Director of Federal Programs and Instruction Terrence Beam informed the board of education Monday night that it needs several policies.

Beam explained that although the county uses the programs in question, it has no policy in the manual pertaining to them.

"We are looking at areas where the county does not presently have a policy that we really need to have," he said. "If those policies exist, I haven't been able to find them."

Policies Beam mentioned are: an early entrance policy, home school policy, mentor policy, travel and stipend policy and multi-cultural education policy.

Beam also mentioned that work on the county's five-year strategic plan has commenced and the plan is due to the state board of education September 15.

In other updates:

ﾕ Superintendent C.C. Lester spoke to the board about the RESA IV substitute calling system and presented board members with a report which lays out the number of positions filled with substitutes by the call system.

The board told Lester to ask the principals if they are satisfied with the call system or if they would prefer a different system.

Lester also reported on the success of summer school. At Marlinton Middle School, 14 students are attending, with 11 achieving passing grades. At Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, five students are attending and all are passing. At Pocahontas County High School, nine students are attending and all are passing.

ﾕ Board member Emery Grimes suggested that each school should have a picnic or back to school event that the board members could attend to meet parents and improve community involvement in the schools.

Lester said he would ask the principals if they are planning events at their schools.

ﾕ Board member Jan McNeel asked if it would be possible to train parents to assist students with preparing for the WESTEST. She provided board members with statistics and examples of ways to work with the students to improve their scores.

In financial management, the board approved the following:

ﾕ The Individual Schools Annual Financial Reports for General and Food Services Accounts.

In miscellaneous management, the board approved the following:

ﾕ Travel requests for July 12, 2010.