Marion County School Board receives update on school safety reviews
Dec. 6—FAIRMONT — The Marion County Board of Education got an update Monday on its school security review from the sheriff's office.
Marion County Sheriff Jimmy Riffle said the ongoing assessment of the county schools' security is almost complete. So far, the sheriff's office and the Marion County Department of Homeland Security have conducted a walk-thru of most school buildings in the county and have outlined shortcomings and aspects that need improvement.
The details of what needs done were not divulged for security reasons, but Riffle told the board that there will be an upcoming work session between his team and the board to discuss what to do with all the information collected so far.
"We'll have to sit down and see what we can accomplish, what we want to accomplish and what we can afford to accomplish," Riffle said. "We hope that by the start of next school year we will have some of this in place."
The subject of metal detectors being placed in the schools was brought up during the discussion. In the past, Marion County School Superintendent Donna Heston was quoted as being against the idea of metal detectors in the schools, but her feelings have shifted.
A recent meeting between board members and the high school student summit brought up metal detectors as a possible solution for the vaping epidemic the schools are facing.
Marion County Director of Homeland Security Chris McIntire has visited Monongalia County to observe how their metal detector system works with a large student body and was surprised how quick students were able to move through the system. After hearing McIntire's input, Heston is opening up to the idea.
"For me, when we started talking about safety in July, I was concerned about the time it'd take students to flow through metal detectors and I was also concerned about the perception, and I really wrestled with metal detectors," Heston said. "But after hearing the students and the sheriff suggest the idea to consider... I think [metal detectors] are a potential."
Healthy Grandfamilies
The board of education heard a number of presentations from volunteers and organizers taking part in several programs that are wrapping up after a successful semester.
The first group to present were the heads of the county's Health Grandfamilies initiative, which focuses on socializing and aiding non-traditional families, particularly those where students are being raised by grandparents.
West Virginia ranks second in the nation for the number of grandparents who are raising grandchildren.
The heads of the programs located in each of the county's three high schools discussed their successes for the board. The courses held ranged from social media training for the grandparents, to vaping and nicotine awareness for the students.
Superintendent Heston said the outreach coordinators' work exemplifies the kind of environment Marion County wants for its students.
"If you help one individual to have a burden eased on them, that is the mark of a successful program," Heston said.
Monday, the board heard from an individual, Joanne Clay, a grandmother who is raising 11 of her grandchildren.
Clay recounted all the help and success the Grandfamilies Program had on her school-age grandkids and how they've started to show real improvement in their behavior.
Carolyn Jones, the Grandfamilies Program social worker who introduced Clay to the board said: "That's what we do."
The board also heard presentations from the three Graduation Coaches that were employed at the start of the school year. The coaches are tasked with helping troubled students get on track for graduation and helping any student manage their schedule to finish on time.
"[The Grad Coaches] are a testament to the powerful and strong individuals that really have their hearts in the right place," Heston said. "They're out there doing great things for students."
The board's next meeting is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. in the central office.
Reach David Kirk at 304-367-2522 or by email at dkirk@timeswv.com.
