By Stephen Smoot
As the school calendar turns towards its final weeks, the Pendleton County Board of Education discussed finances, bills, and maintenance issues, particularly those relating to HVAC woes.
That said, the agenda opened with a presentation by Ross Pownell. He has made a habit of shining bright in science and social studies fair competition and this year was no different. He accepted an invitation from the Pendleton County Board of Education to present his state winning science project.
Sonny O’Neil, board member, stepped in to lead the meeting in the absence of J. D. Wilkins, board president. He prayed during the invocation that “we thank You for what Easter means.”
Pownell then delivered a bit of what he called “egg-ucation.” His project inspiration came from his own backyard flock. The student examined and evaluated various food safe ways that “you can keep eggs fresher for longer.” He explained first that “eggs create themselves from the inside out,” sharing how each egg comes with a protective coating that disappears by a certain point after emergence from the hen.
Eggs once laid, Pownell noted, create an air cell. Larger air cells mean lower quality eggs. These grow as evaporation of the inside material gradually occurs through the “7,000 pores.” He stated that the United States Department of Agriculture tried mineral oil as a means to coat eggs to stave off that process, but it was not from a natural source.
Of four coatings he attempted, alongside a control that was merely washed, Pownell found that olive oil worked the best.
He also shared that he might be able to return soon to another board meeting, as his social studies fair project has also advanced to regional competition. “See you in a few weeks!” said Betty Kimble, board member. Derek Lambert, Pendleton County Middle/High School principal, said, “Good job Ross!”
Next came another presentation by doctoral student Kelsey Armstrong. She conducted a capstone project at PCM/HS centering on “soft” skills and adult readiness. Armstrong described the project as a “14-week on-site focus on one or more of the following: clinical practice skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, and theory development.”
She assembled and taught a curriculum designed to prepare students for life through working on organizational skills, time management, professional communication, and more. “A lot of them,” Armstrong noted, “I am surprised to say, already had a resume started.” Student feedback indicated that the unit had helped them to gain confidence. One stated that “it helped me have more of an understanding of adult life” while a second reported “it helped open my eyes.”
Faculty “had seen a difference in students as well” who had gone through the unit.
J. P. Mowery delivered the treasury report ending March 31. One element featured a comparison between balances on March 31 in both 2025 and 2026. Last year, Pendleton County Schools had $2.144 million. In 2026 that balance set
at $2.523 million, an increase of about $370,000. Mowery speculated, but stopped short of a guarantee that by the end of this fiscal year on June 30, that PCS would be “$2 million to the good.”
He shared that finances in recent weeks benefited from both the uptick of tax payments and also the settling in of milder weather. Consistent issues, however, with HVAC problems have created substantial costs, including about $20,000 for March. Mowery added that the advances in technology create “difficulties and complexity” that push repair costs higher. Travis Heavner added later that the processes by which certain gases must be handled during repair precludes PCS staff from doing the work themselves at this point.
Rising repair costs occur elsewhere as well. “Newer buses, sometimes you buy them and they still have problems,” he bemoaned.
Katie Hott, board member, asked about getting a breakdown of the HVAC bill with the intent of evaluating hiring an employee qualified to do such work.
Mowery shared the positive news that the 1,400 Floor was not substantially altered by the West Virginia State Legislature, despite discussions about doing so. Pocahontas County’s student population dropped in the past year, which caused Pendleton County to be funded for 1,382 students, a loss of approximately $150,000. “We thanked them for the 1,400 floor,” added Mowery.
“Next year will be a tighter budget year,” stated Mowery. He explained that might keep carryover balances from growing beyond what they have been. “We will continue to monitor,” he said.
Kimble asked about the removal of an old and unsteady scoreboard at Brandywine Elementary School and also about the lights there. “I think they came from the high school,” she noted. Heavner reported that plans were in place to remove all of that, but they are “pushing it until the kids are gone” due to the possibility of removal resulting in broken glass or scrap metal on the ground.
Nicole Hevener, superintendent, shared that soon the schools would benefit from the direct connection of emergency alarms in facilities to Pendleton 911. She consulted with Rick Gillespie, Pendleton County Emergency Services coordinator, and said, “It’s a step that we needed to make.”
