By Stephen Smoot
Brooke Alt, one of Pendleton County’s West Virginia University extension agents, has been involved in some fashion with the Energy Express program almost since its very beginnings in Keyser. Last week, she updated the Pendleton County Board of Education on the success of last year’s initial offering and preparations for this coming summer session.
The meeting started with the traditional invocation delivered by J. D. Wilkins, board president, who asked a blessing for students, staff, and parents.
Alt shared in her presentation that “we are excited to have Energy Express back this summer.” According to the program’s page on the WVU Extension Service website, “Energy Express is a free award-winning, six-week, summer reading and nutrition program for children in first through sixth grades living in West Virginia’s rural and low-income communities. This program aims to prevent the ‘summer slide,’ in which children regress in their reading skills because they aren’t learning during the summer.”
The program runs from June 15 to July 24 this summer. Alt shared that, like last year, Franklin Elementary School will host the program for all three county elementary schools. She asked Pendleton County schools for help in getting some needed temporary staff for food service, custodial needs, and transportation. Students in the “Grow Your Own” teacher education program, administered by Janice Heavner at Pendleton County Middle/High School and run by both PCS and Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College, will be asked to participate as youth mentors.
Alt specifically mentioned Vivian Pownell as “very active” and that she “has applied to be a mentor this year.
She added that she had “covered the numbers,” financially speaking, with J. P. Mowery, PCS treasurer, and said that “it looks good” from that standpoint. The program requires a 30 percent local match with 70 percent covered by WVU. Alt stated that they “have been canvassing the county for help and many have stepped up to assist.”
Alt shared that only $4,000 remains to be covered and added that “if anyone knows anyone who can help, I will take it.” Sonny O’Neil, board member, stated, “It’s a great program.”
Derek Lambert, principal of PCM/HS, discussed the need for, and future use of, a career exploration instructor. He hopes to have one in place for the 2026 and 2027 school year. The instructor will follow an approved curriculum that covers “any job you can imagine these kids having.” The course will go over jobs and careers, but also skills, such as professional communication, resume building, and interviewing.
Over time, Lambert hopes that the class can serve both seventh and eighth grades with half of the subject matter taught in the seventh-grade year, and the second half in eighth grade. The class “will be a regular period in their day,” he stated in response to an O’Neil question. The class will also feature field trips, guest speakers, and skills development in both English and language arts.
Nicole Hevener, superintendent, added that the new instructor will also have a role as an “interventionist” to provide more flexibility.
Hevener asked for, and received from the Board, approval to hire Hillary Fox as new varsity softball coach of the reigning state champion team for Pendleton County. The board also approved a revised contract for Tanya Wehrle. She had come before the board earlier after receiving notice of a change in her position. Wehrle addressed the board and superintendent to explain her role and why she needed the time to fulfil it.
Mowery then provided a financial report. PCS paid more than $634,000 in bills last month. Some of the bills paid included just under $25,000 to Edmentum for virtual school services. He shared that “I think Edmentum is a valuable program” but added that should the budget become more constrained, PCS would have to reevaluate its use.
“About $40,000 went to paying electricity bills from January through February and $10,000 more for propane costs. It is significant, but it is winter here,” Mowery explained.
He added that “our rates for propane are pretty good” but “electricity, we have no control over.”
Mowery then explained potential impacts from a bill styled House Bill 5453 currently advancing in the West Virginia House of Delegates. It purports to replace the current school aid funding formula with a simplified system that does not take into account all of the statewide variables that necessitated complexity in said formula.
“It’s been applauded for simplifying the funding formula, but the needs are complex,” noted Mowery.
The proposal would establish a fixed funding rate at $6,100 per student by law. Sparsely populated counties with significant geographic challenges currently using the “1,400 floor” would get a 1,200 floor. Mowery estimates that would cost PCS about one million per year.
He shared some problems with establishing a monetary amount in law, first and foremost that said amount would functionally decrease every year due to inflation. At the same time that inflation would reduce that aid, it also brings accumulated cost burdens on school systems. This puts the funding in a financial bind that would force the state to revisit the act regularly.
Counties under this act would get to keep their local tax share, which, as Mowery suggested, would give counties with active natural gas fields and related industries even more of a boon of support. Wilkins noted, “They’d go from rich to filthy rich.” Lincoln County, conversely, has very little economic activity in comparison and would fare poorly.
The specter of Hancock County’s financial failures, among less well-covered problems in other counties, will likely lead to more financial oversight, Mowery also stated.
