Gov. Justice: Monongalia, Marion among the 15 counties joining statewide Communities in Schools program

Aug. 29—MORGANTOWN — Gov. Jim Justice and First Lady Cathy Justice celebrated on Tuesday the addition of 15 counties to the state's Communities in Schools program.

The addition brings the total number of participating counties to 53, Cathy Justice said during the governor's weekly briefing. Monongalia and Marion are among the 15 new additions.

"It's been such a great program, " Cathy Justice said.

Communities in Schools is a national program that connects students to caring adults—site coordinators—and community resources in order to help them stay in school.

"They know that they can go to this person every day and that this person really cares for them, " she said.

There are three tiers of support, she said: the entire school ; kids who sometimes need help ; and case-managed kids who need the most help. Sometimes those kids might need a ride to the dentist or a shirt to wear during a volleyball game, or any number of other types of assistance.

Kids who are hungry or in need of help face barriers to learning, she said. Meeting their needs through the program frees teachers to teach. "We're happy and glad to do these things."

The three schools joining the program in Monongalia County are Skyview Elementary, Westwood Middle School and University High School. In Marion they are Watson Elementary, West Fairmont Middle School and Fairmont Senior High School.

With the 15 new counties, Communities in Schools will be in 260 schools across the state.

The other new counties are Barbour, Boone, Cabell, Doddridge, Hancock, Jefferson, Mason, Mineral, Ohio, Pocahontas, Putnam, Roane, Tucker, Tyler, Wetzel, Wirt, and Wood. Pleasants and Nicholas have not yet joined.

State schools Superintendent Michele Blatt also sat in on the briefing. She said they have trained 76 new site coordinators and principals for the program.

"We are excited with the expansion to 53 counties and look forward to gaining our last two counties, " she said.

The Justices started the CIS statewide initiative in three counties in 2018. With the new counties, the program will serve more than 100, 000 students in 260 schools across the state.

West Virginia First Foundation Gov. Justice also announced appointees to the West Virginia First Foundation board of directors.

The foundation will oversee the major portion of opioid lawsuit settlement funds. Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has estimated the total funds will be about $1 billion. After the courts decide appropriate attorney fees and costs, the remainder—hundreds of millions of dollars—will be distributed under the West Virginia First Memorandum of Understanding, with 3 % going to a state escrow fund ; 72.5 % to the West Virginia First Foundation trust fund ; and 24.5 % to counties and municipalities to help with their costs, such as jail fees.

There are six regions. Monongalia, Marion and Preston counties are in the 13-county Region 4.

The 11-member board consists of five gubernatorial appointees and six elected from their region. Jonathan Board, vice president of external affairs and strategic initiatives for Mon Health System /Vandalia Health, was elected to represent Region 4. Board also announced earlier this month that he is seeking the GOP nomination for the 13th District state Senate seat now held by Sen. Mike Caputo, D-Marion.

Justice appointed Harrison County Schools Superintendent Dora Stutler, who hails from Region 4, as one of his picks.

His other picks are Matt Harvey, Jefferson County prosecuting attorney ; Jeff Sandy, former Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, certified fraud examiner and certified anti-money laundering specialist ; Alys Smith, attorney and philanthropist ; and Greg Duckworth, Raleigh County Commissioner and retired state trooper.

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