With the resignation of Oak Glen Middle School Principal Alysa Mick formally accepted at Monday’s Board of Education meeting, the new Principal  was named.  Assistant Principal Derek Van Dyke, was named Principal effective September 27, 2022.  Mick and the Board had reached a settlement on her grievance and subsequent law suit on favoritism being a factor when she applied for the Director of Human Resource position and Sarah Parsons, a  close friend of Superintendent Dawn Petrovich, was chosen for the job. Mick resigned her position to accept the Director of Curriculum position at Lincoln School of Performing Arts.

    The Board named a new law firm to serve as legal counsel.  While DinsmoreShohl currently represented the Board,  the law firm of BowlesRice was selected as the new legal counsel on a 3-2 vote.  The law firm of David Cross also presented a proposal to act as the Board’s legal counsel.  Board member Jim Hortsman made the motion to give the contract to BowlesRice and Board Vice President Ed Fields seconded the motion, noting he was doing it to bring the matter to discussion.   Fields then said he had spoken with Cross and each Board member had a copy of Cross’s proposal.  Board President Chris Gillette observed that a local lawyer might sometimes have to call upon an outside firm for specialized issues.  Board member Larry Shaw took exception to individual Board members talking directly to prospective legal firms rather than assigning the task to Petrovich.  He noted that every member but himself appeared to have been talking to law firms and he wanted to make sure the Board didn’t violate the law.    Fields and Shaw voted against hiring BowlesRice while Gillette, Horstman and Gerald Spencer voted in the affirmative.

In other business, the Board:

**Granted an unpaid leave of absence to Marissa Elliott;

**Granted administrative release to countywide substitute teachers Tiera Woolmaker, Christina McFalls and Haley Bowman;

**Accepted resignations from Robert Mancuso and Diane Bowers as countywide substitute teachers:

**Accepted the resignation of Shelby Gianni as Assistant Principal of Weirton Elementary;

**Transferred Josh Weltner from teacher at the Alternative Learning Center to Physical Education Teacher at Weirton Elementary;

**Approved assignments for Samantha Lash, Band Teacher, Weir High; Shelby Gianni, Countywide Substitute, Lynn Gardner, school nurse, Oak Glen Middle; and Jeremy Alger,

**Assigned  Laci Growe as Oak Glen Middle Head Cheerleading and Adam Davis Weir High School Assistant Boys’ Basketball;

**Granted an unpaid leave of absence to Betty Dennis;

**Accepted the resignation of Stephanie Fiber as Countywide Substitute Aide;

**Accepted the resignation of Sherry Taylor as Custodian II, Allison Elementary;

**Transferred  Linda Nicoles from Supervisory Aide/AM, Weirton Elementary School to Supervisory Aide/AM, New Manchester Elementary;

**Approved substitute Alissa Hill, cook; Rachel Peterson, Jennifer Salmons, and Bethany Cowart, aides; and Candis Arango, custodian;

**Approved volunteer  instructor assignments for Weir High School Band: Heidi Morris, percussionist; Ed Elbon, percussionist; and Hunter Helms, majorette.