Published: May 27, 2008 11:08 pm         

Raleigh County BOE discusses school safety

Jeff McClung, assistant director of pupil services for Raleigh County Schools, updated board of education members Tuesday night about the county’s School Access Safety Plan, which, he said, received full approval from the School Building Authority April 30.

The plan, which calls for securing the county’s school’s by limiting access to only students, teachers, administrators and those with legitimate business, is the result of Gov. Joe Manchin’s safety initiative which calls for the state’s 55 counties to ensure school safety from outside threats.

Next up in the plan is to put the projects out to bid.

Work will then begin at the county’s four high schools, moving down to the middle and then elementary schools.



Ed Wiley spoke to board members regarding concerns caused by coal mining operations located in close proximity to Marsh Fork Elementary School.

Wiley, whose grandchildren attend the school, said he has had tests run on the slurry he said is just 350 feet from the school.

Those tests, he said, revealed 17 chemicals, which he said pose health risks to the students.

Wiley, who said he recently returned from New York, where he spoke with several media outlets that are interested in problems caused by the slurry, asked board members to support efforts to build a new school at a different location.

So far, he said, the Pennies for Promise campaign has raised $10,000 toward a new school and he said students in New York as well as other places in the country are raising funds as well.

Wiley said he feels responsible for problems at the school since he was previously employed by the mines.

“I was part of this,” he said. “I was part of making them kids sick. That’s why it’s so important to me ... I feel that it’s my part to do everything I can to help clean up the mess that I made.



Winners of Raleigh County’s secondary and elementary school art shows were honored.

At the elementary school level, Cody Deal, Bradley Elementary School, received the superintendent’s choice art award; Alisa Rones, Stratton Elementary, won best of show; and Ananda Thompson, Stratton, received the youth museum choice art award.

Middle school best of show went to Brian Cook from Park Middle School and high school best of show went to Stacey Humphrey from Shady Spring High School.



In Julie Midkiff, art teacher at Bradley Elementary School, spoke to board members about the county’s new art textbooks.

Also, board members approved a lease agreement with Beaver Coal Co. for land adjacent to Independence High School to be used as a practice field for football and soccer.

— E-mail: mjames

@register-herald.com