Ohio County Schools Hopes To Partner With WVU Medicine
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Ohio County Schools Assistant Superintendent Rick Jones announced the school district is seeking to partner with WVU Medicine to provide medical personnel for all home sporting contests in Ohio County Schools.
Jones made the statement during a board of education meeting Monday at Bridge Street Middle School.
"It's a little premature, but I'm working a little bit with WVU Medicine to get a partnership with them for the county," he told board members. "One of the things potentially we would be able to access would be a doctor especially for us that would be on the sidelines.
"There's nothing official, but we're working in that direction."
He expects representatives from WVU Medicine will come to an upcoming board meeting to explain what their goals are for the partnership, and what that would do for Ohio County Schools.
Board member Molly Aderholt said she thought the partnership could be a good idea, and that the school district should consider always having a medical professional available at all home games.
"As a parent watching sports, I know scary things happen to kids," she said. "If we are hosting an away team and for our own students, it's really a liability issue."
The school district has contracts with athletic trainers, but they aren't always available to cover every school sporting event, Aderholt explained.
Jones was asked to provide an update on the turf placement at the Wheeling Park High School baseball field. He said conditions still continue to be too soggy to excavate the soil and place the gravel needed before the turf can be placed. Four dry days without rain will be needed before this can take place, he explained.
Jones added if the turf isn't laid by the time of WPHS's first baseball games with University High, WPHS may ask to play the game on their field in Morgantown.
He said another prospect is to use stadiums halfway between the schools in Washington, Pennsylvania -- either at Washington and Jefferson College or at Wild Things Park along Interstate 70.
The board also approved the transfer of bus driver Elizabeth Coss to the position of supervisor of transportation assigned to the transportation department.
The next board meeting is set for 6 p.m. on March 13 at the board of education office, 2203 National Road, Elm Grove.