By Stephen Smoot
“Bless those at the meeting tonight and those whom we serve,” prayed J. D. Wilkins, president of the Pendleton County Board of Education as he opened the final meeting for June.
After honoring God, then country through the Pledge of Allegiance, the board members commenced to work.
The board tackled financial reports and decisions. The first of these required a board decision on Workman’s Compensation for the policy term July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025.
- P. Mowery, finance officer and treasurer for Pendleton County Schools, reported that the system has benefited from having “very few claims,” adding that “we have been very fortunate.” That track record, however, has not prevented the cost of workman’s compensation from rising for all.
Last year, the school system paid $20,958.
Board members reviewed a $30,420 proposal from Wesco Insurance, a $27,470 proposal from Encova, formerly Brickstreet, and a $23,585 proposal from Travelers Insurance Company. Of the three, Travelers had the highest rating from A. M. Best.
Mowery suggested that the board accept Travelers, adding that “They have been great to work with” and that their offer was “about as low as we can get.”
He then reiterated that some “federal funds are going away this year.” Mowery encouraged the board and school system to watch retirements and other losses of personnel and consider the necessity of replacement. “We have to pay attention to that. I feel very good about Fiscal Year 2025, but we have to pay attention.”
Travis Heavner provided a facilities report, starting with an alternate education building update.
Last year, the Pendleton County Schools partnered with the state prison in Huttonsville. The prison has a program in which selected inmates can perform construction projects. Inmates constructed the facility in halves, completing the first several months ago. Delays in finding transport to bring the first half of the building from Randolph County also consumed considerable time.
Now, the second half of the building is near completion. Heavner said that they “are shooting for the week of July 22nd” to complete construction and that he needs to arrange transport. In a previous meeting, Heavner suggested that the structure may be ready by the end of December.
He then provided an update of other work on school system facilities. Heavner reached out to their insurance company concerning damage done to the board of education building by an Amazon truck.
Lantz has commenced work on resetting doors affected by foundation settling at Franklin Elementary School. Heavner stated that the cost “may not be as bad as what we thought.” Crews will also work on the floor at FES that showed damage from the same cause.
