The Board of Education recognized the achievement of three National Champions of the Skills USA competition from Hancock County schools. Evan Logston, Riley O’Rourke and Abigail Roberts were the first in the County to travel to the national Skills USA competition and attain the champion status. Roberts said the opportunity to participate in the State Competition and then compete on a national level was an “amazing experience.”

A proposal to end student fees for sporting activities was brought forth by Board President Chris Gillette, but was tabled after member Larry Shaw said more information was necessary to make a decision. Board Vice President Ed Fields, said that by eliminating admittance fees for all school events, student participation would be increased. Fields stressed that if the fee was eliminated it should be eliminated for every event and standard at all County schools According to Gillete 60 percent of the schools in the State do not charge their students for attending games.

While Gillette and Fields felt the financial impact would be minimal, Shaw wanted specific numbers and asked that input from all schools be solicited. Board member Gerard Spencer suggested that the Athletic Directors from the schools be contacted for input.

Superintendent Dawn Petrovich has been asked by Gillette and Fields to meet with Hancock County Prosecutor Stephen Dragisich to discuss utilizing the Prosecutor’s Office as the Board’s legal representative. Fields said that he felt that the Board needed to evaluate all attorneys who might provide legal representation to Board, their cost and effectiveness. The Board currently uses a private law firm, but the State Code provides for the County Prosecutors Office to assign Assistant Prosecutors to serve as legal counsel to the Board.

In other business, the Board:

**Set plans to place an Excess Levy on the ballot in November in motion;

**Approved the meeting schedule for the coming year which will find the Board traveling to Oak Glen High and Weir High twice during the coming school year;

**Learned that the Hope Scholarship, which diverts $4,290.66 per student to attend a private school out of County funds, had been ruled unconstitutional by a Kanawha County Judge and would be on hold pending appeals;

**Granted an unpaid leave of absence for Stephanie Fidak;

**Accepted the resignations of Caitin McLane, Weir Middle Social Studies teacher; Christina Kober, Weir Middle Spanish teacher; Nicolette Hill, Oak Glen High Family & Consumer Science teacher; Breanne Underwood, Weir Middle Art teacher;

**Approved transfers for Amanda Schey, Grade 6, Weir Middle to Grade 1, Weirton Elementary; Amy Durkin, Multi-Categorical/Autism, Weir Middle, to Multi-Categorical/Autism, Weir High; Michelle McHaffie, Math, Oak Glen Middle to Assistant Principal Oak Glen High;

**Approved assignments for Katherine Padden, Grade 7, Oak Glen Middle; Jennifer Enochs, Assistant Principal, New Manchester Elementary; Candice Perri, Grade 6, Weir Middle;

**Accepted the resignation of Scott Wiley as Head Girls’ Basketball Coach, Oak Glen High;

**Accepted the resignation of Nicolette Hill as Junior Class Sponsor;

**Assigned Charles Tenaglio as Assistant Boys’ Soccer at Weir High;

**Named Andrew Bellevage Weir High Co-Sponsor, Class of 2023;

**Approved Alicia G. Chappell, Itinerant LPN; Rebecca Frischkorn, LPN/Aide, Weir Middle; and Jerry Fields, Custodian II, Weirton Elementary;

**Approved John Barber as a substitute Bus Operator;

**Transferred Kelly R. Ates from substitute Aide to Supervisory Aide/AM, Weirton Elementary;

**Transferred Jaedyn Kush from Secretary II, Weir High to Secretary II, Weir Middle, and Felix Orr from Custodian II, Maintenance, to Custodian IV, Oak Glen Middle;

**Declared vehicles surplus property;

**Approved the Nickels Bread Bid.

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