Berkeley board OKs pay for swim coaches

October 21, 1997

By DON AINES

Staff Writer, Martinsburg

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Both Hedgesville and Martinsburg high schools will have swim teams this year with paid coaches, following a vote Monday night by the Berkeley County Board of Education.

Now all the two schools need are pools.

The board Monday night heard reports from Martinsburg High Principal Rick Deuell and Hedgesville High Principal Dean Warrenfeltz outlining student interest in fielding swim teams. According to Mary Jo Brown, director of community relations for the schools, more than 20 students at each school had signed up to participate on the swim teams.

Brown said Martinsburg had formed a swim team at the end of the last school year with a volunteer coach. She said the board voted to support the teams and provide a stipend for a coach at each school.

Neither school has an indoor or outdoor pool, according to Brown. She said the teams will look into using other facilities, such as the YMCA pool in Hagerstown and the pool at Shepherd College.

The board also approved policies on harassment and violence, political activities and safe schools.

The harassment and violence policy is an update of a 1987 policy that dealt with employee-to-employee harassment, but failed to address students and violence.

The political activities policy prohibits solicitation of funds or use of school materials on behalf of a candidate. School personnel, in their capacity as employees, may not work for political candidates.

The Berkeley County Safe Schools policy brings the system into compliance with the West Virginia Safe Schools Act to provide for a safe learning environment.

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