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Ohio County Schools is about to hire the third of four social workers who will serve as the school district's "Community In Schools" liaisons.
The Ohio County Board of Education meets at 6 p.m. on Monday at the board office, 2203 National Road in Elm Grove. A request to approve the hiring of Heather Weekley as the third social worker is on the agenda.
"That will give us three, and at the following meeting (on Aug. 8) we will hire the fourth," said Assistant Superintendent Rick Jones.
Unique Robinson already has been approved as the social worker at Wheeling Park High School, while former Bethlehem/West Liberty Elementary principal Stacy Dietz was tapped as the second CIS liaison.
Is it not yet determined where Dietz and the other two social workers will be assigned, but the school district has decided on the locations for the liaisons, according to Jones.
In addition to Robinson at WPHS, other locations will be the Triadelphia Middle School annex, Bridge Street Middle School and The Warwood School. While stationed at one of the locations, the CIS liaison nevertheless will serve the whole county, Jones said.
The salary and benefits for the positions will be totally funded by the West Virginia Department of Education for the first two years. There will be no out-of-pocket costs for the school district during that time.
CIS liaisons are being placed in school districts throughout the state with the goal of partnering students and their families with social services in the community that are available to them.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and First Lady Cathy Justice started the CIS program in three counties in 2018.
The program has now expanded to 36 counties, serving over 70,000 students in 186 schools across West Virginia. Locally, Marshall County Schools is also part of the CIS program. The goal is to eventually have the program in all 55 counties in the state, the Justices said this week.