Brooke could fill vacancy
Trending
WELLSBURG -- The Brooke County Board of Education could fill its opening when it meets this evening in a special session.
Members are scheduled to interview the five remaining candidates for the opening during a meeting that will begin at 6 p.m. at the board offices.
It’s possible that after the interviews are completed, the board could make a decision before tonight’s meeting is adjourned -- or it could wait, and make a selection later in the month.
Board members whittled down the original 18 applicants for the post to the final five -- Peter Bolock, Emily Hosler, Alexandra Martin, Fatima Smuck and Kimberly Stewart --during a one-hour-49-minute executive session held as part of a special meeting on Oct. 6. Finalists were chosen after board members reviewed all of the letters of intent and resumes
Whoever is named to the post will be replacing Antoinette Perkins, who died Sept. 14 at the age of 75. A longtime educator in Brooke County schools, Perkins had started her 10th year as a member of the school board in July and had been named its president.
The process to find her replacement began after the board’s Sept. 24 meeting. Applicants were required to reside in either the Weirton or Follansbee district of Brooke County. The deadline to submit letters of intent and resumes was Sept. 30.
Dr. Richard Marks, who was selected as board president during that Sept. 24 meeting, said after Monday’s regular board meeting that it’s possible members could choose the replacement tonight. He explained that under state law, the board has until Oct. 30 to fill the vacancy.
Also during Monday’s meeting, Lori McLaughlin, the attendance director for Brooke County schools, reported that the district’s attendance rate has increased and exceeded the state average for the 2025-26 school year.
She explained that Brooke’s attendance rate for the last school year was at 92.99 percent, higher than the overall state number of 92.84 percent. For the 2024-25 school year, Brooke’s rate was 90.58 percent, which was below the state’s overall rate of 92.3 percent.
“That’s good news,” Marks said after the meeting. “We’re proud of the students and staff for delivering attendance results above the state average.”
McLaughlin added that the state numbers are used to build the district’s strategic plan, adding the district’s goal is to hit the 95 percent attendance rate.
In other action Monday, board members:
• Approved several overnight and day trips for student activities or employee training;
• Approved numerous personnel items; and
• Approved a request by Ron Staffileno, director of transportation, to declare two 2013 Blue Bird school buses as surplus and place them out for auction.
The board’s next regular meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 26, at the board offices, 1201 Pleasant Ave.