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Construction Work Progresses at Washington Lands Elementary School

Photo Provided - Moundsville Middle School’s Students of the Month for December were sixth grader Reagan Ali, at left, seventh grader Audriana Arrojo; and eighth grader Fiona Ren, not pictured. The students were recognized for their good grades and good behavior. They were nominated and then voted on by the school faculty.

MOUNDSVILLE — Construction work at Washington Lands Elementary School is progressing, said Marshall County Schools Superintendent Shelby Haines.

Haines said the district’s board of education received an update recently on work at the school.

“The Washington Lands project, the all-purpose building, is moving along nicely,” she said Friday. “The steel and masonry is going up, and they abated the gym and cafeteria floor over the holidays.”

Foundation and framing work was already completed for the all-purpose room. This project is the second phase of a two-part project. The first phase included renovations to the interior of the school building to upgrade safety and security measures there.

In other matters, Haines said the board tabled awarding a bid for work related to an outdoor classroom project at John Marshall High School. She said it will be placed on the board’s next meeting agenda.

Schools Spokesman Tony Wood noted Central Elementary School’s outdoor classroom project has begun and includes two phases.

“Phase 1 is complete and consists of a privacy fence, upgraded basketball court and soccer turf,” he said. “Phase 2 is ongoing. An amphitheater area is constructed for seating. Eventually, the space will include lighting and sound.”

The outdoor classroom projects are being funded by federal American Rescue Plan Act money.

Haines added a project at the transportation department is nearly complete. Paving is finished at the department’s lot and American Electric Power is set to install new service connections for buses to plug into. There is also a new storage building for tires and a salt bin is complete as well, Haines said.

Meanwhile, the board approved a gas and oil lease with SWN for a half-acre near Cameron. The district will receive $2,250 and an 18 percent royalty rate. Haines said the company will not have surface rights, only underground Marcellus shale rights.

Meanwhile, the district was recently selected as an Encova Insurance 2022 Safety Award Recognition Program honoree “for its dedication to providing a safe and healthy workplace for students and employees through training programs and active claims management,” Wood said.

“Honorees must show excellent improvement in loss ratio and accident reduction in frequency of indemnity claims,” he said. “Marshall County Schools has dedicated resources to accident prevention and cultural development to maintain a safe workplace for their employees and students.”

Also during a meeting held earlier this month, the board approved an hourly rate of $30 for after hours services performed by professional tutors, homebound instructors and others. This rate will begin Feb. 1. Wood noted this measure will make Marshall County’s rate comparable to other districts in the Northern Panhandle.

Also, the district plans to use an online survey system called PASS, which stands for “Pupils Attitude toward Self & School.” The survey is meant to help educators identify barriers to student learning and support students who are considered at-risk.

Students will take PASS twice a year.

“During the board meeting a sample survey of five questions was explained to board members,” Wood said. “It was pointed out that PASS addresses the non-academic barriers to learning experienced by students, and that these barriers can be broken down into three categories: School Connectedness, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation.

“When the students complete the survey, reports are generated at three levels from which the data can be used by each school.

“Marshall County Schools purchased PASS for a three-year period.”

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