Prevention Resource Officer Donald Bordenkircher

At the Wetzel County Commission meeting held Jan. 24, Guidance Counselor Dr. John Tomaszewski and teachers Kristi Earley and Janet Moore of Valley High School met with the commission to discuss the Prevention Resource Officer (PRO) program at VHS and share their intentions to reapply for the grant which helps fund the PRO program.

Dr. Tomaszewski first spoke on the benefits of having Prevention Resource Officer Donald Bordenkircher at the school, noting that the program plays an integral part in situations that are “just hairy enough” to need someone more than a principal to handle. He went on to say the students respect the friendship they have with Bordenkircher and understand that there is a line wherein if a student performs a deviant act, the PRO has to, and will, do what needs to be done. “Everyone feels safe, I believe,” Dr. Tomaszewski resolved. “Without the program, it would be a detriment to the school.”

Dr. Tomaszewski continued by saying that in the hallways he no longer hears the vulgarity or sees kids pushing kids, largely thanks to the fact that Bordenkircher doesn’t sit in an office but instead roams the school grounds. “It’s a different atmosphere,” the guidance counselor said, adding that the PRO program has “curtailed a lot of issues some other schools face.”

Earley then presented the commission with discipline referral data which illustrated the positive and strong influence Bordenkircher’s presence has made in the school pertaining to student behavior.

In total, there were 149 referrals made in the 2010-2011 school year; in 2011-2012 that number dropped to 87. Referrals span from defiant behavior toward staff, skipping class, insubordination, tobacco use, and disruptive behavior.

Relatedly, Earley also shared the school’s goals for the upcoming year with the commission. These goals are made as part of the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant application.

Their primary goal is to “maintain a safe learning environment, free from inappropriate behaviors for the students and staff at Valley High School with the presence of the PRO.”

Under this goal their first objective is to reduce the number of office referrals involving abuse of illegal substances. Activities to meet this objective include the school programs: NOT (Not On Tobacco), Breakfast Club, TATU (Teens Against Tobacco Use), Raze, and IPSA (Intervention for the Prevention of Substance Abuse). While there were only two referrals for tobacco use this school year as compared to 13 in 2010-2011, Earley said. “If you look around, it’s a problem in the school They just haven’t been caught.”

The second objective is to increase mentoring opportunities for students at-risk of dropping out of school. Under this objective, Earley noted that it was Bordenkircher’s idea to start up the Sportsman’s Club which was recently approved by the Wetzel County Board of Education as an extra curricular club where students engage in supervised outdoor activities and seminars. Bordenkircher spoke with students who were not involved in other school activities and learned that the activities presently offered simply didn’t interest them. Out of that revelation the school has been in contact with the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office, alumni Mike McGuane, and Cabela’s in gaining support and sponsorship for the club. Many details are still being hashed out at this time, however it is hoped the club will be up and running in the spring.

Other activities planned under this objective include DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), LINKS, and a bullying/cyberbullying program.

Objective three is for VHS to make the PRO accessible to the community and accountable to the community goals at large. Activities to met this objective include the PRO acting as a first responder and developing a working plan for community safety, working with the Local School Improvement Council to maintain school safety supplies and shelter in place, establishing a student and community hotline/ helpline for safety, and establishing students rights and responsibilities.

Earley commented that having Bordenkircher at the school is “like a satellite office for the sheriff’s department” in that he is actively out in the community as well as in the school.

The commission was pleased with the report presented and approved to sign the grant documentation requesting $35,978 to fund Bordenkircher’s base salary, FICA, and retirement. The commission will provide cash and in-kind contributions of $5,642 and $2,400, respectively, toward the program.

“It’s a wise investment we’re making to the community and the school,” noted Commissioner Scott Lemley. In agreement, Vice President Bob Gorby added, “There’s not much work out there for the kids who drop out of school.”

In another matter Eric Fecat of the Belomar Regional Council met with commissioners regarding another drawdown of the Hundred Littleton Public Service District’s waterline replacement project. Fecat requested more funding for the architectural engineering fees, construction, and legal fees in the amount of $122,027.23. The commission agreed to sign the drawdown.Fecat noted the project is 75 percent complete, with major construction underway over the next month, weather permitting. It’s anticipated the project will be officially finished by spring.

Fecat also requested the commission sign a resolution to approve an additional $200,000 to finish the design phase of the Wetzel County PSD No. 1 Phase IV waterline extension project. The Phase IV project is intended to extend water to 94 households and eliminate a documented health situation in the areas along Chiselfinger Ridge, State Run Road, Eight Mile Ridge, and Richwood Run in the Jacksonburg area of the county.

Lastly, Chief Tax Deputy Shelby Titus met with the commission asking to purchase two basic computers for the tax office to replace two older, existing machines at a total cost of $1,624.61. Without objection the commission granted the purchase.