Central Office

charlestown@herald-mail.com CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - For a moment Thursday, an idea was afloat for a new use for the old Jefferson County Jail. But it died among concerns over what would be the best use for the property. Superintendent of Schools R. Steven Nichols asked the Jefferson County Commission Thursday morning to consider allowing the school district's central office to move into the jail, which some local residents have been fighting to save from the wrecking ball.

scottb@herald-mail.com Security will be tighter at the Washington County Board of Education's central office and the 22 schools with portable classrooms, under a proposal adopted by the board on Tuesday. The board awarded a $133,460 contract to Atlantic Security Systems of Hagerstown for installation and equipment for an access key card system at the 23 locations, Paul Rudolph, the school system's safety security specialist and risk manager, said. The equipment is not being installed at all 45 schools in the system but the goal is to have security camera systems at all schools within five years, Rudolph said.

Washington County Public Schools plans to move its department of maintenance and operations to a former used car lot. The school system has reached an agreement of sale to buy the now vacant Southern Toy Store, at 701 Frederick St., in Hagerstown, from Trend VI LLC. The company owns the property, which consists of 2.02 acres, and a 15,982-square-foot building. The property is within walking distance from the school system's central office at 820 Commonwealth Ave. The school system will purchase the property for $1.1 million, and Assistant Superintendent for School Operations Boyd Michael estimates that an additional $110,000 will be spent on remodeling and another $35,000 will be spent on closing costs.

Advanced Programs' dialogue group holds meeting Wednesday The Dialogue Group for Advanced Programs will meet Wednesday from 4:15 to 6:15 p.m. in the auditorium of the Washington County Board of Education's central office on Commonwealth Avenue. A working draft of Washington County's Model for Advanced Level Learners will be presented, based on the efforts of the writing team that has been meeting since August. The model is an attempt to develop a locally funded advanced level learners program in all grades throughout the school system.

Here are some of the things happening this week in Washington County Schools: Monday, April 9 Spring Break - Schools and central office closed. Tuesday, April 10   Professional Learning Day - Schools closed and central office open. Wednesday, April 11 Clear Spring High - Future Business Leaders of America meeting, 3:30 p.m. Pleasant Valley Elementary - Family Life (Grade 5)

Here are some of the things happening this week in Washington County Public Schools: Monday, March 25 2013-14 kindergarten registration - Applications available at all elementary schools Bester Elementary - Grade-one egg hunt, 1:45 to 2:15 p.m.; kindergarten egg hunt, 1:50 p.m. Boonsboro Middle - Staff/student basketball fundraiser game (benefits Cumberland Valley-Breast Cancer Awareness), 6 p.m. at Boonsboro High School Clear Spring Middle - Family Life for eighth-graders Pleasant Valley Elementary - Good citizens luncheon; spring pictures Tuesday, March 26 Clear Spring Middle - Family Life for eighth-graders; perfect attendance drawing Pleasant Valley Elementary - Chess Club, 2:15 p.m. Springfield Middle - STARS breakfast, 7 a.m. Wednesday, March 27 Bester Elementary - Citizen of the month celebration, 2:45 p.m. Clear Spring High - Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting, 7:45 a.m. Clear Spring Middle - Family Life for eighth-graders E. Russell Hicks Middle - Art Club, 2:30 p.m. Fountaindale Elementary - PBIS board game day Funkstown Elementary - Grandparents day, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Pleasant Valley Elementary - 24 Club for fifth-graers, 2:15 p.m. Springfield Middle - MSA reward activity Thursday, March 28 Spring break - Schools closed/central office open Friday, March 29 Spring break - Schools and central office closed

The Washington County Board of Education Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution for the superintendent to investigate a long-term solution for housing the school system's administrative offices. The superintendent is to report back to the school board no later than Dec. 31, according to the resolution board member Justin Hartings said he drafted over the weekend. Hartings said the board doesn't have to do anything with the superintendent's results, but “I think we need to make sure we're not throwing good money after bad.” Hartings' resolution calls for not using any school system funds for maintenance at the school system's current Central Office, located off Commonwealth Avenue in Hagerstown, without the board's approval.

Vinnie DiCola, owner of Rocky's New York Pizza on South Potomac Street, said he is “excited” about the prospect of the Washington County Board of Education central offices moving to downtown Hagerstown. The move, he said, could bring in more “walking wallets.” “There'd be more professional people downtown and more people coming downtown to do business,” he said. “All these people are going to have to have lunch and dinner somewhere. We definitely need that.” A study released last week by a Greater Hagerstown Committee task force calls moving the BOE central offices to downtown Hagerstown as “feasible” and recommends four preferred locations after looking at 12 potential sites.

pepperb@herald-mail.com Keeping in line with goals set by the Washington County Board of Education, the school system's staff development office has been renamed, restructured and relocated. The staff development office has been renamed the Center for Peak Performance and Productivity and has moved from a couple of small offices in the School Board's central office to the School Board's library, which formerly housed school artifacts and documents. The former Instructional Resource Library area is being converted into an area for training teachers, administrators and central office staff.

In developing his proposed $246 million balanced budget for Washington County Public Schools' general fund, Superintendent Clayton Wilcox said he wanted to determine whether the school system was set up to deliver services effectively and efficiently. The resulting proposed budget shows tightening in some areas, including a restructuring of instructional supervisors at the central office. Instead of having separate supervisors for elementary and secondary schools for core subjects such as math, subject supervisors will cover kindergarten through 12th grade.