Superintendent reports on Welch deed, Kimball appraisal and calendar options after weather disruptions

Staff reported that the final deed for conveying Welch Elementary to the city of Welch has been shared with the city and that the board will be asked to sign the deed at the next meeting; the record of conveyance was said to have been approved previously in an action item.

The superintendent’s update included appraisal results for the former Kimball Elementary site: a commercial appraisal returned $145,000 for the school site and $12,500 for the playground parcel. Staff said they will work with Pocahontas Land to remove restrictive covenants from two deeds and will return with recommendations for board action on the Kimball property.

On calendar and instructional-time issues, staff described the district’s current status after recent weather disruptions and noted the state’s waiver process under West Virginia Code §18-5-45 for counties declared disaster areas when conditions cause substantial loss of instructional days. They described how the district banks 30 minutes of instructional time per day to create equivalent days (state rules allow use of banked minutes to cover up to 5–10 equivalent days in some calculations). As of the briefing, the district reported five nontraditional instructional days already used and several banked minutes; the current last student day was listed as June 12, moving to June 15 if one more OSE day is used.

Staff also previewed professional development and safety work: the state-contracted Safe and Civil Schools Company will provide attendance-focused training paid from a Stronger Connections grant; the district will hold an active-shooter response professional development day on Feb. 27 for all staff; door access control parts have been ordered, camera upgrades are under way, and panic-alarm buttons are planned for future installs.