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Wood BOE preps for employee hearing

By Michael Erb

Special to the Times

PARKERSBURG – The Wood County Board of Education met in special session Thursday morning to prepare for an employee hearing.

All five members of the board met in executive session with attorney Rick Boothby of the law firm Bowles Rice, which has offices in Parkersburg, to discuss a “personnel issue regarding nonrenewal of a professional employee.”

A date has not been set for the employee hearing, but prior to the meeting Boothby said any action would have to be taken prior to June 9 due to state law requirements.

Board President Lawrence Hasbargen said the board is considering two possible dates for the hearing, but declined to release the name of the employee requesting the hearing. Hearings are announced through agendas the same as a regular meeting.

Last month, the board voted 3-2 to not renew the contract of Personnel Director Sean Francisco, who also acts as legal counsel for the board. At the time, Francisco declined to say whether he would ask for a hearing.

Francisco declined to comment Thursday. His contract ends June 30.

The board Thursday also announced it would call an unrelated special session for 9 a.m. Tuesday at the board offices to approve a salary schedule for the 2018-19 school year. The item was tabled earlier this week after an administrator expressed concern over the supplemental pay schedule and asked for central office staff to have time to review and revamp the list.

Hasbargen said the special session is necessary because of timelines concerning when the information has to be submitted to the state for review.

The pay schedules are the only items on the agenda for Tuesday, though the meeting does include time for public comment. Those wishing to address the board must fill out and submit a comment card prior to the start of the meeting.

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