By Stephen Smoot
“We always keep You at the center of all the things we do,” prayed Hardy County Schools Superintendent Sheena Van Meter. Attendees then recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
Doug Hines stepped in to head the meeting, sharing that “our (Board) President is in Egypt and our Vice President is in the Dominican Republic.
Kristian Yeager introduced four superlative art students who came from Moorefield Elementary School to show their skills and demonstrate some next generation art supplies. He teaches art at both Moorefield Intermediate and Moorefield Elementary Schools.
“We had a good turnout tonight. We got four out of six” of the early grade students who worked on the project, said Yeager. He asked the students “do you remember what we used to make this?”
“Oil pastels!” they shared with great enthusiasm.
He then explained that oil pastels are formed of safe ingredients, including cooking oil. They combine the finish of oil paints with the ease of a crayon. Van Meter told them that “these will be hung up in the Board office in nice frames inside the door.” She encouraged them to bring their parents by to see their art presented there.
As they lined up for pictures, one student whispered to Van Meter “I’m scared.”
“Why are you scared?” the Superintendent asked gently.
“I’m embarrassed,” she responded, to which Van Meter replied with encouragement that she need not worry.
Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Strawderman then presented information from the Hardy County Schools strategic plan, opening with announcing that they would undergo normal federal program monitoring this year. Monitoring would consist of examining grant funding and what for which it was used.
“It’s pretty inclusive because federal funding hits all buildings and all levels, all schools and all departments,” she shared. The goal lies in “Making sure we’re compliant, making sure we’re spending the money correctly . . . to see that we aren’t spending it on any old thing.”
The monitoring will commence prior to the arrival of a team of experts in fiscal oversight. “They’ll be here in person,” explained Strawderman “they are looking at paperwork and deadlines “she further explained. Some of the programs supported include the popular and successful “Leader in Me” program, as well as “science of reading,” she noted, adding “the big pockets we put federal money into.”
Strawderman then shared the overall goal categories on which to focus. These included leadership and development, literacy and numeracy, and chronic absenteeism. “We must link our federal funding to the strategic plan,” she said.
She warned that there’s a “whole new monitoring form. They’ve changed what they’re looking for, but I think we’re good. If we miss the mark, they will send us an improvement plan.” Also “all of our processes, we have to have written out.” Van Meter built on that, saying in reference to misspending in the troubles Hancock County Schools administration “if we wanted to turf our football fields and did so, it would raise questions (amongst the monitoring team) because it’s not in the budget.”
Board members shared their appreciation for the central office staff, noting that “they did the right thing.”
Later in the meeting, Superintendent and Board discussed how “the right thing” played out in that Hardy County ended any positions created during COVID funding when that ceased. Other counties, like Pendleton, did not use that funding to hire at all. Hancock and the other troubled systems, however, lacked the will to cut what they had added and carried the cost of that until financial failure.
Treasurer Sarah Earle explained of Hardy County staffing “there is no fluff” and said to the Superintendent and Board “I appreciate you making the hard decisions sometimes. We would not be able to maintain for long if we wanted to (exceed) the (state school funding formula to aid local systems.)”
Next, some questions had arisen over the water usage patterns billed at East Hardy Elementary School. Van Meter told the Board that the athletic fields of the complex operated on the elementary school water meter. Operation in fall and spring of the concession stand accounted for the rhythms of the rises and falls of usage there.
Discussion then turned to the increasing problems faced by Hardy County Schools. Van Meter talked of how partly through mandates from state and federal sources, partly from social and demographics changes, the staffing needs of schools had changed in the past three decades. “We don’t need the same things.”
Challenges have come from the need to add specialists on staff, for example for students for whom English is not a first language. Through work programs, a number of foreign citizens have come legally to Hardy County to live and work on a temporary basis. Their children, also legal residents of course, are granted the privilege of public school education but need greater English language instruction services.
Special education needs have also put strains on the personnel budget and planning.
Van Meter shared with the Board that these needs make the school levy as important as ever. Some of the provisions that will be included in the proposal to put to the public for a vote include covering the salaries of 10 service and 10 professional personnel. Van Meter explained that does not mean that the levy will pay to hire 20 new people. It will cover the 13 current employees not paid for by the school aid funding formula, plus seven more.
The Leader in Me program touted by Hardy County Schools emphasizes the “win-win” as the best way to resolve issues. If passed, the school levy will also allow for any Hardy County taxpayer to enter any high school or middle school game free of charge. Van Meter noted “Grant County said that’s what passed the levy for them.”
Board members noted that it could also attract significantly more in person support for student-athletes across the county. They added that those who attended even a small number of games would see their levy payment quickly erased by not paying for tickets.
If passed, the levy will also help to mitigate health insurance increases for schools employees and contribute to a facilities and maintenance fund. Money raised for the levy may only pay for the specific needs noted.
Additionally, Van Meter stated that overall taxes would go down during the five-year period of the levy’s collection because taxes related to the payment of school bonds would close out. Once that occurs, individual taxes would fall.
More detailed information concerning the levy will be forthcoming.
