carrie Nesselrodt stated, “I will always say that speech pathologists are miracle workers.” She noted that “speech accounts for more than 50 percent of our IEPs,” or individualized education programs created for students with certain challenges. “We are seeing more and more speech problems across the state, probably across the country.”
Nesselrodt explained that many speech issues come from children and parents being too engaged in interactive screens for too long of a period of time and not communicating enough with each other to foster robust speech development in young children.
Only in recent years has scientific evidence and studies revealed the potential damage that “screen time” creates in child development. Katie Hott, board member, shared that while advancements have made some things better, in education too often “technology has made things worse.” Derek Lambert, principal of Pendleton County Middle/High School, has worked to reign in technology with “no tech Tuesdays.”
Later in the meeting, it was shared that a Morgan County based individual would come to Pendleton County regularly to assist a student with visual impairment issues.
Athletic coaching position changes were approved. The board approved “ending the extracurricular contract” of Jonathan Eye as of March 12. Carey “Shay” Dove will join the varsity softball staff as an assistant. Gary Smith was approved for baseball. Lance Kimble, Brandon Mitchell, and Seth Bowers will join the football staff as assistants next summer.
During the period reserved for finance and treasury reports, Hevener took over for the absent J. P. Mowery. The board approved the creation of an audit committee that would stand for three years and be composed of Wilkins, Mowery, and a representative from Pendleton Community Bank. Wilkins’ years of service with Grant County Bank and leadership position on the board qualify him for such a role.
Hevener reported that for the previous month, expenditures exceeded revenues by approximately $450,000, but the ebb and flow of tax payments to the county makes this natural for late winter due to higher power bills and fewer tax payments made during the period. She also noted that the cash balance for this point in 2026 exceeded last year’s at this point by about $2,000.
Funding from the 1,400 floor will be less in the coming year with Pendleton County’s student population differing enough from Pocahontas to trigger a reduction of approximately $150,000. Mowery had discussed this in previous meetings so it came as no surprise.
Hevener quoted Mowery as saying of the legislative session, “The good news is that there were no real surprises.” The state legislature had taken up the complex student aid formula and also the 1,400 floor in discussion, debate, and in bills. It decided to not risk making major changes at this time.
During discussion of facilities, Sonny O’Neil, board member, asked Travis Heavner about any leaks from roofs on school system buildings. Heavner noted that Franklin Elementary School had a minor leak. “All that ice that built up, it’s hard to channel it,” he said. A clogged downspout also led to a leak in the guidance counselor’s office that was rectified as well.
Heavner stated that mass accumulations of ice will inevitably cause problems on flat roofs. In response to a question from Betty Kimble, board member, he explained that Brandywine Elementary School would soon have its landscaping addressed, saying that “they’d wait until a weekend when the ground has dried up” before starting work to install some shrubberies and remove others. Drought conditions in recent years have brought ill effects to BES landscaping.
Insurance inspectors also suggested removing a limb overhanging playground equipment. That will be taken out soon as well.
O’Neil shared that he had acquired large stones to place near the Harold Michael Building to prevent any further vehicular damage to the music room.
Nesselrodt shared the chronic absence and attendance numbers as of Day 120 in the 2025-26 school year and also comparisons to previous years.
She delivered excellent news on attendance. North Fork Elementary School has the highest percentage at 95.22 percent with Franklin Elementary at 95.17. Above 95 percent is the target number set by the state. Brandywine Elementary comes in at 94.43 percent, and PCM/HS at 93.54. Countywide, attendance sits at 94.34 percent.
North Fork also led the way in chronic absence percentage in the positive sense with only 6.06 percent missing 10 percent or more days. FES had 7.79, BES 10.34, PCMHS 15.68, and the county as a whole, 11.46 percent.
None of the attendance categories in any sense for any school fit the red category of does not meet standards.
On Day 120 chronic absences at BES in 2022-23 hit 12.9 percent and this year are at 10.3. In the same time period, FES improved from 10.7 to 7.8, and PCM/HS from 24 to 15.7 percent.
NFES improved dramatically, from 21.1 to 6.1. Pendleton County as a whole dropped from 18.3 to 11.5 percent in chronic absence.
Attendance number comparisons also showed improvement. BES in 2022-23 had 94 percent attendance. This year at Day 120, it is 94.43. FES went from 94.3 to 95.17, NFES from 93.3 to 95.22, and PCM/HS from 92.4 to 93.54. Countywide, the statistics moved from 93.3 to 94.34.
“This was after that large sickness that went through,” Nesselrodt stated. She added that excellent attendance early helped the county get through winter illnesses with good numbers.
She credited parents and students making attendance a bigger priority. Communities in Schools’ various attendance promotion programs also helped to develop better habits of consistent attendance.
“That’s something to be proud of,” said O’Neil.
