School board approves one‑year radio broadcast renewal after ethics debate

The Monongalia County Board of Education voted Dec. 9 to renew a one‑year broadcast agreement with a local radio outlet to promote district programs and outreach tied to an upcoming excess levy campaign.

The renewal drew several minutes of debate as board members pressed staff for analytics and questioned whether paying a news organization to report on the district crossed an ethical line. Board Member Christina said she opposed the contract, arguing, “they are a news organization reporting news, and we are paying for them to report news on us.” The motion to renew carried with Christina recorded as the dissenting vote.

District staff including Teresa, who works directly on communications, told the board the station reaches a demographic the district’s internal channels do not, and that the broadcast gives the district a way to explain levy details and highlight district successes to voters who may not otherwise follow school news. “We timed different individuals to the areas that are prominent in the school system,” staff said, adding that the program is structured to feature district topics and on‑air explanations of data such as the school report card.

Board members requested more detailed analytics and clarity about charges from the station. District staff said they would provide listener analytics and look into whether other government entities are charged for similar airtime. During the discussion staff also said the program can be structured either as paid spots or as a call‑in show if the district opts for that format.

The board’s approval keeps the contract in place for another year; staff recommended annual review of the agreement and said they continue to expand the district’s internal communications capacity. The board will consider outreach and levy communications again at upcoming meetings.