KINGWOOD — One of the first items on the Preston County Board of Education’s agenda this week was to congratulate Autumn Sheets for being chosen as Preston County Schools Service Person of the year.
She has worked for Preston County Schools for 24 years — 22 of them as secretary at Rowlesburg School and the past two as an executive secretary in the district personnel office.
Sheets is also active in the Rowlesburg Volunteer Fire Department. During the announcement, Superintendent of Schools Bradley Martin read a letter in which he and retired Rowlesburg Principal Pete Pell recommended her for 2025 State Service Person of the Year.
Sarah Rose was chosen Teacher of the Year. She has taught in Preston County Schools for 10 years and is a fourth-grade teacher at West Preston.
Seegee Bachtel was chosen Coach of the Year. He has coached cross-country, girls basketball and track at the Aurora School for the past three seasons.
Martin said he and Board of Education President Bruce Huggins recently traveled to Charleston where Preston County Schools was awarded $586,220 to complete a secure entryway and replace exterior doors at Kingwood Elementary. The funding was from the West Virginia School Building Authority. He said the money was to be used with a 35% match of $315,518 from local levy funds to complete the projects. Martin said the levy funds have been key in securing state funds from the SBA.
He said since 2018, Preston’s school district has received $2,309,361 from the SBA for facility projects totaling $3,053,760. Martin said local levy funds totaling $746,399 has been used as matching funds to help obtain the funding.
Regarding other building projects, Martin said the PHS Theater renovations are almost complete. He said all of the seating has been replaced and the floors have been repainted with new carpet installed in the theater and the sound booth. The lighting has been upgraded throughout the facility, but electricians still need to install dimmer switches, which will finish out the required work.
He said all of the interior and exterior concrete work on the CTE Retail Store building has been completed. Work will now be done to get the facility insulated; needed cabling and electrical consideration, and installation of interior trade work will be ongoing with the intent of having the facility fully open for business this summer.
K-8 teachers and the Math Adoption Committee chose Ready Classroom Mathematics from Curriculum & Associates for grades K-5. And Envision Mathematics from Savaas for grades 6-8, according to Curriculum Director Katie McDonald.
McDonald said all students in these grades will receive a printed consumable work text as well as access to the appropriate digital platforms. She said all teachers will receive the opportunity to attend in-person professional development and will receive ongoing support. She said a formal quote for the purchase is forthcoming.
Board members also approved an memorandum of understanding with the Southern Educational Services Cooperative for bus operator training and examination services for the 2024-25 academic year. The trainer will be paid $30 per hour, plus standard state benefits.
