By Stephen Smoot
After the conclusion of a meeting with North Fork Elementary School faculty, administrators, staff, parents, and students, the Pendleton County Board of Education opened its regular meeting.
This opened with an invocation delivered by J. D. Wilkins, board president, that included “we thank You for all that the children are accomplishing.”
J.P Mowery delivered the list of bills ready for payment, including the HVAC work at Pendleton County Middle/High School and maintenance work at other sites. Almost $70,000 went to Lantz for repairs to the NFES music room after a vehicle accident, but that will be reimbursed.
Travis Heavner added that other work had gone into a trench drain to channel water away from NFES.
One bill that continues to rise comes from electricity. Mowery stated that the bill had risen from $220,000 “a few years ago” to over $340,000 today. “We do what we can to reduce electric, but it’s difficult when so much of what we do is automated.”
He also brought up a looming issue with Communities in Schools. The program emerged under Governor Jim Justice. Pendleton County has seen ripple effects in academic success and attendance improvement. State support has been as much as $52,500 per site, but that drops to $37,510 in fiscal year 2027, $18,750 in 2028, and will eventually phase out.
Mowery shared that the system would need to find $150,000 for 2027 to keep services at the same level or find ways to do more with less.
“We can do any scenario,” said Mowery of supporting the program, “we just have to pay attention to the trickle-down effects on other programs.”
Marshall University kicked in $1,500 per site for CIS.
“There will be a lot of discourse,” said Mowery of CIS, “a cross section of folks being able to say how important this is.”
Attendees saw photographs of the bright new music room at NFES, recently painted and with a brand new floor. Heavner discussed additional work done in the room and, of the floor, said, “It should really last a long time.”
Nicole Hevener, superintendent, opened discussion of bringing in a consultant to create a school mapping system. Something similar took place in recent years at Pendleton Manor. A consultant with military and security experience will evaluate a facility and create interactive mapping that can work with 911, the Pendleton County Office of Emergency Management, and also first responders.
While it will cost more than $42,000, much of the cost will be reimbursed.
Hevener urged action “to move forward and get this instituted” and found no objection from the board. She stated that it will be completed by early September 2026.
