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Mercer County board adopts standing 'submission of information' item and asks superintendent to provide org chart and contract
Summary
On July 13 the Mercer County Board of Education approved a standing agenda item allowing trustees to request information at future meetings and voted to require the superintendent to provide an organizational chart and a copy of his contract at the next board meeting to improve oversight and transparency.
The Mercer County Board of Education voted July 13 to add a standing agenda item titled 'submission of information and reports' so board members can formally request documents and data ahead of decisions, and then approved a separate motion asking the superintendent to provide an organizational chart and a copy of his contract at the next board meeting.
Board President Dr. Akers moved the request for an organizational chart and contract, saying the board needs documentation to show it is making "informed decisions" and to guard against state takeover risks that have occurred in other counties. "So the motion I need a motion before the board for the superintendent to provide us with an organizational chart and a copy of his contract for the next board meeting," Dr. Akers said.
Superintendent Tomlin and several trustees discussed the proposal at length during a broader conversation about governance and oversight. Trustees who participated in recent board training cited examples from other West Virginia counties where lack of documented oversight was a factor in state intervention; one trustee said the new agenda item would help ensure that "we are looking at the information so that we are making informed decisions."
The motion to add the standing agenda item (to make it easier for trustees to request data and documents) passed by voice vote. The follow‑up motion requiring the superintendent to deliver an organizational chart and a copy of his contract likewise passed by voice vote.
The board also discussed how the standing item will intersect with existing agenda structures (board roundtable and written reports) and asked staff to include the requested materials in the next meeting package. No changes to the superintendent’s contract were made at the meeting; trustees requested only that copies be made available for review.
The action stems from broader concerns raised in the meeting about ensuring that meeting minutes and agenda materials document the board’s oversight and decision‑making process. The board said the recorded documents will be included in minutes going forward so the board’s information requests are transparent to the public.
