Monroe County Schools

News Release

For immediate release - January 6, 2010

Monroe County’s Board of Education voted unanimously to support West Virginia’s Race to the Top application for funding at their regular meeting held January 5, 2010, 4:00 p.m. at the Board Office in Union.

By endorsing the grant and signing the Memorandum of Understanding, Monroe County Schools stands to get better than $220,000 in Race to the Top funding to continue the school improvement process as outlined by the WV Department of Education’s grant proposal to the U. S. Department of Education. Every county in West Virginia had the opportunity to review WV’s proposal before signing off on it in order to be included in the proposal for USDE funding.

In addition to endorsing this grant proposal, based on the $286,000 award to Monroe County’s Head Start to construct an Early Head Start Center at Lindside, the Board also approved an amendment to their Comprehensive Education Facilities Plan to include the facility, which will be constructed this spring.

Under the Superintendent’s Report, Dr. Lyn Guy discussed the recently purchased property in Union, and the work to be completed to remove the house and buildings located on the property. She also provided information concerning Reduction in Force, noting that the county was carrying 10.65 positions over the formula for professional positions and 20 service personnel positions over the formula as well. While the excess levy provides funding for four positions (two custodians, two elementary guidance counselors), because the results of the levy won’t be known until after the deadline for personnel actions, Guy said she would have to recommend action against those individuals funded through the levy. She would also have to affect those funded through Step 7, since a failure of the excess levy would require much deeper cuts into available resources than could be sustained by current funding form the state.

Guy also provided board members with brochures detailing information about the excess levy and informed board members of other deadlines for personnel action.

Under Finance, the Board approved the December Treasurer’s Report, approved paying bills, and approve budget supplements and transfers. In other New Business, the Board approved a travel request for Wayne Spangler to attend two different meetings related to his work as State Vice-President of WV Education Association.

Under Personnel, the Board approved the hiring of Shelly White, ½ time clerk at Peterstown Middle; and Roseann Phipps as a substitute aide. They also accepted the resignation of Marsha Bragg as a substitute aide.

The meeting adjourned at 4:55 p.m. The next meeting will be held January 19, 2009, 4:30 p.m. at Mountain View School for the purpose of hearing from that school’s Local School Improvement Council.