Brandan Negie was introduced as the Chief Mechanic for Tyler County Schools to the Board of Education on April 22.

Duane Dober, personnel manager of Tyler County Schools, introduced Brendan Negie, chief mechanic for Tyler County Schools to the Board of Education on April 22, at the regular meeting of the board. Dober had nothing but good things to say about Negie.

“It is my pleasure to introduce to you our new chief mechanic, Brendan Negie,” Dober said. “Brendan is a graduate of Tyler Consolidated High School and Washington State Community College with an associate’s degree in auto and diesel mechanics.”

Prior to coming to Tyler County as the chief mechanic, Negie was employed at Truck Sales and Service in Marietta, Ohio. He has also worked as a part-time faculty member and consultant for Washington State Community College and several automobile and truck dealerships in the Marietta area. Brendan currently resides with his family in Marietta.

According to Dober, in his application Negie wrote, “I would like to work for the Tyler County school system for a number of reasons. Also, having been born and raised in Tyler County, this is a good opportunity for me to be able to move back and raise my family there.”

Most recently, Dober said, Negie has joined forces with his fellow mechanics and Troy Smith to sort out and organize the parts and supplies inventories in the transportation department with the goal to computerize the inventory for better cost control and efficiency.

Negie is ASE certified in diesel engines, drive train, brakes, school bus electrical and electronic systems, school bus suspension and steering, body systems and special equipment, and air conditioning systems and controls. Dober said that is something that normally takes up to three years and Negie has accomplished it in under one year.

Each of the board members had something positive to say about Negie. “It is great to have quality people from our own county coming back and applying for jobs,” said Board Member Jimmy Wyatt. He questioned Negie on the inventory process and asked him if he had found any unusual items. President Linda Hoover welcomed him and mentioned she may have had him in school. Board Member Ken Hunt said he thought it was just great and felt the board had made a great choice in hiring him for the position. Larry Thomas said he knew Negie personally and felt they couldn’t have got a better person. He also mentioned Negie had worked on his own vehicle for him. Member P.J. Wells also had high praise for Negie, thanking him for coming back home to work for his county. Wyatt also told Negie, he looked forward to him moving back to the area and getting his children in the school system.

Negie, thanked the board for the kind words and for the opportunity to come back home. He said they have found several items of interest in their inventory and some things they have no idea what they are. He said the inventory is coming along well and should be finished soon.

Jeff Davis, treasurer for Tyler County Schools, presented the board with the Budget Workshop for the 2014-2015 School Year. Davis, through a slide and talk presentation, presented the board with a breakdown on the overall financial condition of the school system as well as the increase needed in specific areas. He mentioned that the funding for the county schools comes from federal, state, and also the levy. He said funding is down but expenses continue to go up and while counties like Marshall are getting more tax money from oil and gas, he said Tyler is still waiting on that to happen. Overall he said Tyler County is still in pretty good shape. He spoke about the decrease in funding from Medicare and also the state approved salary increases for teachers with no extra funding, so the county has to pick up the difference.

Davis said there are a lot of things involved in preparing the budget and the workshop is the best way to show the board what is needed. He presented the board with a complete breakdown of the budget for the past five years compared to 2014-2015 budget. He said there is still a lot of work to be done and some adjustments needed made, with one example being increases to the county libraries.

The board approved the 2014 Football schedules for Tyler Consolidated High School Varsity, J.V., and Middle School.

Trip requests were approved for Tricia Feldmeier, A.I. Boreman Principal, to take first grade students to Oglebay Good Zoo on May 16, with bus for transportation. Feldmeier was also granted permission to take the A.I.B. Third graders to the Middlebourne Courthouse and the Middlebourne Library before going to Middlebourne Park on May 23, with bus for transportation. Rebecca Thomas, Sistersville Elementary School teacher, received approval to take the fourth grade class to Campus Martius in Marietta, Ohio, on May 27, with bus for transportation.

Personnel resignations were approved for Jodi White, substitute secretary, countywide, effective immediately, and Patsy Fletcher, secretary at AIB, effective June 30, 2014.

Employments and transfers were approved for

-Rebecca Childers, Secondary English Teacher, Tyler Consolidated High School, returning from the preferred recall list, effective July 1, 2014.

-Roy Akers, Russell Blatt II, Gary Dunning II, Steve Eastham, Herb Efaw, Martin Parrish, Tim Patterson, Jacob Roberts, Melissa Snyder, Amanda Spencer, and Charles Young, summer painters, countywide, effective July 1, 2014.

-Greg Goodfellow, summer radio coordinator, Tyler Consolidated High School, effective immediately.

-Trudy Pethel, cafeteria manager for summer feeding, Tyler Consolidated Middle and High Schools, effective immediately.

-Lisa George, Cook 11, summer feeding program, Tyler Consolidated Middle and High Schools, effective immediately.

The board approved the minutes from the April 15 meeting and the authorized the payment of bills. The next regular meeting will be held on May 5, 7:30 p.m., at SES.