After a half-hour executive session during the board of education meeting Monday night, board members approved the suspension, without pay, of Pocahontas County High School science teacher Theresa Weimer, due to "a pattern of behavior that has deprived students of meaningful instruction and placed students at risk due to inability to supervise."

The suspension was retroactive to November 30, 2009, through January 11, 2010. A scheduled personnel hearing to discuss further action was not held. The board did not reschedule the hearing.

In updates:

ﾕSuperintendent Dr. J. Patrick Law informed board members of a grant the school system recently received. Three of the county's five schools, Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, Marlinton Elementary School and PCHS, were eligible to receive money to improve their internal network connections. Law said issues that will be addressed include wireless internet at the high school and MES, as well as additional fiber optics at the high school. Due to the limitations at GBEMS, the expenditure proposal will focus on what upgrades can be done at the school.

In financial management, the board approved the following:

ﾕPayment of vendor listing of claims in the amount of $3,996.

ﾕPayment of vendor listing of claims in the amount of $20,017.79.

ﾕPayment of vendor listing of claims in the amount of $15,417.43.

ﾕPayment of vendor listing of claims in the amount of $96,211.14.

In personnel management, the board approved of the following:

ﾕMedical leave of absence for Warren Scott Hayes as Custodian IV/Sanitation Plant Operator at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, effective through June 30, 2010, or until a doctor's release is received.

ﾕEmployment of the following as teachers for the after school program at Marlinton Elementary School, retroactive to December 7, 2009 through May 14, 2010, at $20 per hour, one hour per day, three days per week, as needed, with the total after school project cost not to exceed $5,500: Shannon C. Anderson, M. Susan Arbogast and Denise E. Burns.

ﾕResignation of Julie A. McNabb as head girls softball coach at Pocahontas County High School, retroactive to December 14, 2009.

ﾕEmployment of Matthew M. Barkley as substitute teacher, effective January 12, 2010, for the remainder of the 2009-2010 school year, as needed.

ﾕCreation of position of Technology Integration Specialist/Special Assignment for Pocahontas County Schools (Home Base ﾖ Marlinton Elementary School), effective February 9, 2010 through February 9, 2011.

In miscellaneous management, the board approved the following:

ﾕTravel requests for January 11, 2010.

ﾕMemorandum of Understanding between the State of West Virginia and Pocahontas County Board of Education for the purpose of establishing a framework of collaboration, as well as articulate specific roles and responsibilities in support of the state in its implementation of an approval Race to the Top grant project.