Chad Conley speaks to the Wood County Board of Education Thursday night. Conley, who finished second in Tuesday’s election, said he believed the board was going to appoint Rick Olcott, who finished third in voting, to fill the remaining term left when Sarah Townsend stepped down this week due to health concerns. He said the results of the election showed voters did not want Olcott on the board. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

PARKERSBURG — The Wood County Board of Education voted unanimously to accept the resignation of board member Sarah Townsend Thursday night.

“I want to thank Sarah Townsend for the time that she put in here,” board member Ron Tice said. “I want everyone to know, we’re really going to miss her.”

Townsend said Monday she is stepping down from her position due to health reasons. She was elected in May 2022 and took office that July. She also serves on the Wellness Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee.

Wood County Clerk Joe Gonzalez said the process for selecting a replacement would be the same as it was when former board member Debbie Hendershot stepped down earlier this year to run for magistrate with the exception that a special election would not be needed. The person the board decides to appoint will serve the remainder of Townsend’s term.

Gonzalez said the board has up to 45 days to name a replacement and that person would fill out Townsend’s remaining term.

Assistant Superintendent of Operations Kaleb Lawrence and Safety and Security Coordinator Jeremy Bell outlined a comprehensive plan to enhance safety and security to the Wood County Board of Education Thursday night. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

By law, no more than two members can be seated from the same magisterial district, of which there are three – A, B and C – in Wood County.

Towsend is from District C. Board member Ron Tice and newly elected member Randy Modesitt are from District A, with Raber and board member Judy Johnson from District B. This means the board could only appoint a replacement from District C.

The board discussed the process they would like to take to replace Townsend while Olcott recused himself.

“I think it might be good for me to depart at this time,” Olcott said.

The board agreed to open applications for the position starting at noon on Friday, and running through noon next Thursday. Interested candidates from District C are encouraged to submit an online application, which will include providing contact information, certifying their district residency and uploading a resume no longer than three pages.

Winners of the Wood County Schools Vaping Prevention Poster contest were recognized by the Wood County Board of Education during its regular meeting Thursday night. Pictured from left: Alexis Brower, Kendall Florence, Jocalyn Brower, Carter Lemon and Giana Fuller. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

“We want to make this process as efficient as possible,” said Board President Justin Raber. “With the required new board member training scheduled for Nov. 18, it’s important we fill this vacancy quickly.”

The board will review the applications and make their selection at a special meeting next Thursday evening. The new board member will then be able to attend the training session in Charleston and be sworn in to serve the remainder of the unexpired term ending June 30, 2026.

Chad Conley, who finished second in Tuesday’s election for Hendershot’s seat, extended his gratitude for Townsend’s service. He said he believed the board was going to appoint Olcott to fill her position but said during the election, there were 30,979 total votes cast for the board position, and 72% of voters, or 22,436 people, did not want Olcott on the board.

“I just want to urge the board to listen to the voters of Wood County that voted for change and overwhelmingly voted that they did not want Mr. Olcott on the board,” Conley said.

The board also had a presentation for the Vaping Prevention Contest winners and received the Drug Prevention survey results by Cathy Grewe, retired coordinator of student services and assessment.

Winners of the Wood County Schools Vaping Prevention Poster contest were recognized by the Wood County Board of Education during its regular meeting Thursday night. From the left: Kyla Dryer, Mikayla Davidson, Teagon Peters, Lilly Welsch and Brooke Ryan. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

Grewe said the survey, which measures student safety, mental health, and substance abuse, has been a valuable tool for the district in tracking the effectiveness of its prevention programs.

She said the data revealed a concerning trend in middle school students struggling with feelings of hopelessness, while high school students showed significant improvement in this area.

She said to address these mental health challenges, the district has expanded its community partnerships, now working with six agencies that provide support and resources to students.

“We’re just very fortunate to have wonderful community members who are working with Wood County Schools and are working hard to help our Wood County students make right choices and be healthy and successful in school,” Grewe said.

She said the survey also delved into the use of e-cigarettes, marijuana, and alcohol among students. She said the data showed a consistent downward trend in the use of these substances, with e-cigarette and marijuana use declining significantly. Notably, the district’s nicotine and illicit drug possession offenses have also decreased by 28% and 34%, respectively, since the previous year.

Members of the Jackson Middle School theater class were recognized by the Wood County Board of Education during its regular meeting Thursday night for finishing first in voting for their Wood County Schools Vaping Prevention video. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

Grewe said this would probably be the last year she gives this update to the board.

“It’s been a privilege to work with this community in addressing the drug and alcohol challenges facing our students,” Grewe said. “The progress we’ve made is a testament to the power of collaboration and the dedication of our partners.”

She said with the continued support of the community and the commitment to prioritizing student well-being, Wood County Schools is poised to build upon their achievements and further enhance the safety and well-being of their students.

The board also received a safety update from Safety and Security Coordinator Jeremy Bell and Assistant Superintendent of Operations Kaleb Lawrence outlining a comprehensive plan to enhance safety and security across its schools.

Some of the key initiatives outlined were:

Members of the Parkersburg South theater class were recognized by the Wood County Board of Education during its regular meeting Thursday night for finishing first in voting for their Wood County Schools Vaping Prevention video. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

* Uniform Lockdown Procedures:The district will be adopting a standardized lockdown procedure to be implemented consistently across all schools. This comes after Bell and Lawrence identified confusion among staff regarding different lockdown practices in various buildings.

* Empowering Staff: The plan emphasizes the importance of empowering all staff members, from teachers to cafeteria workers, to be responsible for school safety. This includes providing training on communication equipment and decision-making during emergencies.

* Releasing Reunification Sites: The pair said the district will be openly sharing information about designated reunification sites with families and staff, aiming to alleviate anxiety and ensure everyone is aware of the plan in case of an incident.

* Annual Safety Meetings: The district will be holding annual safety meetings with administrators to share best practices and ensure uniformity in safety protocols across all schools.

* Video Retention Policy: A new policy will be established to standardize the retention period for security camera footage across the district.

“We’re taking a proactive, data-driven approach to enhancing our safety measures,” Bell said “By empowering our staff and improving communication, we’re confident we can better protect our students and create a secure learning environment.”

Bell said the district plans to continue working closely with local law enforcement, emergency responders and the community to ensure the ongoing success of these safety initiatives.

The next regular meeting of the Wood County Board of Education is scheduled for Nov. 19 and will be in the Jefferson Elementary auditorium. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed online.

Douglass Huxley can be reached at dhuxley@newsandsentinel.com

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Items approved by the board during their Nov. 7 regular meeting:

* Articles of Agreement between Wood County Schools and Ohio University for student teaching placements

* Memorandum of Understanding between Wood County Schools and Dr. Michael Wilson by offering school-based dental services for Wood County Schools’ students

* Jackson Middle School Secure Entrance Pay App 1 in the amount of $106,500.91

* amendment to the Professional Services Agreement to perform geotechnical engineering services at the proposed site location of the New North End Elementary in the amount of $20,982.50

* Memorandum of Understanding with Westbrook Health Services to establish a collaborative partnership for the delivery of the Children’s Mobile Crisis Services to students in Wood County