Wood County school board hears safety officer, career training proposals
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PARKERSBURG -- Wood County Schools could add three levy-funded school safety officers under a proposal presented Tuesday to the Board of Education, which also heard plans to expand career training and strengthen student support.
Jeremy Bell, director of safety and security, proposed placing the officers at Summit, Mineral Wells Elementary and Kanawha Elementary. The positions would provide a regular security presence at the district's alternative school and two outlying elementary schools, where distance can affect police response times.
The officers would be employed by Wood County Schools, unlike school resource officers employed by local law enforcement agencies.
Bell said applicants would need at least 10 years of law enforcement experience and would have to complete school safety officer training. The officers would carry firearms and could detain individuals in certain circumstances but would not have arrest powers, he said.
The proposed salary schedule would start at $45,000 and reach a maximum base salary of $65,000, depending on experience and education, with an additional $5,000 emergency response officer supplement. The positions would have 200-day contracts.
Bell estimated the total cost, including benefits and related expenses, at $80,000 to $100,000 per officer. He said approximately $1.3 million in safety funding carried over from the previous year would be available to support the proposal.
"I think three is plenty for right now," Bell said, explaining that the district could evaluate the program before considering additional officers.
Anthony Harris, coordinator of safety and security, said the positions would supplement existing law enforcement partnerships.
"This is just to help those schools right now that don't have the ability because our law enforcement can't keep putting policemen in schools," Harris said.
Board members asked about training, supervision and how applicants would be prepared to work with children. Bell said he and Harris would lead interviews and help officers transition from law enforcement to a school setting.
The proposal was presented for consideration, with no hiring approval included in Tuesday's actions.
Bell also reviewed the response to the Oct. 14 bomb threat at Williamstown Elementary School. He said no arrests had been made and the threatening call came from a telephone number generated overseas. The FBI was involved, he said.
He credited school employees, students, transportation staff and responding agencies with coordinating the evacuation and reunification process.
Bell also demonstrated the district's visitor management system, which checks visitors against safety information and uses badges to track their locations inside schools.
Career technical education was another focus of the meeting.
Jason Hughes, director of the Wood County Technical Center and Caperton Center, said enrollment across the two campuses has grown from 329 students in the 2022-23 school year to more than 500 this year.
Hughes attributed the growth to expanded access, new programs, changes to existing offerings and cooperation among the district's high schools. Several programs have shifted from two-year formats to separate one-year options, allowing students to explore additional career fields.
He asked the board to consider adding heating, ventilation and air conditioning and dental assisting programs.
A survey of 1,138 high school students found more than 230 would select HVAC if offered, while 219 expressed interest in dental assisting, he said.
Dental assisting would complement the health care programs at Caperton. An available shop at Parkersburg South High School, adjoining the technical center, could accommodate HVAC instruction, Hughes said.
He also proposed updating an existing teaching position to reflect computer science, coding, app and game design instruction. The change would formalize duties already being performed rather than create an additional position.
Hughes sought permission to begin discussions with Wirt County Schools about allowing its students to enroll in Wood County technical programs with available seats. Transportation and enrollment funding arrangements would need further discussion.
"We have 22 unique programs, and not all of them are full," Hughes said.
The board also heard from Ashlee Beatty, director of curriculum and instruction, and Valissa Porter, director of special education, about the district's multitiered system of support.
The framework provides instruction and support for all students, targeted interventions for those needing additional help and more intensive, individualized services for students with persistent academic or behavioral needs.
Beatty described preparations for the retention provisions of the Third Grade Success Act, including assessments, intervention plans, family notifications and meetings with third-grade teaching teams to review individual students' progress.
She said families would have options for consideration when students do not meet the required assessment threshold, including retesting and applicable exemptions.
"We're having conversations about every student because I don't want a surprise," Beatty said.
Porter outlined efforts to strengthen positive behavioral interventions and supports through clear expectations, consistent routines and individualized assistance.
Williamstown, Mineral Wells and Madison elementary schools have volunteered to begin an action-planning process with the West Virginia PBIS team. Officials said schools have varying levels of behavioral support already in place, with the goal of strengthening the first tier across the district this school year.
Curriculum and Instruction Director Candace Lewis also proposed allowing the existing History of the Holocaust elective to fulfill students' personalized social studies graduation credit.
The virtual course is available to students at all three high schools and would not replace any of the three prescribed social studies courses.
Gwen Sour can be reached at gsour@newsandsentinel.com.