From left, Wood County Schools Superintendent Christie Willis presents an award to David Monroe for Basic Residential Writing in the WV SkillsUSA Competition at Wednesday evening's board of education meeting. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

Wood County Schools officials reviewed construction projects, maintenance work, student safety efforts and staffing concerns during Wednesday evening’s Board of Education meeting held at the board office.

Assistant Superintendent Caleb Lawrence updated the board on several bond projects, including work at Lubeck, Lincoln, Vienna and Madison elementary schools. He said Lubeck Elementary has all steel and decking installed and about 350 truckloads, or roughly 5,200 cubic yards, of dirt have been hauled from the site. He said a future change order will address minor block cracking caused by temperature changes.

Lawrence said steel was delivered Wednesday at Lincoln Elementary, crews have begun digging footers at Vienna Elementary and work is continuing at Madison Elementary, where floor sections have been poured and contractors are preparing for additional steel and rooftop units. At the Erickson ball fields, Lawrence said the district is considering adding a roughly $100,000 irrigation system for the outfield, which he said could be paid for through the maintenance budget.

The board also heard a facilities update from David Canterbury, director of facilities, who said the district has reduced its work orders from about 1,100 to about half that amount. Canterbury said the department has moved toward a more paperless work order system and has been involved in demolition projects, school openings, turf projects, paving, flooring, asbestos work, lighting replacements and bleacher projects.

The consent agenda items included bleacher replacement purchases from Davis Athletics LLC for Martin Elementary at $47,550, Parkersburg South High School at $63,775 and Williamstown High School at $87,995. The board also approved summer flooring projects at Blennerhassett Middle School, Jackson Middle School, Jefferson Elementary, Kanawha Elementary and Mineral Wells Elementary for $99,837.33; a Madison Elementary School Addition playground purchase for $307,557.99; and pay applications for Madison, Lubeck and Lincoln elementary projects.

Melissa Armann, a teacher at Martin Elementary School, shares her concerns regarding the potential elimination of the assistant principal position at the school during Wednesday evening's board meeting. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

The agenda also included approval for Wood County Schools to participate in the 2026 USDA Summer Food Service Program, memorandums of understanding with the Supreme Court of Appeals for school-based probation officers and Communities in Schools, and an MOU with the Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library for a book vending machine funded by The Spartan Foundation as part of Wood County Reads’ Golden Ticket Reading Challenge.

The board recognized Joe Mowery, a custodian at Williamstown Elementary, as Wood County Schools’ 2026 service personnel of the year. Lawrence said Mowery has worked for Wood County Schools since 2023, beginning as a custodian at Franklin Elementary before moving to Williamstown Elementary in 2024. He said Mowery received more than seven nominations from Williamstown Elementary staff.

The board also recognized the district’s 2026 Golden Horseshoe winners and SkillsUSA medalists. SkillsUSA students were recognized in areas including cosmetology, criminal justice quiz bowl, basic residential wiring, automotive tool identification and industrial motor control. Ty Rhodes, a gold medalist in industrial motor control, is scheduled to compete at nationals next month in Atlanta.

During public comment, Melissa Armann and Sherry Morris spoke on behalf of the Martin Elementary leadership team, asking the board to maintain a full-time assistant principal position at the school beyond the 2026-27 school year.

“The discipline comparison data shows a clear and substantial increase in both behavioral incidents and the administrative action required to address them,” Armann said. She said Martin Elementary has seen increased enrollment and “a notable rise in student behavioral needs” since the merger with Fairplains Elementary.

Armann said the school manages 147 individualized education programs and about 50 student assistance team plans. She also said the school is losing its attendance and home services consultant, a position she said has worked directly with 109 of the school’s 364 families this year.

“Without this position, many of these duties will shift directly to building administration at a time when our student population, behavioral needs and special education demands are already increasing,” Armann said.

Morris said reducing the assistant principal position would limit administrative presence at the school.

“The current structure with both a full-time principal and assistant principal is not excessive. It is essential,” Morris said. “The data clearly supports the need for consistent administrative coverage to manage student behavior, ensure safety and support a growing and increasingly complex student population.”

Morris said 74.79% of Martin students are economically disadvantaged, compared with 52.2% in the county and 51.03% statewide. She also said 34.1% of the school’s students have disabilities and 5.1% are homeless or in foster care. Board President Justin Raber said Martin has a full-time assistant principal for the 2026-27 school year, and any decision would apply after that school year.

The board approved the consent agenda.