Prevention survey: WCS ‘going in the right direction’
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PARKERSBURG -- Cathy Grewe, coordinator of student services and assessment, spoke to the Wood County Board of Education Tuesday night about the Drug Prevention Survey results.
Grewe said the survey covers students from grades sixth, eighth, ninth and 11th and that the percentage of students who reported using nicotine, alcohol or marijuana was down from last year.
"We're going in the right direction," Grewe said. "The arrow is going down on nicotine, drug and alcohol use."
She said the reasons for this trend are prevention efforts by the school system, the fact that using these substances as a fad is fading and because the education methods in place are working.
"The programs going on in the elementary and the middle, is going to help lower the high school in years to come. Especially if we can prevent kids from becoming addicted."
Grewe said there was a correlation between students who use alcohol and drugs and the feeling of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts they might have.
"Students who drink alcohol are over three times more likely to think about suicide. Students who use marijuana are over five times more likely," Grewe said. "That speaks to me because students who drink alcohol or use drugs, not because they're bad, but because they have issues in their lives."
Grewe said there was a lot going on in the schools to help these students. She said they have more access to agency therapists than they ever had before. She said this helps their social emotional health.
"If they are struggling it's difficult for them to learn," Grewe said. "If we can meet their needs, then we can increase attendance and eventually increase learning."
Amber Hardman, director of federal programs, asked the board for an additional English Learner (EL) teacher position to address the enrollment increase of students needing EL services. Wood County Schools currently has 63 students eligible for EL services.
"That number of students in need has increased substantially just over the last couple of months," Hardman said.
She said there is one full-time EL teacher on staff and another that helps part-time.
"That's just not enough for us to be able to cover the needs we have right now," Hardman said.
The board approved the addition of an EL teacher during the consent agenda.
The board also held numerous recognitions to feature employees and community members for their contributions to the school system.
During public delegation Chad Conley and Sean Keefe expressed they did not agree to the board's appointment to the library board.
"You are all basically pedophiles by proxy," Conley said.
He said he officially was resigning his position as a substitute teacher.
Keefe said the board may be "useless idiots or you may be malevolent accessories" to what he described as the "destruction of our youth."
"Either way, not one of you deserve the seat you currently occupy," Keefe said. "And if I were you, I'd bone up on my knowledge of millstones."
The next regular meeting of the board of education is scheduled for Oct. 10 in the Bailey Board Room located at 1210 13th St. The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed online.
The following was approved during the consent agenda:
• Contract between McKinley Architecture and Engineering design and Wood County Schools for construction administration services for bond projects
• One additional English Learner Teacher
• To purchase LETRS professional development and materials for a total of $142,305.00
• School support organizations: PHS School Support Organizations: PHS Choral, Big Red Band Boosters, and Red Wing Boosters
• Security America Inc., for a security guard at Parkersburg High School at the rate of $18.95 per hour with the exception of overtime and holiday at the rate of $28.42 when applicable
• Kelly Paving Pay App 1 for county paving projects in the amount $272,650
• Phoenix Associates Pay App 5 Refrigeration Warehouse Repairs in the amount of $121,369.28
• Articles of Agreement between WCS and WVUP for College Student Child Development Program
• Memorandum of Understanding between West Virginia Department of Education/West Virginia University, Wood County Schools and SLPA, Anna Ferguson
• Memorandum of Understanding between West Virginia Department of Education/West Virginia University, Wood County Schools and SLPA, Cassandra Thaxton
• Grae-Con Construction, Inc. Change order 1 for Jefferson Auditorium in the amount of $333.30
• The CTE Budget for the Secondary Block Grant
• Payment to CMTA Inc., as stated on Pay Application 34 in the amount of $51,090.46
• Contractual agreement between Ohio Valley Health Care and Wood County Schools for nursing assistant students attending the Wood County Technical Center to experience long-term care in a nursing home environment
• Memorandum of Understanding between Wood County Schools and the Boys & Girls Club for the 2023-2024 school year for Adaptive Physical Education
Those recognized by the WCS Board of Education:
• Rosie Scott, Books-A-Million, presented a donation of books totaling $2,370 from their community book drive
• The Spartan Foundation (Hap and Meg Esbenshade), made it possible for thousands of books to have been purchased for WCS students
• Spartan Foundation, Hap and Meg Esbenshade, for the donation of $40,000 for the Golden Ticket Summer Reading Challenge
• Recognition of Gratitude for Golden Ticket Summer Reading Challenge Partnership with the Parkersburg and Wood County Library and the Vienna Public Library
• Mike Goodwin was given a certificate of recognition as an outstanding supporter of Wood County Schools. Goodwin has contributed to support students by:
Assistant Baseball Coach at Parkersburg High School from 1996 -- 2017
Did not take a salary from the School System for over 15 years
Led and participated in multiple fund raisers for the baseball team
Maintained the baseball field at the City Park for the last 7 years without being compensated
Cleaned restrooms between games, emptied trash, dragged the field, mowed the field with personal equipment, etc.
Led the effort to campaign the City of Parkersburg for much needed capital improvements for the City Park baseball complex
Lobbied with City officials to allocate funds for capital improvement to the ball field
Documented the safety concerns for student athletes that were present at the ball field and course of action needed to mitigate those risks
Helped secure almost $1.8 million of funding from the City of Parkersburg to modernize the baseball field.
Construction will begin in the next few months.
Represented the veterans of Parkersburg American Legion Post 15 for the last 7 years when it comes to baseball activities at the City Park Baseball field -- which supports athletes from all Wood County schools.
• Steve Black, Director of Vienna Parks, and Mayor Rapp, City of Vienna for their help with Jackson Middle School
• Melissa Smith and Karen Brady were recognized as a Wood County Schools Above & Beyond Caring employee, for going above and beyond to help someone
• Jim Simmons, Teacher at Parkersburg High School, received a cetificate for being a WCS Hero
• Blennerhassett Elementary custodians, who cleaned up water from the heavy rains on August 7, were recognized as WCS Heroes. Kristin Garretson, Blennerhassett Principal, stated the custodians worked tirelessly to remove water from the school and save furniture:
Chris Harper
John Carpenter
Ed Enoch
Bendi Swisher
John Woods
Sheila Hardman
Robert Scott
Douglass Huxley can be reached at dhuxley@newsandsentinel.com