Improvement councils, other matters go before Brooke Board of Education
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WELLSBURG -- Reports from the school improvement councils of Brooke County's six schools could come later in the year as the county's board of education considered their timing, among other matters, on Monday.
Superintendent Jeffrey Crook said a key element of the reports are students' state test scores, which aren't available until later in the school year.
Crook said while he's aware of the scores and many other aspects covered by the councils, the periodic reports at the board's meetings help to keep its members informed.
But he noted state policy only requires that councils for schools rated as underperforming meet with the board annually, and there are no Brooke County schools categorized as such.
Karen Givens-Whetsell, Crook's secretary, noted a number of the schools present a video presentation highlighting academic and extracurricular activities, and it could become difficult to fit multiple ones into single meetings.
The board agreed to table the matter until November.
School improvement councils were established by the West Virginia Legislature in 2017 to assess their respective schools' strengths and weaknesses and develop plans for addressing the latter.
The councils are to include a school administrator, teachers and service personnel, parents, community members, including a representative of the business sector; and at schools with grades 7-12, a student.
Ensuring students' test scores not only meet state standards but also show improvement was among several goals set by the Brooke County school board at a special meeting last week to discuss its own goals for the school district.
Required by the state department of education in recent years, such goals also included:
• Increasing the number of students enrolled in advanced placement courses and those offered for dual credit through partnerships with local colleges.
• Developing schedules and procedures that support the best instruction of students.
• With input from school administrators and maintenance and custodial staff, focusing on improvements to school buildings and athletic facilities.
• Continuing sound financial practices and procedures to ensure they are good stewards of taxpayers' money while enhancing community involvement.
On Monday, the board also:
• Authorized Kellie Smith, the district's nutrition director, to seek bids for four heated serving carts from which staff serve food to students in Brooke High School's two cafeterias. Smith said the current stainless steel, steam well carts are at least 10 to 15 years old.
• Accepted a bid of $6,210 from Environmental Marketing Services to properly dispose of chemicals used at the high school for various purposes.
Steve Mitchell, the district's director of buildings and grounds, said the chemicals include those used in chemistry classes and catalogued by the school's science teachers; as well as those used in vocational classrooms and in cleaning supplies.
He said a safety data sheet at the school details various information about the chemicals, including steps that should be taken in any emergencies related to them.
• Approved the hiring of Judith Ickes as early childhood assistant teacher at Brooke Primary South; Kayla Thompson, girls basketball coach; John Inman, assistant girls basketball coach; John Alvarez, tennis coach; and Kimberly Nielsen, volleyball coach; as well as many substitute teachers and service personnel.
• Accepted the upcoming resignations of two long-time teachers who are retiring: Donna Mazzella, second grade teacher at Brooke Primary North; and Debbie Rea, thrid grade teacher at Brooke Intermediate North.
The board's next regular meeting will be at 6 p.m. Oct. 23 at its office at 1201 Pleasant Ave.