Photo by Ross Gallabrese Ted Pauls, center, was recognized during Monday's meeting for his service as president of the Brooke County Board of Education. Making the presentation were Superintendent Jeffrey Crook and Antoinette Perkins, board vice president.

WELLSBURG — Members of the Brooke County Board of Education thanked their longtime president for his dedication to the district during Monday’s meeting.

“Your leadership, commitment and unwavering support for the students, staff members and community have made a lasting impact on public education in Brooke County,” board Vice President Antoinette Perkins said while presenting a plaque to Ted Pauls.

Pauls, who has served on the board for eight years, was leading his last school board meeting after failing in a re-election bid in May.

“I can honestly say that I am leaving the district in a better position than when I got here,” Pauls said.

He explained that he served as president during his entire board tenure.

“As soon as I got on the board, at the very first meeting, I became president,” he said after the meeting.

He counts among his accomplishments being part of an effort that helped turn the district around.

“We are financially sound now,” Pauls said. “When I joined the board, we were not financially sound — we were distressed.

“But, it’s not just me — it’s been a team effort. We have a superintendent in Jeffrey Crook who has been with me for seven-and-a-half of those eight years, and his leadership also had helped,” Pauls said.

“I also have to thank the people of Brooke County,” he continued. “They have supported the education system here, which makes our job a whole lot easier.”

Michael Traubert of Wellsburg will join the board during its reorganizational meeting at 5 p.m. July 6 at the district offices at 1201 Pleasant Ave.

Also during the meeting, board members went into a 27-minute executive session to discuss the evaluation of Crook. When they returned, Perkins said he had met his goals to the board’s satisfaction.

“We work very well together,” Crook said later in the meeting. “I am very proud to be a part of this and of all of the hard work that the board does. I know you have a thankless job. You get blamed for everything and you get praised for not much.”

Speaking later in the meeting, board member Stacy (Hooper) Paris said Crook has put academics first and that all of the district’s programs have been improving, from the efforts of student musicians to those involved in athletics.

The board also:

• Heard from Alex Schneider, director of the Brooke County Public Library, who offered a report on several programs available through the system;

• Recognized athletes including Andrew Murdock for earning All-OVAC First-Team honors, being selected as OVAC Player of the Year in Class 5A and earning All-Buckeye 8 honors in baseball; Zac O’Mery for earning All-OVAC Second-Team honors and Buckeye 8 All-League honors in baseball; Avrey Rado for earning All-OVAC First-Team All-Conference and Buckeye 8 All-League honors in softball; Eden McKinney for earning All-OVAC Second-Team and Buckeye 8 All-League honors in softball; Jazmyn Wood for earning All-OVAC All-Star and North-South All-Star honors; Marcus Reed for placing sixth in the discus in Class AAA at the state track meet; Gavin Scott for placing fifth in the 1,600 and sixth in the 800 in Class AAA at the state track meet and setting a school record in the 1,600 with a time of 5:25.49; and Elizabeth Edgell for setting the school record in the 3,200 with a time of 11:52.65;

• Approved several overnight or day trips for employee training;

• Approved a request to extend the district’s bread bid with Nickels Bakery for the coming school year;

• Approved a request to provide funding for the Brooke County Public Library with distribution of support in the amount of $32,052 for the next fiscal year;

• Approved a request to continue funding the county’s Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for every eligible child in the county in the amount of $17,000; and

• Approved a request to accept a bid from Comfort Supply Inc. for two Mitsubishi 2.5-ton heat pumps for Hooverson Heights Elementary School and the district’s transportation office.

The board’s next regular meeting will be at 5 p.m. July 13 at the district offices.