Cabell County board approves 42-item consent agenda, OKs $574,375 workers—comp contract

The Cabell County Schools board approved a 42-item consent agenda on June 16 that included an Encova workers' compensation insurance contract totaling $574,375.

Discussing the operations items, the presenter credited Tim Stewart (who has handled workers' comp since 2005) and the district's new agent, Brian Oakley, for securing a rate the presenter described as "the lowest that we have paid since Tim's been here." The Encova contract was presented as part of a larger packet of contracts and services needed for the coming school year.

Board members asked specific questions about several consent items before the vote. Notable items discussed included: - Mountain State contract for surrogate services tied to court-placed, special-needs students (required for IEP meetings); - a contracted Medicaid/Medicare billing specialist (an offsetting cost described in the meeting as roughly $17,000, with the district noting Medicaid reimbursements typically exceed that expense); - Title IX and independent investigator services to ensure investigations can be conducted by trained, outside investigators when needed; - transportation training and bus-driver training contracted through Mountain State to capture an 87.5% reimbursement for billable services rather than hiring and paying staff outside normal work hours; - a short-term CTE instructor arrangement where contract length (140 days) raised questions about hiring rules and state contract-day requirements; - Title I portfolio software (Title One Crate Services from 806 Technology) and a lower-cost trainer contracted for administrator professional development, scheduled to support both a July principals' institute and a January follow-up.

After Q&A the board voted to approve the consent agenda. Ms. Neely moved and Ms. Smalley seconded; members signaled approval and the motion carried.

The meeting proceeded to financial and personnel business after the consent agenda vote.