Superintendent C.C. Lester came to the board of education meeting Monday night with some great news.

Hillsboro Elementary School received funding from the School Building Authority to build a new cafeteria which will connect the main building to the gymnasium.

ﾓFor the last couple of years, we have been going to the School Building Authority to try to consolidate Hillsboro into one building,ﾔ Lester said. ﾓThe kids have to go outside to go to the cafeteria and to the gymnasium. We presented it again this year, the SBA met today and we were funded for that project, so thatﾒs great for the the school. Iﾒm tickled to death about it.ﾔ

The project will be put out to bid and Lester said, hopefully, construction can begin this year.

The board recognized several students for their academic achievements at the State Social Studies Fair, the West Virginia Young Writers Contest and the Golden Horseshoe Award.

Students participating in the State Social Studies Fair were: Alex Kinnison, Heather Pritt, Kala Honaker, Gavin Moore, Patrick Martin, Lorena Rose, Rachel McComb, Jessalyn Hamilton, Amanda Gibson, Andrew Morrison, Joey Friel, Kindra Carr, Brady Jones, Drake Warder, Samantha Collins, Marilyn Creager, Nathan Morrison, Mikalan Holder, Makayla Marks, Lara Baudler and Matthias Solliday.

Young Writers winners were: Lorena Rose, Lauren Garretson, Laura Leyzorek, Kristen Bogart, Max OﾒGanian and Amber Sisler. Golden Horseshoe winners were Tommy Gruelik and Caitlin Barnes.

The board members congratulated the students and presented them with certificates for their achievements.

In updates:

ﾕ Lester reported that this yearﾒs Teacher of the Year is Mali Minter and Service Personnel of the Year is Tim Wade.

ﾕ Hillsboro Elementary School teachers Kelly Hickson and Shannon Alderman reported on the parent involvement conference they attended. Several speakers presented materials to assist with encouraging parental involvement in school activities and their studentsﾒ education. Both teachers said the conference was very informative and provided them with information to implement at HES.

ﾕ Maintenance director Darin McKenney reported that a computer system that will allow him to control the thermostats at Pocahontas County High School has been purchased. He added that the board will be reimbursed for the work put into placing fiber optic lines at PCHS. A water tank at PCHS that was no longer in use was taken apart and sold to Jacob Meck Construction as scrap.

ﾕ Student representative Chloe Bland reported that PCHS will take part in a Child Abuse Prevention program on Thursday. She added several achievements made by students including: The 4-H/FFA Ham, Bacon and Egg show brought in $23,000; Bubby Hatfield won honorable mention at the Regional Science Fair; and freshman Vincent Harper won first place at Regional Math Field Day.

The VICA program succeeded at the State SkillsUSA conference. The group consisting of Mackenzie Halterman, Derek Hamman, Gabriel Walkup, Patrick Martin, Phil Whiteis and Morgan Langston won gold in Chapter Business Procedure. Also winning gold were: Dalton Walker in Carpentry and Samantha Hefner in Baking. Cody Hill won silver in Plumbing and David Barb won bronze in Electronics. The gold winners will represent West Virignia in Kansas City, Missiouri, in June.

Three FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) members won at the state level and will represent West Virginia at the National Conference in San Antonio, Texas: Chantella Lewis, Ryan Cain and Fredricah Gardner.

Bland said the prom was a huge success with King and Queen Curtis Pyles and Sara Jonese, and prince and princess Ryan Cain and Cassidy Rao.

Upcoming events at PCHS are: the FFA banquet, May 11; Foreign Language Festival, May 12; Athletic Banquet, May 23; Senior Awards Night, May 24; and Graduation, May 26.

In financial management, the board approved the following:

ﾕ Bank Reconciliation, Revenue and Expenditures Summary, Budget Supplements, Budget Transfers and Projects Summary.

ﾕ Payment of vendor listing of claims in the amount of $17,970.56.

ﾕ Payment of vendor listing of claims in the amount of $166,682.53.

In personnel management, the board approved the following:

ﾕ Requested transfer of Shannon C. Anderson from itinerant teacher of special education/autism at Marlinton Middle School, to teacher of Early Childhood at Hillsboro Elementary School, effective for the 2012-2013 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.

ﾕ Resignation of Kimberly Rao as athletic season coordinator, volleyball, effective at the end of the 2011-2012 season.

ﾕ Resignation of Nancy T. Martin, due to retirement, as teacher at Pocahontas County High School, effective August 15.

ﾕ Medical leave of absence of Mali Minter as teacher of Spanish at Pocahontas County High School, effective for the first semester of the 2012-2013 school year.

ﾕ Employment of Delmos F. Barb as head boys track coach at Pocahontas County High School, effective April 25, for the remainder of the 2011-2012 schoolﾠ year at a supplement of $621.42. Position pending on sufficient number of players to make a team.

ﾕ Employment of Jennifer Whiteis as teacher of science at Pocahontas County High School, effective April 25, for the remainder of the 2012-2013 school year. Term of employment is 33 days.

ﾕ Creation of position Alternative Education/GED Option/Credit Recovery teacher for Pocahontas County Schools, assignment Pocahontas County High School, effective for the 2012-2013 school year. Term of employment is 200 days.

ﾕ Employment of Joshua Moore as general maintenance/electrician II/plumber II, for Pocahontas County Schools, effective April 25, pay grade G, for the remainder of the 2012-2013 fiscal year. Term of employment is 68 days.

In miscellaneous management, the board approved the following:

ﾕ To place the following files on a 30-day comment period: JGCC ﾖ Policy and Procedures Concerning AIDS/ARC, HIV Antibody Positive and Hepatitis B and JGCD ﾖ Administration of Medications.

ﾕ Pocahontas County Golden Eagles girlsﾒ team to practice at Pocahontas County High School until July 1.

ﾕ Green Bank Elementary-Middle School eighth grade students to travel to Virginia Beach, Virginia by chartered bus on May 22 through May 25 with the following chaperones: Cindy Himelrick, Karen Murphy, Julie Brown, Kristy Sisler, Lori Wayne, Ella Taylor and Aleisia Wayne.

ﾕ Participation in the Local Government Purchasing Card program.

ﾕ Pocahontas County High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) organization to attend the National Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Texas June 28 through July 2.

ﾕ Extension of David Wamsleyﾒs contract from $5,000 to $9,000.

ﾕ Pocahontas County Board of Education to participate in the ﾓCountry Roadsﾔ West Virginia School Authorities Purchasing Cooperative.

ﾕ To use $300 from the Julia Price Fund at Marlinton Middle School for field trips for special education students at MMS.

ﾕ Travel requests for April 23 except Anne Smithﾒs request to travel to Washington, D.C. for the Science and Engineering Festival.

The board will meet again Monday, May 14, at 7 p.m. in the board of education conference room.