Chad Conley speaks to the Wood County Board of Education Thursday night. Conley, who finished second in Tuesday’s election, said he thought the board would appoint Rick Olcott, who came in third in the vote, to fill the remaining term after Sarah Townsend resigned this week due to health concerns. He said the election results showed voters did not want Olcott on the board. (Photo: Douglass Huxley)

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

“I’d like to thank Sarah Townsend for her time here.” board member Ron Tice said. “I want everyone to know, we will really miss him.”

Townsend said Monday he was resigning from his position for health reasons. He was elected in May 2022 and took office in July. He also serves on the Health Committee and Strategic Planning Committee.

Wood County Clerk Joe Gonzalez said the process for selecting a new person would be the same as when former board member Debbie Hendershot resigned to run for magistrate judge earlier this year, except 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 45 days to name a replacement, and that person will serve out the remainder of Townsend’s term.

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

By law, no more than two members can sit from the same jurisdiction, of which there are three in Wood County (A, B, and C).

Townsend is from District C. Board member Ron Tice and newly elected member Randy Modesitt are from District A; Raber and board member Judy Johnson are from District B. This means the board can only appoint a substitute from District C.

Olcott also stepped down while the board discussed the process by which they wanted to replace Townsend.

“I think I’d better leave at this hour.” Olcott said.

The board decided to open applications for the position from noon on Friday until noon next Thursday. Interested candidates from District C are encouraged to submit an online application, which will include providing contact information, certifying that they reside in the district, and uploading a resume no longer than three pages.

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

“We want to make this process as efficient as possible.” said Board Chairman Justin Raber. “With new board member training scheduled for November 18, it is important that we fill this gap quickly.”

The board will review the applications and make its 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 his unexpired term, which ends June 30, 2026.

Chad Conley, who finished second in Tuesday’s election for the Hendershot seat, expressed his gratitude for Townsend’s service. He said he thought the board would appoint Olcott to fill his position, but at the time of the election, a total of 30,979 votes were cast for the board position and 72% of voters, or 22,436 people, did not want Olcott on the board.

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

The board also gave a presentation to the winners of the Vaping Prevention Challenge and received the results of the Drug Prevention survey from Cathy Grewe, retired coordinator of student services and assessment.

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

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

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

To address these mental health issues, he said the district has expanded community partnerships and is now working with six organizations that provide support and resources to students.

“We are so fortunate to have wonderful community members who work with Wood County Schools and work hard to help our Wood County students make the right choices and be healthy and successful in school.” Grewe said.

He said the survey also investigated e-cigarette, marijuana and alcohol use among students. He said the data shows a consistent downward trend in the use of these substances, with e-cigarette and marijuana use decreasing significantly. It is noteworthy that nicotine and illegal drug possession crimes in the region decreased by 28% and 34%, respectively, compared to the previous year.

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

Grewe said this will likely be the last year he will give this update to the board.

“It has been a privilege to work with this community to address the drug and alcohol issues facing our students.” said Grewe. “The progress we have made is a testament to the power of collaboration and the commitment of our partners.”

With the continued support of the community and a commitment to prioritizing student well-being, Wood County Schools is poised to build on their success and further enhance the safety and well-being of their students, he said.

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 improve safety and security at their schools.

Some of the key initiatives mentioned were:

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

* Uniform Locking Procedures:The district will adopt a standard quarantine procedure that will be applied consistently across all schools. This comes after Bell and Lawrence identified confusion among staff about different lockdown practices in various buildings.

* Strengthening Staff: The plan emphasizes the importance of empowering all staff, from teachers to cafeteria workers, to be responsible for school safety. This includes providing communications equipment and training in emergency decision-making.

* Release of Recombination Sites: The district will openly share information about designated reunification areas with families and staff, aiming to ease anxiety and ensure everyone is aware of the plan in the event of an incident, the duo said.

* Annual Security Meetings: The district will hold 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 created to standardize the retention period of security camera images throughout the district.

“We take a proactive, data-driven approach to improving our security measures.” bell said “We believe that by empowering our staff and improving communication, we can better protect our students and create a safe 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 held at the Jefferson Elementary Auditorium. The meeting will start at 18.00. The meeting will be open to the public and will be broadcast online.

Douglass Huxley can be reached at [email protected].

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Items approved at the ordinary meeting of the board of directors on November 7:

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

* Wood County Schools and Dr. Memorandum of Understanding between Michael Wilson providing school-based dental services to Wood County Schools students

* Jackson Middle School Secure Login Payment App 1 in the amount of $106,500.91

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

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