[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6058353,"mediaKeyId","3297312-bd577d6f2912e4de65d32a64ac3809d6","parentId",3297312,"title","Monongalia County presents curriculum audit results, expands behavior training and keeps cell‑phone policy in classrooms","audioSeconds",740,"startMs",2564000,"endMs",3304000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3297312-bd577d6f2912e4de65d32a64ac3809d6&start=2564&end=3304","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3297312-bd577d6f2912e4de65d32a64ac3809d6/thumbnail_2564000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6058353/West-Virginia/Monongalia-County-presents-curriculum-audit-results-expands-behavior-training-and-keeps-cellphone-policy-in-classrooms","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6058353-3da6cde5c2145fe6925b0a794dbdcd02/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144860&Signature=al1oZlONvk9BZxtK2ULNaZAmnrgEX9an0ZXLIocF9ix6NhMWJcRg3k7jlR4Oni4Rp8T5qm1MgW5WW5ZsfAf8AqpSY5q7nYs1M0KDOkMIKKIhZMEi7enfh7jOTRl7SUpPYh4rH1WUFptZCllEmURIv1NYv5T31Vc666P3Yb5OJbGgRYh7UlChrQ7slCR7HH4sRZ-bB2W5vtFQwFT8ovlYvmlrHZE5oZQjyUDXMNVNIPjYfuHi-yU83c1HQ84YhQlZjK1ISO9jmvO2D5uur9EvejL~qmuzNlDJMjbkJNX6-RwZ6vniTIRhoawoGqouKLXt7mLDJp3auoufQtJyAY2qIA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-14T10:31:53Z","article","MONONGALIA COUNTY, W.Va. — Donna Stolorico, deputy superintendent for Monongalia County Schools, gave an elementary curriculum audit “season‑finale” presentation at the board’s May 13 meeting that summarized school‑level findings and districtwide initiatives aimed at improving instruction and student behavior.

Stolorico outlined outcomes from school visits and the district’s response to issues identified in last year’s audit. She told the board behavior was the most frequently cited problem and described the district’s “behavior blueprint” training that drew close to 400 teacher participants; Stolorico said the district expects about 500 teachers to attend the second session this summer. She said the training effort included options for earning college credit and lunch for attendees.

Stolorico described a summer “eighth‑grade redemption” program run last July that she said got participating students to mastery in ELA and math; she said the program will expand this summer to provide supports for sixth‑, seventh‑ and eighth‑grade students at risk of not demonstrating mastery. On the elementary front, she said the district will continue to strengthen small‑group literacy work, phonics and targeted interventions.

On the district’s cell‑phone policy for secondary schools, Stolorico said the phones are kept in student‑held pouches while on campus and praised the effect on classroom engagement. “The first phones are in the pouches. It has worked magnificently,” she said. She acknowledged there were initial hiccups and that exceptions have been created for medical needs and parent access; she said staff have worked through those issues.

Stolorico also described instructional changes: the district chose the UFLI (YouFLY) phonics program for consistent phonics instruction across schools, increased co‑teaching practices and expanded training for trauma‑informed classrooms. She praised the work at three schools — Mason Dixon, Mountain View and Skyview — that were designated as CSI/ATS schools after declines in special‑education results; she said the designation prompted intensive work that strengthened instruction and team commitment.

Stolorico described a new district initiative called “Boost Our Educators” that connects local businesses and partners with teachers; she said roughly 36 partners currently offer discounts and support for educators. She also thanked staff who coordinated the curriculum audits and school visits and said the district will present secondary audit findings at a future meeting.

No formal board action was taken on the presentation. Stolorico said she will return in two weeks with the second part of the presentation focused on middle and high schools.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Monongalia BOE regular board meeting 5/13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Deputy Superintendent Donna Stolorico summarized findings from elementary curriculum audits May 13, highlighted behavior blueprint training attended by hundreds of teachers, said the district’s phone pouch policy has reduced distractions and described plans to expand summer mastery programs.","taxTitle","MONONGALIA COUNTY SCHOOLS, School Districts, West Virginia","taxId",13061,"location","West Virginia","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6058357,"Former Monongalia County bus driver tells board route was unsafe, urges immediate aide after incidents",339,1449000,1788000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3297312-bd577d6f2912e4de65d32a64ac3809d6&start=1449&end=1788","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3297312-bd577d6f2912e4de65d32a64ac3809d6/thumbnail_1449000.jpg","/articles/6058357/West-Virginia/Former-Monongalia-County-bus-driver-tells-board-route-was-unsafe-urges-immediate-aide-after-incidents","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6058357-577cd40134bcfdb4a766bfd178b0e0e4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144860&Signature=dTgzEWAMsZ9vxHFOm8vaU6wvK33rBThSSY-x2WJPAoDgPK~M5g1eFdZpbmik0pGSJNyv-7xz~B2ZJckshtcMpC6ST4wnUl6KnYkf6peyLyHuGJU~qFBNK7YwQPxf7L0XOjdfVrwA2fbB6JNfpsHeoWdcfb8BBFa0FW3xiBxt80h4hQlQkCZzNRbU2BP6XMOpn2COW0akucOJJdDUBFNeibzxHddVG09Tu9kud7P5Lvrx14xDidNR-bVbp7C79tADihB~Zj10fjWEVkTVDaHvZ~tpjjWgG7g2us68p7CMHNtA5t5F4YipTgjuV41MkYA1ZFE6--4eXDOV-jsoC3TzYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","MONONGALIA COUNTY, W.Va. — During public comment at the Monongalia County Board of Education meeting on May 13, April Rowan, a former county school bus driver, told the board she lost her job after raising safety concerns about a route she had been assigned and asked the board to place an aide on that route immediately.

Rowan said she was hired April 14 as a full‑time driver for Monongalia County but found she could not safely complete the assigned route. She described incidents on the bus, including students throwing candy and a Powerade bottle that broke and narrowly missed a student’s head. She said the afternoon trip was chaotic and that she had “36 to 52 students at one stop” with five adults and a sixth‑grader assigned to receive the riders. Rowan said her training did not prepare her to manage that situation alone.

Rowan said she reported the problems to supervisors and called base during the incidents but that base did not respond. She described being threatened on the bus and recounted an episode when a parent boarded the bus and verbally threatened her. She told the board she permitted children off the bus because parents insisted, then later learned two boys were left at an upstairs apartment, which she said heightened her concern for student safety. Rowan said she was forced to resign and offered to meet with board members or staff to resolve the route’s safety issues.

Rowan told the board she sent email documentation to members and provided hard copies at the meeting. She asked the board to fix contact details so members receive her correspondence. She said she was willing to meet with “whoever will listen” and urged immediate action, warning the district that continued problems could lead to a lawsuit.

Board members did not engage in a substantive response during the public comment period. A board member said the Sunshine Law prevents the board from discussing certain personnel matters in public and declined to respond. A board member requested a copy of Rowan’s email; she handed a hard copy to staff.

The district did not take formal action on the request at the May 13 meeting. Rowan asked the board to reassign the route and to place a bus aide on the bus, and she said she was open to meeting with staff to pursue changes.","At the May 13 meeting a former bus driver, April Rowan, described safety incidents on a school bus route with large ridership, said she was forced to resign after raising concerns, and asked the board to add an aide and change the route.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6058361,"Monongalia County Board approves proposed fiscal 2025–26 budget; public hearing set for May 27",608,1860000,2468000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3297312-bd577d6f2912e4de65d32a64ac3809d6&start=1860&end=2468","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3297312-bd577d6f2912e4de65d32a64ac3809d6/thumbnail_1860000.jpg","/articles/6058361/West-Virginia/Monongalia-County-Board-approves-proposed-fiscal-202526-budget-public-hearing-set-for-May-27","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6058361-e95b027ab2c47a41092b8f053f1e6645/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144860&Signature=Pdgv7vWM~VifWRbOeY-Alf3daf-8RTyjqMkhVOM5E7yAYfkFRDN7oLYEiZq~isyJW7AeqGH2QyVnOtE5BuzSa5WRRHwcwPZtw7PgR7x2jQPmTdmsVHHgtdSPCDChh4rIXlKAYnuKoSsJ770K~TorSUwSdDfuMN8yFle-MeyXh5Aks~JGZxNR9iwJAG9KkMqy1YvRCxIlhXKxOnBjyFN2wTku4Q4GRz4zdxG~bUeSJk9TvgtmUjHTgnWupJngHlML67f7TdVgQbj3MMytWzIvub0kLzobk7AuMH6I2YB2IppQ2pGhhbDrkjpKGMuGXLFOFAGDNatZvrRQxt5U8TQUtg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","MONONGALIA COUNTY, W.Va. — The Monongalia County Board of Education voted May 13 to approve and publish its proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget and set a public hearing for May 27 before final adoption.

The treasurer presented the budget proposal and detailed revenue and expenditure changes the board will consider at the public hearing and when it adopts the budget at a later meeting.

The budget presentation said local tax revenue is projected to fall by more than $8 million after a drop in valuation for oil and gas. The district expects an increase in basic state aid — described in the presentation as about $4.6 million — that was tied in part to third‑grade funding under the state’s Third Grade Success Act. The presentation also reported a $961,828 increase in charter‑school allocations and a 14% increase in PIA-related costs used to project personnel benefits costs.

The treasurer told the board the district plans to hire 34 additional third‑grade aides and highlighted that the district would continue to offer all students free meals next year. The treasurer also outlined capital projects in the permanent improvement fund, including a Mountain View safe‑school entrance, STEM expansion, a Suncrest Middle School project, a Mountainview High School cafeteria upgrade, a Westwood Middle School turf project and a sewer upgrade at MHS. The permanent improvement fund figure shown in the presentation was $25,283,270, with a School Building Authority allocation of $7.1 million and reserves of roughly $18 million.

Officials said the district maintains four funds: the general operating fund (state sources and levy proceeds), a special revenue fund for restricted state and federal grants (presented at $21,576,761), the permanent improvement fund and the debt service fund (revenues roughly $3 million and property tax revenue shown as about $2.9 million). The treasurer said roughly 52% of general fund revenue comes from state sources, with regular levy at about 21% and excess levy at about 20%.

Board members discussed that Monongalia County has the highest charter school enrollment in the state, a factor the treasurer said reduces the county’s available budget more than in other counties. The treasurer also noted payroll and benefits account for the largest share of expenditures.

Superintendent recommendation and a motion to approve the proposed budget as presented were made, the motion was seconded and the board voted in favor by voice vote. The motion carried.

Board members said the proposed budget will be posted publicly, the board will hold the May 27 public hearing and will later return to adopt the budget.

Additional details in the presentation: percentage breakdowns for expenditures (instruction approximately 54.23% of general fund spending; operations and maintenance 10.45%; student transportation 8.73%); for special revenue fund expenses, instruction about 48.1% and food service about 38.6%; and for the permanent improvement fund, a list of priority capital projects. The presentation also noted the district is monitoring summer program funding and enrollment trends that affect state aid and that the district’s excess levy is scheduled for renewal in May 2026.

The board did not adopt the budget at the May 13 meeting; the vote approved the proposed budget to be published and moved forward to the scheduled public hearing and final adoption process.","The Monongalia County Board of Education voted May 13 to approve and publish its proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget for public review, flagging lower local tax revenue from oil and gas valuation declines, increased state aid tied to third‑grade funding and several capital projects.","actionData","errors"]

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Monongalia County presents curriculum audit results, expands behavior training and keeps cell‑phone policy in classrooms

Former Monongalia County bus driver tells board route was unsafe, urges immediate aide after incidents

Monongalia County Board approves proposed fiscal 2025–26 budget; public hearing set for May 27