By Stephen Smoot
Last week’s Pendleton County Board of Education meeting covered much about finances and the possible financial headwinds that may come in the future as state and federal officials pursue budget cuts.
Pilgrim’s Pride, however, ponied up funds to help fix a developing issue — the age, wear, and tear on lockers in the middle school wing of the facility.
Along with the Pledge of Allegiance, those in attendance joined in the invocation, in which J. D. Wilkins, board president, prayed, “We ask that You would bless us this season.”
Carrie Nesselrodt, director of student services, shared that on April 9 the junior class had achieved 100 percent attendance for a Scholastic Aptitude Test school day event. Nicole Hevener, assistant superintendent, said, “Their hard work is greatly appreciated.”
During the personnel section of the meeting, the Board accepted the retirement of Donnie Kopp. Kopp served as a coach or a game official for nearly five decades in both Harrison and Pendleton counties. He announced that he would vacate the position of varsity basketball coach after leading the team to the state tournament in March.
J. P. Mowery then updated the board on Pendleton County Schools’ developments in its financial position and also the context of those. March ended with $2,148,328.08 cash on hand. Between that point and the meeting date, when revenues and payouts were taken into account, that balance dipped by about $4,000.
Mowery also shared that PCS had earned a little more than $82,000 in interest from its banking accounts.
Board members additionally heard an update on STEP 7 funding. This comes from the broader West Virginia Public School Support Program. Funds can support a number of elements of the school system, including technology and personnel. Pendleton County “has for many years” elected to devote 25 percent of that fund towards personnel and chose to do so again.
Out of the $409, 505 that the county will receive, $102,276 will go to personnel.
The county schools’ budget is essentially complete, but not due to the state until next month. Mowery said of it that he does “not expect to see significant updates” and that “the budget will be essentially the same. It’s a pretty solid budget.”
Every month, Mowery has provided information on the progress – or lack thereof – of the Secure Rural Schools funding. This federal program compensates counties with national forest lands by providing some funding to schools, but as Mowery said, “It still has not been resolved at the federal level.”
Because it is not a significant amount of the federal budgetary pie, the measure usually comes as a “rider” on a bill of prominence. West Virginia’s congressional delegation supports continuing the measure for a three-year extension.
Pendleton County Schools also underwent a recent audit. After sharing some of the highlights, Mowery reported that “the numbers are validated in the school system.” Wilkins noted, “Thank you and congratulations on the audit.”
Travis Heavner then delivered his facilities report. The highlight of that update lay in support of the effort to replace the aging and problematic lockers in the middle school section of Pendleton County Middle/High School.
He discussed “concerns I’ve heard from staff” and also “the age on them,” concluding, “they’re not in the best shape.”
Earlier in the meeting, Mowery described the situation as “a high need.”
A donation from Pilgrim’s Pride will help to get the project started. Heavner informed the board that three installments of $4,500 would help initiate the project. He stated that the estimate for total replacement ranged between $75,000 and $80,000 and said he has been “talking to J. P. about ways to make that happen. It does need to be done.”
Heavner then informed the board about the impending Lantz project to replace windows in Brandywine Elementary School.
Another main project is being planned for the Franklin Elementary School HVAC system and other elements of infrastructure. Heavner told the board that he submitted a grant application to the State for funds to cover a $900,000 project. Heavner shared that the HVAC system was “not quite right when they put it in.”
The grant would require approximately $100,000 in matching funds from Pendleton County Schools. The board approved setting aside that money in case the grant was approved. Decisions on that set of grants will come in June.
Nesselrodt presented the attendance numbers, which she described as rebounding well from March. Last month, fluctuating temperatures and an outbreak of illness dampened progress made. That said, Nesselrodt shared that “things were looking a little rough” but attendance was “starting to pop back up and get back to normal.”
Brandywine Elementary School kindergarten enjoyed the best individual grade percentage at 96.875 percent. BES also had the best school mark at 94.192 percent. Second grade countywide earned the best number at 94.505 percent.
The overall county average, which includes those suffering from the initial symptoms of “senioritis,” hit 92.672 percent.