Sep. 3—FAIRMONT — The report card is on its way for Marion County Schools, and right now, Superintendent Donna Heston said, the future looks promising.
Barrackville Elementary /Middle is already showing substantial gains in state benchmark assessments for reading and math, Heston told Board of Education members Tuesday.
So did Fairview Elementary /Middle and Blackshere Elementary, the superintendent said.
East Fairmont High also saw an upward trend in its math scores — with 15 of Marion’s 19 schools showing measurable improvement in math and reading, Heston reported.
Call that a testament, she said, to the people in front of the classroom.
“We absolutely celebrate the work of our teachers, ” she said.
Heston said the district will release a full rundown of the data to parents in coming days once the data is fully assessed.
In the meantime, Marion’s science scores weren’t as promising, Heston said, but she expects that to change with the district’s renewed focus in STEM — science, technology, engineering and math.
A number of schools in the county have working greenhouses, for example, she said, and one of them is at the Barnes Leaning Center, in Fairmont’s Bellview neighborhood.
Barnes began its infrastructure life as an elementary school in 1913 and now serves as an alternative safety net for children and teens in trouble with grades or police.
A bid of $99, 168 from Play & Park Structures was approved by the BOE for the construction of a playground on the center’s Naomi Street campus.
“Will we need more dollars to complete it ?” asked George Boyles, board president.
No, Heston replied, as the price for the playground is the final portion of an earlier $250, 000 grant earmarked for enrichment programs there.
Besides its overall longevity, Barnes is a pioneering effort for West Virginia’s public districts in other ways, the superintendent said.
“A couple of years ago, we were one of the first counties that added elementary services to our alternative programming, ” Heston said. “At the time, it was very unique.”
Ray Lazono, a nationally known motivation speaker who addresses drug awareness and abuse prevention at schools across the country, visited the Barnes Learning Center in Fairmont last year.