At the start of the Wetzel County Board of Education meeting held Monday night at New Martinsville School, a concerned parent, Shawn Kelly, addressed the board regarding his son’s unmerited suspension following an altercation on a school bus.

According to the parent, his son, at student at Magnolia High School, was suspended for three days when in fact, his son was the one to break up the fight. Once the school examined the surveillance footage, the student was allowed back to school after one day’s suspension, however Kelly says his son still received an unexcused absence for that day.

Kelly was very upset with the mishandling of the incident, citing “interrogation practices” of Officer Steve Kastigar of the New Martinsville Police Department and that the school made no apology for the misjudgment. “I’m lost,” Kelly said. “We’re supposed to be innocent until proven guilty.”

Board President Mike Blair told Kelly the board was unaware of the incident and asked Superintendent Diane Watt to investigate the matter. She assured Kelly she would get back to him by the end of the week.

Meanwhile, the NMS music department presented two of several musical selections chosen for a Veterans Day program to be held this week at the school. Music teachers Barb Daly and Bruce Ensinger led a group of 18 fourth graders in a patriotic medley featuring “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” “This Land is Your Land,” and “America the Beautiful,” and also performed a rendition of Taps which incorporated sign language. The lyrics, sung and signed to the tune of the infamous Taps call, were as follows: Day is done, gone the sun/From the lake, from the hills, from the sky/All is well, safely rest/God is nigh.

More of these moving selections were heard at Thursday’s Veterans Day program to be held in the main gymnasium at 1 p.m. where several grade levels performed. In another matter, Superintendent Watt brought up Policy 4373, a revised policy proposed by the state which would consolidate five existing policies that address student behaviors, conse- quences, and practices to ensure safe and productive schools into one.

This new policy would place emphasis on school safety, disciplinary action, teaching students self awareness and management, social awareness and interpersonal skills, and decision making and responsibility behaviors.

The outlying goal of the policy is to require more in-school options to intervene in appropriate behavior by limiting and discouraging out-of-school suspensions. For instance, the new policy would require schools to treat Level III violations, those being the use of imitation substances such as tobacco, inhalants, and other imitation drugs, with counseling and such services rather than with out-of-school suspensions.

“The solution is to look at students and help them, not dismiss them,” Watt underlined, noting the idea is to keep kids in school and look at treatments instead of just punishments.

Watt said the comment period for this policy ended Tuesday and the state board will look at the provided suggestions and come to a final draft. She added she was under the impression there would be some adjustments made to the policy and it is hoped the new policy will be in place by the next school year.

Also during this meeting the board heard annual Local School Improvement Council reports from NMS and Magnolia High School. Those reports will be printed in upcoming editions of the Wetzel Chronicle.

The board also approved all personnel and routine matters in addition to increases and transfers in the budget, and the meeting minutes from Oct. 17, Oct. 27, and Nov. 1.

The board also approved the first reading of Wetzel County Policy JEAA: Compulsory School Attendance. Furthermore, the board agreed to uphold the superintendent’s recommendation to deny Amanda Lea Logston’s request for her children, Trenton Kale Mitchell and Gage Thomas Bidwell, to enroll and attend New Martinsville School for the 2011-2012 school year.

Lastly, the board established the dates and time of upcoming regular meetings scheduled for Nov. 28 and Dec. 5 at the county office at 7 p.m.