The Wood County Board of Education recognized administrators from the Wood County Technical Center Tuesday night for their achievements with GED testing. Pictured from left to right: Jason Hughes, director of the Tech Center, Katrina Reed, examiner, Greg Boso, chief examiner and Superintendent Christie Willis. The board also heard about the creation of an administrative position within the safety and security office. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

PARKERSBURG — The Wood County Board of Education recognized administrators from the Wood County Technical Center on Tuesday night for their achievements at a state GED test administrator conference.

“A lot of people may not remember or realize that the Tech Center, (the) Blizzard Drive campus is a lot more than just a place where secondary students come,” said Jason Hughes, director of the Tech Center.

He said the group was recognized for having the highest individual test score, the highest number of tests given and the highest number of students who earned high school equivalency credentials.

“This also represents the hard work of adult basic ed teachers in our region and our options pathway teachers as well, who are doing the educating to prepare them for this testing,” Hughes said.

Hughes also gave a presentation on where he’d like to see advancements in career technical education within the county.

The board also heard a proposal from Assistant Superintendent of Operations Kaleb Lawrence about the creation of a director of safety and security position.

“We’re all aware that mental health issues are on the rise. School-based threats and violence across the country are on the rise,” Lawrence said. “If we only have one person with all these things on the rise that could happen, if that person ever takes a vacation, what do we do? We just need a little bit of help. We’re a large county.”

Lawrence said the funding would come from the levy for safety and security and not from the district’s general funds.

Board members asked to see a budget from the safety and security department to better understand the cost of approving a new position.

Douglass Huxley can be reached at dhuxley@newsandsentinel.com.