The Harrison County Board of Education held a Regular Meeting on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room at 445 West Main Street in Clarksburg.
The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance. Students from the South Harrison Middle School baseball team helped lead the pledge before being recognized by the Board.
The first recognition honored the South Harrison Middle School baseball team for winning the CWVAC Baseball Conference Championship. This was the team’s third conference championship in four years. The Board recognized the team, all-conference players, all-tournament players, coaches, administrators, and families for their support.
The Board then recognized Robert Shields, Bridgeport High School baseball coach, for reaching 1,000 career wins. Coach Shields reached the milestone on May 5, 2026, in a win over Robert C. Byrd. He was also recognized for 38 years of service, nine state championships as Bridgeport’s head coach, and the relationships he has built with players over many years.
Breanna Cutright was listed on the agenda for recognition as the Barrie Fiske National Youth Advocate of the Year. During the meeting, Board members noted that she had not yet arrived and said they would come back to the item if she arrived.
Lola Brown, Federal Program Supervisor, gave an update on the EL Program. She shared that 16 students, or 11%, scored proficient on the English Language Proficiency assessment, and that the number of emergent students decreased. Staff members also shared how the EL committee and BE GLAD training helped teachers better support multilingual students. The update included plans to continue BE GLAD training, support teacher collaboration, launch a OneDrive resource folder for teachers, review student pathway options, and work on guides and family resources.
During the Superintendent’s Update, Mrs. Stutler recognized several employees for their service and upcoming retirements, including Lola Brown, Julie Manzini, and Jim Kirby. She also congratulated the graduating seniors and thanked staff for completing the school year. She shared that summer work is already underway, including summer school, end-of-year reports, finance closeout, building cleaning, and planning for the next school year.
The Board also heard updates on transportation and facilities. The update included new buses, special needs buses still expected, substitute driver training, route planning for 2026-2027, and summer facilities work. Updates were also shared on flooring, RCB work, Bridgeport Middle School’s secure entrance, Bridgeport High School planning, bids for maintenance needs, paving work, and the South Harrison turf project.
The Board approved the consent items as presented by the Superintendent. This included meeting minutes, financial transactions, and open enrollment/transfer approvals and denials. The motion carried.
Under New Business, the Board approved out-of-state travel study requests. The motion carried.
The Board also approved the 2026-2027 Newsela subscription renewal. The renewal amount was $140,100. Staff shared that the subscription supports ELA and social-emotional learning collections and that usage is monitored. The motion carried.
Under Old Business, the Board approved changes to the dental and vision plan. The changes remove the shared dental and vision maximum, keep dental at a $1,500 maximum benefit, and move vision to a full VSP network with allowances and co-pays. The motion carried.
The Board approved the Personnel Agenda and Personnel Addendum as recommended by the Superintendent. During the discussion, Board members talked about volunteer coaches, the number of volunteers for sports, certification, background checks, and the need to review guidelines before the next school year. The motion carried.
The Board then entered executive session to discuss a personnel matter. After returning from Executive Session, the Board accepted the Superintendent’s recommendation in a legal and disciplinary matter. The motion carried.
The Board then discussed BHS and RCB WVU sponsor contracts. Discussion focused on sponsorships, donations, advertising, payment timing, scoreboard funding, and the need for clearer communication and contract language. A motion was made to table the contracts until the next meeting. The motion to table passed 3-2, with Jenny Santilli, Douglas Hogue, and Tom Tucker voting yes, and Frank Devono and Mary Frances Smith voting no.
During Board member comments, members thanked staff and retirees, congratulated graduates, and shared positive notes from graduation events and a Lincoln High School memorial event. The meeting adjourned after Board member comments.