Skip to main content

School board discusses hiring, discipline policies

The Huntington County Community School Board of Trustees held a public work session ahead of their regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, May 28.

The work session's purpose was two-fold: first, to discuss the corporation's hiring practices, and second, to discuss discipline policies.

The board scheduled the work session after corporation hiring practices came under fire following the board's decision to delay the contract renewal of Huntington North High School boys' head basketball and football coaches by two weeks, because of the absence of board President Kevin Patrick on April 28.

The discussion of discipline policies was added to the agenda after bomb threats, which were called in to Crestview Middle School on Monday, May 19, and Huntington North High School on Wednesday, May 22, plagued the corporation during the final days of the school year.

A public work session allows the board to discuss topics and present ideas, says HCCSC Superintendent Tracey Shafer. No action is taken during a public work session, yet topics discussed may present themselves during regularly scheduled school board meetings in the future.

Following the public work session, the board began its regularly scheduled board meeting, in which they received an update on the HCCSC Employee Benefit Trust.

Douglas McElhaney addressed the board reporting good numbers, with claims coming in at 80 to 90 percent of expected amounts. McElhaney says the below-expected costs are the result of employees becoming better health care consumers and the corporation's clinic reducing the number of doctor visits.

In other business:

• Secondary Language Arts and World Language textbook adoption was approved. The new textbooks will be used in HNHS foreign language classes and English/language arts grades six through 12.

• New employees were hired, including Darrell Dorsett, head wrestling coach, HNHS; Heather Marshall, band director, HNHS; Kevin Doyle, cross-categorical, Lancaster Elementary School; Nichole Harner, counselor, Lincoln Elementary School; Katelyn Milligan, third grade, Andrews Elementary School; Brian Murray, precision machining, HNHS; Quintin Quigley, industrial technology education, HNHS; Stephanie Rodgers, guidance counselor, HNHS; and Chelsey Wiley, first grade, Roanoke.

• Policy updates and revisions were presented by Shafer as a first reading. School Board of Trustees bylaws and certified, classified and administrative policies will be updated pending approval at the next board meeting, to be held Monday, June 9.