Parents ask board to pause Morgantown High track hiring; board approves personnel addendum 3-2 after executive session

Several parents of Morgantown High School athletes urged the Monongalia County Board of Education on March 11 to pause hiring for assistant track coaching positions and to review the district’s hiring process, saying athlete health and fair evaluation of candidates should be prioritized.

At the public-delegations portion of the board meeting, Christian Abildso, a parent of two Morgantown High students, told the board the process used to fill an assistant coach role for distance runners appeared irregular and asked the board to “place [a] hold on hiring any candidates for the MHS assistant track coaching positions until a review of the hiring process is conducted.”

The request was echoed by several other parents. Kara Brown said she agreed with Abildso’s concerns and noted she had addressed the board previously on the issue. Kathy Renner said she supported the request and emphasized she was speaking both for her daughter, a senior, and for future athletes. Laurie Abildso, Clayton Hansler and Rob Riley also told the board they supported a review to ensure “the most qualified candidates are given full and fair consideration.”

Why it matters: Parents told the board that distance running is physically demanding and requires careful attention to training, recovery and injury prevention. They asked the board to prioritize athlete health and to adopt clear hiring criteria for coaching roles that affect student well‑being and long‑term development.

Board response and action: After public comment the board recessed into executive session to discuss personnel matters. Following the executive session, the board approved a personnel list addendum. The motion passed 3 to 2. The board did not record individual roll‑call votes for other personnel details during the public portion; the only recorded tally announced aloud was the 3‑to‑2 vote on the personnel list addendum.

Discussion vs. decision: The public comments were part of the meeting’s delegation (public comment) period. The board’s subsequent executive session was described by the board president and superintendent as for personnel issues; the personnel list addendum was then approved upon return. The parents’ requested procedural review was presented during public comment; the transcript does not include a public, board‑level commitment in the open record to place a formal hiring freeze or to adopt new written hiring criteria beyond the executive‑session personnel discussion and the approved personnel addendum.

What speakers said (selected excerpts): • Christian Abildso, parent of Morgantown High students: “Our primary focus in coming here tonight is ensuring that the hiring process for coaching positions . . . prioritizes the health, development and success of the athletes.” • Kara Brown, parent of a Morgantown High student: “Everything that Christian said, I wanted to agree with and let you know that I think that it's important to review the process.” • Kathy Renner, parent of a Morgantown High student: “I'm here to support Christian and his statement . . . and I hope that you guys will take everything he said into consideration.”

What remains unclear from the public record: The transcript shows parents saying a single assistant position originally posted in the fall was removed and later replaced by split postings, and that no coach candidate had been approved by the board for the distance runners. The transcript does not specify the identities of candidates, the precise internal hiring steps already completed, or whether the board directed staff to conduct an internal audit of hiring procedures in open session. Any further board direction beyond approving the personnel addendum was not stated on the public record in the provided transcript.

Ending: Parents said they appreciated the board’s attention and urged prompt, impartial review so athletes could begin the season with continuity. The meeting record shows the board handled personnel matters in executive session and approved the personnel list addendum by voice and announced a 3‑to‑2 tally.