GRANT RECIPIENTS — The Brooke County Board of Education recognized Brooke High School career technical instructors and students who secured nearly $60,000 in grants from the West Virginia Department of Education for new equipment. Among them were, front, broadcast technology student Sierra Fieldman; and back, from left, student Kinden Brown, instructor Kevin Elias and instructor Aaron Adams, all of the broadcast technology program; and student Corey Kins, instructor Jack Minger and student Brandon Myers of the carpentry program. -- Warren Scott

WELLSBURG — Students in three programs in Brooke High School’s vocational department will have new equipment to help them learn about their fields, thanks to West Virginia Department of Education Modernization grants.

The Brooke County Board of Education on Monday recognized career technical instructors Kevin Elias, Jack Minger, Bill West and their students for securing the grants, which were among about $800,000 awarded throughout the state.

Scott Abercrombie, career technical director, said competition for the grants is stiff and the students can share in the credit because they prepared the grant applications under the direction of their instructors. And some of the students also joined their instructors in explaining how the grants will be used.

Elias and broadcasting technology students Aaron Adams, Kinden Brown and Sierra Fieldman said the $19,324 grant awarded to their program will be used to purchase new audiovisual equipment, including a new control board that will allow the school’s daily morning newscasts to be broadcast in high definition.

Elias said his students have broadcast the school’s football games and other events through the Internet and the addition of a new control board will allow the old board to be used on such occasions and permit more camera action.

ALSO RECIEVING — Brooke High School’s machine tool technology classes received a grant from the state Department of Education to purchase two new jet lathes. In front are student Hunter Morris and Bill West, course instructor; and behind them, from left, students Landen Urban, Dawson Kemp, Ryan Lancaster, Jonathan Gallagher, Dylan Holloway and Corey Lancaster. -- Warren Scott

Accompanied by students Corey Kins and Brandon Myers, Minger said the $19,322 grant awarded to his carpentry program will be used to purchase a motorized, wheeled device called a shed mule to lift and transport sheds built by his classes within his large classroom.

Minger said his class has received four orders for sheds and Robert Scott Lumber in Wellsburg and Weirton Lumber have offered to display the classes’ sheds, which may be sold to purchase more equipment or materials.

He said he now will seek a trailer to transport them to those sites.

West said an $18,893 grant received for his machine tool technology classes will be used to purchase two jet lathes that may be used to cut metal and other material into various objects, including a gear-shaped clock and round paperweight he displayed for the board.

He said the lathes will replace equipment that had to be retired and will allow more students to be working at one time.

West said his students worked on the grant application for about 15 minutes each day for two weeks and credited input from Dale Keenan, automotive technology instructor at the school, for its receipt.

Abercrombie said all of the career technical faculty submitted applications for their programs at his request.

Superintendent Toni Paesano Shute praised the instructors and students for their efforts, adding she’s pleased the school is preparing its students for the work force.

In other business, the board responded to questions from Beech Bottom Councilman Greg Sheperd about a proposed merger of the county’s seven primary schools into four.

Citing declining enrollment and revenue, the board announced plans to amend its comprehensive educational facilities plan to include the closing of Beech Bottom, Colliers and L.B. Millsop primary schools and a reconfiguration of the grade levels served by the four remaining schools.

Pupils in grades kindergarten through second would attend Hooverson Heights and Wellsburg primary schools, which would be renamed Brooke County Primary North and South; and those in third and fourth grades would attend Jefferson and Franklin primary schools, which would be renamed Brooke County Intermediate North and South.

Sheperd asked if data supporting the consolidations would be available to the public before Shute presents the amended plan to the state Board of Education later this month.

Shute said approval of the amended plan is the first step in the proposed merger. She said once that has occurred, data supporting it will be collected in a binder that will be available for public view at the board’s office and at each primary school for 30 days. That will occur before a series of public hearings on the merger held at each of the seven schools.

If approved, the merger is slated to occur for the 2018-19 school year, the same year the county’s new middle school is scheduled to open.

Also on Monday:

• Shute announced a fundraising effort for victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. She said staff, students and community members who make a $1 contribution will have their name displayed on a small sign depicting the Mountaineer State and the Lone Star State, with each sign posted in each school building. Proceeds will go to an organization aiding those affected by the hurricane.

• Approved the hiring of Melissa Garrett as a biology teacher at the high school, Dennis Thorn, seventh-grade social studies teacher, Wellsburg Middle; Kelsie Smith, head swim coach, high school; Douglas Shaffer, seventh- and eighth-grade volleyball coach, Follansbee Middle; Ashley Thomas, seventh-grade girls basketball coach, Follansbee Middle; Jenna Furioli, custodian, Wellsburg Primary; and Kimberly Kerr, bus driver.

The resignations of Brandi Reinacher and Sarah Rouhier as principal and third-grade teacher, respectively, at L.B. Millsop Primary, and Stephanie Silver as assistant softball coach at the high school were accepted.