BOE honors Fairview Middle as 5th-best middle school in the state
Dec. 20—FAIRMONT — With mid-semester assessments done, Fairview Middle School sits as the fifth highest scoring middle school in West Virginia.
That was the highlight of the presentation given to the Marion County Board of Education Monday night. Fairview Middle's Principal Steve Rodriguez stood before the board and lauded his school's achievements as far this school year.
In his presentation, Rodriguez talked about his students' successes within the summative assessments. These results planted his school squarely as the fifth highest achieving middle school in the state. Fairview Middle has previously held the number one position in years past.
While fifth place in the state is still impressive, Rodriguez attributes the uncertainty in education the students has been experiencing in the last two years.
In addition to achievements, he also discussed his strategies that keep the students engaged at school and set them up for success. These ranged from simple things — like students decorating their lockers with their likes and dislikes — to large initiatives, such as a zero-tolerance policy on zeroes as grades.
Students who receive a zero as a grade will have their parents contacted and will be pulled into a lunchtime class to make up the assignment. Rodriguez reported great success with the program.
"I enjoy my job, I enjoy being in Fairview and I consider it my home," Rodriguez.
Rodriguez has served as principal for Fairview Middle for 20 years and some of the seasoned board members commented on his persistent passion throughout the years.
"I remember over 20 years ago at that first LCIS meeting where you talked, and you still have that same passion," Board member James Saunders said. "We need and appreciate that enthusiasm and that passion."
East Dale expansion
The board discussed the delay in the East Dale Elementary School expansion that will add eight classrooms for the area's pre-K and Kindergarten classes, which are currently housed in a nearby satellite off campus.
The completion of the project was scheduled to be completed by Nov. 23, but due to a delay in acquiring a component to finish the building's heating system, the final tiling can't be laid, and the completion date was pushed to March 2023.
A string of change orders sent from the contractors have also drawn the ire of the school board. Sitting board members have made clear their frugal mindset toward these projects and have held meetings with the contractors to address the change orders.
As of the meeting Monday, there have been 18 total change orders since the project began in July 2021.
"[The contractors] are at a crossroads with this heating and tile issue," said Andy Neptune, the district's head of facilities. "There are other pieces of HVAC that need to come in so [the project] has slowed."
While several of the board members have expressed discontent over the change orders, Board Vice President Tom Dragich said he's glad the contractors are taking their time.
He reminded the board that the same precautions were not taken when laying the tile at East Fairmont High School, and that's caused issues since then.
"Going back to the rush to get into East Fairmont High School, we laid tile without heat in the building, and we've had problems ever since," Dragich said. "I applaud our efforts to steer clear of that here."
Other business:
* The board heard a series of Christmas songs sung by the East Fairmont Middle School choir.
* The board debated bidding out the garbage contract for the district.
* The board expelled three more students for THC possession on school property.
The board's next meeting will be Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 6 p.m. in the central office.
Reach David Kirk at 304-367-2522 or by email at dkirk@timeswv.com.
