State hands over $1M in unclaimed funds to Mannington school

Jan. 11—MANNINGTON — Officials from the West Virginia State Treasurer's office on Tuesday presented a nearly $1.1 million check that will be used to improve the Mannington Middle School Library.

The money comes from the Dr. Phoebia G. Moore Memorial Library Trust Fund Association in Mannington from unliquidated stocks found by the State Treasurer's Office. Dr. Moore was a Mannington native and the first woman to study medicine at WVU in the late 1800's. She treated patients across North Central West Virginia first by horseback, then by car, for almost 50 years prior to her death in 1952.

The Treasurer's Office got involved when the trust fund went inactive, so funds were turned over to the state office as unclaimed property.

The money will go through the trust fund, so school administrators will meet and discuss what changes can be made using the money with the trust fund board members, who will approve changes.

Mannington Middle School Principal Melinda Brown and Library Media Specialist John Foley said they found out how much money they would be receiving Monday night, so they have not had much time to plan how it would be used, but are very excited about it.

Brown said the school is due for some updates.

"To think that we have that much money to update this school and library is really exciting. ... I'm super excited to see what's going to come from this. If it benefits the kids here, I'm all about it," Brown said.

Foley agreed.

"I'm very excited and a little overwhelmed right now, just at the thought of how do we spend this money to be the most beneficial to our kids. ... This is where I went to school when I was in middle school, so I feel like I can relate to the kids because I grew up where they're growing up," Foley said.

Dr. Phoebia G. Moore Library Trust Fund Corp. President Philip Prichard said they have not been able to meet to organize the trust fund in the past few years, but they are working on adding new members to the board and meeting with schools soon.

He said he looks forward to sitting down to meet with administrators at Mannington Middle and potentially North Marion High and Blackshere Elementary to see if they will be able to use some of the funds dollars at the other schools' libraries.

Prichard said the trust fund still has a significant amount of money, aside from the million that was presented on Tuesday.

"We're wonderfully happy. ... (The money) has built up, mainly through the efforts of the original people, to be a sizable amount. Plus, we're reorganizing," Prichard said.

The Dr. Phoebia G. Moore Trust Fund has helped add upgrades to the Dr. Pheobia Moore Library at Mannington Middle School in the past. For example, Prichard said two computer labs were added and books, magazines and tables were also likely purchased with money from the trust fund.

"A lot of teachers, librarians and schools don't have access to this kind of money, so we're very fortunate," Foley said.

West Virginia Treasurer Riley Moore said he's excited to provide the check to the community, as he has family ties in Mannington. He presented the check to Prichard, with Mannington Middle School student council members, administrators, Mannington Mayor Lora Michael, Marion County School Board members and other city officials in attendance.

"Fulfilling the promise of Dr. Moore to give that money to the library in this school in Mannington, we were able to discover that we had quite a sizable amount of money to turn back over, which was her wish. It's certainly important and personal for me to be here in Mannington. My great grandmother was literally born right down the street from here," Hunt said.

Reach me at sshriver@timeswv.com or 304-367-2549.