School personnel changes

Berkeley Springs High School counselor Michael Marsh is taking an unpaid leave of absence from December 12 through March 6.

Berkeley Springs High School math teacher Theodore Malone is taking an unpaid leave of absence beginning January 3 with ending date of leave still pending.

Anthony McDonald was employed as health/physical education teacher for Warm Springs Middle School, effective starting with the 2012-2013 school year.

McLaurin Dawson resigned as long-term substitute credit recovery facilitator for Berkeley Springs High School at the end of June 30.

Molly Lyda, Christie Butts, Christina Dillman and Kerry Jackson were selected as substitute teachers.

Matthew Tolliver, Barbara Douglas, Mariah Lykins and Marianna Ruggiero were hired as teachers for the Warm Springs Intermediate School after-school program at two days a week for each teacher.

Nicholas Colberg was employed as a substitute teacher for the intermediate school after-school program.

Deborah Ditto, fourth grade Warm Springs Intermediate School teacher, was hired to conduct home visits.

Elizabeth Spring, Pamela Gloyd, Lorie Faith and Lori Edwards were approved as homebound instructors, on an as needed basis.

Neil Heard was employed for Spanish interpreting, as needed, with funding through Title III.

Retirements
The following personnel will be retiring at the end of June 30:
Widmyer Elementary: special education teacher Andrea LaRue.
Warm Springs Intermediate School: third grade teachers Shirley Slack and Mary Anne Umble.

Berkeley Springs High School: special education teacher Peggy Dawson and paraprofessional/ aide Pamela Diane Fox.
Berkeley Springs High School custodian Garland Miller is retiring at the end of August 31.

Temporary positions added
Board members also approved two temporary additional positions – a substitute assistant boys’ basketball coach and an athletic coach mentor for boys’ basketball – for Warm Springs Middle School, starting January 10 through the remainder of this year’s basketball season.

Coaches
Kathleen Stotler was hired as substitute assistant boys’ basketball coach for Warm Springs Middle School.

Matthew Dunlap was employed as athletic coach mentor for boys’ basketball at Warm Springs Middle School.

Jamie Chenoweth resigned as head coach for boys’ soccer at Berkeley Springs High School, effective at the end of April 30.

Holli McCumbee resigned as assistant volleyball coach for Berkeley Springs High School, effective at the end of June 16.

Stephanie Young was hired as assistant girls’ basketball coach for Warm Springs Middle School.

Contracts terminated
Paw Paw technical education teacher Christopher Poniris’ 215 day employment contract was terminated. A new employment contract for Poniris for 210 days was approved, beginning with the 2012-2013 school year.

The employment contracts of the following aides were terminated and they were placed on the preferred recall list, effective at the end of the school year:

Widmyer Elementary itinerant special education aides Carri Polliard, Kelley Kyne and Bernadette Shaw.

Paw Paw Schools special education aides Debra Michael and Karlie McJilton.

Personnel cuts
Every year at this time they look at what positions are needed in the school system for students and programs based on enrollment projections for the following year, said Morgan County Schools Assistant Superintendent Joan Willard.

They make personnel recommendations based on principals’ assessments of school needs, she said.

It’s difficult to project personnel needs before special education students Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are completed, Willard said. Personnel timelines fall earlier than they did years ago.