Board Approves Annual RIFs
The Wetzel County Board of Education approved Superintendent Dennis J. Albright’s recommendations Feb. 26 regarding annual Reductions In Force (RIFs).
The termination and reassignments of several county school employees were approved.
The following were professional personnel employees who were terminated from full-time status: Kayla J. Brill, Shauna K. Heil, Amy B. Petin, Sharon E. Snider, Elisa N. Sprowl, and Valerie A. Stevens.
Service personnel employees who were terminated from full-time status included Joe O. Flesher, Therese A. Headley, Amanda K. Hoskins, and Kelly D. Taylor.
Half-time service personnel employees who were terminated included Sandra K. Blake, Shannon L. Eastham, Sandra S. Greathouse, and Shirley A. Helmick.
The Wetzel County Board of Education holds this annual RIF ritual every year, as reductions are mandated under the West Virginia Legislature’s school aid funding formula which is based on each county’s student population.
The employees who have been placed on a Preferred Recall List may bid on any job that may become open for which they are qualified. Historically in Wetzel County, many, if not all, RIFed employees are recalled, although not necessarily for the position from which they were RIFed.
The following professional personnel who were terminated due to reduction-in-force, were reassigned at the March 3 board meeting:
Kayla J. Brill, from first grade teacher at New Martinsville School to sixth grade teacher at NMS, effective the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year.
Shauna K. Heil, from fourth grade teacher to NMS to fifth grade teacher at NMS, effective the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year.
Amy B. Petin, from pre-school special needs teacher at the Wetzel County Center for Children & Families to multi-categorical special education with autism teacher at Short Line School, effective the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year.
Sharon E. Snider, from second grade teacher at Long Drain School to fourth grade teacher at LDS, effective the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year.
Elisa N. Sprowl, from kindergarten teacher at NMS to first grade teacher at NMS, effective the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year.
Valerie A. Stevens, from half-time guidance counselor at MHS and half-time guidance counselor NMS to full-time guidance counselor at NMS (205 day contract), effective the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year.
Two separate executive sessions were held at the Feb. 26 meeting, though it was not noted if these sessions were in regards to RIFed employees or not. Several individuals attended the Wednesday night meeting, though only two spoke to the board behind closed doors. Back in open session, after an approximate 20-25 minute executive session, one gentleman who had not been in the executive session, noted that he had read what one of the individuals had written and presumably presented to the board. He stated he and all the attendees of the interested group, agreed with it. However, no mention was made of the contents of the presentation.
Right before the end of the board meeting, the board retired again to a quick executive session for personnel matters.
However, no action was taken.