The Hardy County Board of Education met Jan. 6 at 5:00 p.m. for their first meeting of 2020.
Derek Walls, from Absolute Drug Testing Company, gave the Board a presentation about his company’s procedures for students taking state-required drug tests.
The Governor’s Workforce Credential signifies a student’s knowledge of business processes within a Simulated Workplace environment. These students must take and pass two drug tests per year.
Other students may also require drug tests. The state provides lists of names to the company, which uses a double-blind random pool to select a given number of students’ names.
They go to the school, the secretary calls the names, the students report to a determined location, receive instructions, and take the witnessed drug test using mouth swabs held between the teeth and cheek for five minutes.
“The tests are quick and accurate,” Walls said.
Students provide their names, birthdates, and the last four digits of their West Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS) numbers on their [private]paperwork.
Tests are preserved in sealed tubes, and are considered stable for 21 days. The tests, in bags with chain of custody forms, are FedExed to a lab where tests are analyzed beginning the next morning.
If results come back “non-negative,” results are investigated by a doctor in the event the student is taking, or has recently taken, prescribed medications.
“We know kids take these things,” Walls said. “I don’t want to know; it’s actually a HIPAA violation.
“But if a student has concerns, we’ll ease their minds (about medications they’re prescribed) if they’re worried.”
Walls said the test’s accuracy rate is 100 percent.
“(If) you’re positive, you’re positive,” he said, noting by the time results are returned, they’ve been verified three times, including by a physician and a mass-spectrometer.
Board members asked about accuracy of the mouth swab tests versus urinalysis.
“Dead accurate,” Walls said. “I actually trust these more.”
Comprehensive Educational Facility Plan
Randy Jones, an architect from OWPR, Inc, presented the first draft of the Comprehensive Educational Facility Plan (CEFP).
The presentation looked at each of the County’s six school buildings and what they’ll likely need renovated and added over the next 10 years, including an estimated price.
Each price factors in an architectural and engineering fee of 6.5 percent, and a School Building Authority contingency of 4 percent.
Board member Dixie Bean asked about LED lighting, which was listed as an upgrade for each building, as there have been issues with existing LED lighting.
Jones and Steve Williams, Hardy County Schools’ Director of Maintenance and Transportation, both said the problem isn’t with 2’x4’ lights, but with specialty lighting such as sconces and chandeliers.
The upgrades listed would be for the regular 2’x4’ ceiling lights.
Jones also said that there are “definitely” options for lowering costs, or even increasing costs.
Bean asked about the security cameras listed for replacement on East Hardy Early Middle School.
“This was the only school that came up needing security camera replacement,” Jones said. “They did specifically request cameras.”
“We have other concerns,” Williams added, referring to other schools’ security systems, “but they need it the most.”
For both East Hardy High School and Moorefield High School, cardio and fitness rooms were listed. Jones explained that the SBA will not fund these, but in meetings with the schools, these came up repeatedly.
Board president Nancy Hahn said the both schools each have two gyms, and asked why the cardio-fitness rooms were needed.
“The current facilities are more for the athletic departments,” Williams explained. “These are more for everyone.”
“We’re a little bit ahead of the process,” Jones said, noting the plan isn’t needed until April.
Hahn requested time for the Board to go over the draft to, “see if there’s anything we want to tweak.”
Bean said she feels strongly about the security cameras in all the schools, and would like to see camera replacement added to all of the schools.
Williams said that cameras have life cycles, and that moving forward, there should be a commitment from a funding source, or the Board of Education, to keep them maintained and updated.
During New Business, Board member Doug Hines asked what the schools cost to be built, and wondered whether renovation, especially of the newer buildings, might cost more than the initial price to build.
The Board tabled further discussion and a decision until the next meeting.
Special Education Updates
Beth Sager, Director of Student Support Services, provided a Special Education Update.
Hardy County has 2,253 total students. Of those, 413 have an exceptionality, including learning disabilities, mental impairment, orthopedic impairment, traumatic brain injuries, disorders, and gifted.
Sager said that Hardy County Schools does currently have enough teachers and aides for those students requiring Special Education.
Board member Jerry Yates asked Sager to be honest: “Where are we?”
“I think the teachers do a good job with what they have,” Sager said.
Sager explained that more severe disabilities are usually identified earlier.
Hahn said, “I think we’re moving in the right direction.”
Cooks
Teresa Cook, who works as a cook in the Moorefield Middle School cafeteria, addressed the Board with concerns about the number of substitute cooks.
Cook gave several examples of times a scheduled substitute cook did not come in to work, or a substitute was not available, including a day when she was the only cook who reported for work at MMS.
“I don’t know why we’re short-handed, and why we can’t get some help,” she said.
Cook suggested the Board hire one person who would go where needed each day; she said that person would definitely be able to work five days every week.
The Board cannot ask questions or comment during Public Comments.
Later in the meeting, Superintendent Sheena Van Meter said it was hard to get substitute cooks, “although we have a few we’re hiring tonight.” She also said many substitute cooks are also substitute aides.
Van Meter will research how often substitute cooks are actually used, as well as whether it would be cheaper to hire another full-time cook, or continue using substitutes.
Board members and Williams discussed that just two days using styrofoam in the kitchens, which often happens when kitchens are short-handed, increases the trash pick-up bill.
Discussion of Work Orders
Board member Melvin Shook asked Williams about an item for Moorefield Elementary School on maintenance sheets, which was written up four months in a row and each month, signed as ‘repaired,’ only to appear again the following month.
Van Meter said she’d directed the principals not to sign off on a work order until the entire request is complete.
“Once the principal signs it,” she said, “We stop watching it.”
Van Meter said it was acceptable for principals to initial completed items, if the entire order was not complete.
Bean brought the discussion back to security cameras, requesting an inventory of indoor and outdoor cameras at each school, including which are functional and which are not.
The Board also discussed ways to pay for security cameras, including a federal grant that must be spent by 2022, but once started, must be completed within 90 days.
They also discussed that a state grant is available for self-contained classroom cameras.
“We’re evaluating everything we have,” Williams said. “Once the (Environmental) Study is done, we can move forward.”
An Environmental Study is set to begin in mid-January.
Federal money determines which cameras can be used, but Williams said his personnel will ensure that the cameras and software can all communicate.
Other
• The Board and Superintendent discussed the Local School Improvement Councils (LSICs). These groups include teachers, parents, and school business partners.
Hahn thought it was interesting that the cameras were, “such a big deal,” as they came up several times in feedback from the councils.
Van Meter said she only addresses what’s officially brought to her, although she sees the notes from LSIC meetings.
• Van Meter said she’d received approval for two full-time Career Technical Education positions for next year.
The positions, a Building Maintenance Program at East Hardy High School and a Careers and Education Program at Moorefield High School, are fully funded and will help students who don’t go to the South Branch Career and Technical Center.
• While discussing accomplishments, Hines referred to a comment Walls made early in the meeting: “Good news that our kids are passing drug tests.”[/private]
• Hahn was enthusiastic about the MHS-EHHS boys basketball game, noting how many people were there. Hahn said it went “very well,” and congratulated Moorefield for their win. She said she was, “pleased with how the kids handled themselves.”
The next meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 21 at the Board of Education office at 5:00 p.m.