Kanawha County Board approves personnel agenda, multiple policies and schedules executive-session discussion on superintendent search

At its Jan. 6 special session, the Kanawha County Board of Education approved a revised personnel agenda, an out-of-state travel request and several policy updates intended to bring district policy into alignment with state law and current practice.

Board member Mrs. White moved to approve the revised personnel agenda (enclosure 88); the motion was seconded and carried by a 5–0 roll call. The board approved an out-of-state travel request (enclosure 89) by the same vote.

The board then approved a set of unfinished-business policies by the same 5–0 margins:

- KCS series I38 (Virtual school policy), enclosure 69: The board approved updated language to reflect the district’s virtual program and to comply with state requirements.

- KCS series J20 (Full-day attendance requirements), enclosure 72: The board approved revised language that, according to staff, removed an annual attendance report requirement and clarifies attendance and career/work-skills training language.

- KCS series J21 (Exemption to compulsory attendance for homeschooled students and private/religious schools), enclosure 73: Staff said the change adds parameters intended to help schools evaluate late transfers from homeschool programs; staff noted the district’s options are constrained by state law.

- KCS series J13 (Evaluation of secondary students), enclosure 74: The board approved updated language emphasizing mastery rather than only achievement and adding a procedure for changing grades, a revision staff described as prompted by prior employee-discipline issues related to unauthorized grade changes.

- KCS series I22 (Graduation requirements), enclosure 75 (amended): The board approved an amended motion to correct totals in the draft policy. Staff said the amendment restores four credits for the personalized education plan (PEP) and adds a one-credit personal finance requirement to align required credits with state policy; that amended motion carried 5–0.

After completing the listed agenda items, the board considered a superintendent-search matter and moved to enter executive session. Board member Mr. Crawford moved to go into executive session to discuss the search; the motion was seconded and the board planned for the five members to meet in closed session and then report back to the full assembly when they reconvened.

All formal votes recorded on the transcript were unanimous with a 5–0 tally. The motions were presented and seconded from the floor; roll-call acknowledgment immediately following each motion appears in the transcript and is recorded as “motion carries 5 to 0.”