The 10AM Meeting of the Preston County Board of Education today, Monday, November 10th, was filled with welcomes and recognitions.
Preston High School students, Hunter Harrison and Bailey Turner, were welcomed and formally approved by the board to serve as student Board members for the 2025-26 academic year.
There were also a number of recognitions, both academic and athletic, made by Superintendent Martin to the board. Those were:
PHS Golf Team Members (Robbie Lowe & Carson Rouzee) along with Head Coach Ryan Cool:
Carson Rouzee finished in 9th place overall at the Big 10 Conference Golf Meet earning 1st Team Big 10 Conference honors.
Robbie Lowe finished in 2nd place overall at the Big 10 Conference Meeting, earning 1st Team Big 10 Conference honors. Robbie also qualified for the WV State Golf Meet at Oglebay Resort in early October.
PHS Agriculture Students and Staff along with Preston County FFA Members:
Students are being recognized for a variety of activities including participation in the WV State FFA Conference at Cedar Lakes in August of 2025; participation in the regional tractor driving competition at PHS in September 2025; being recognized as 2025 AMERICAN FFA DEGREE Approved Candidates; and participation in the FFA National Conference in Indianapolis, IN in October 2025.
In addition, the PHS Animal Processing Program Facility hosted visitors from the WVDE Farm to School Conference on November 4, 2025.
Preston High Girls' & Boys' Cross Country Teams along with Coaches Paul Martin and Paul Sines:
The PHS Girls' Cross County team finished as the Conference Runner-Up in team standings during the Big 10 Conference CC Championships. In addition, the team qualified for the WV State Cross Country Meet at Cabell Midland HS and finished in 5th place overall. Team members include: Ava Simmons, Autumn Myers, Delilah Myers, Hannah Liston, Zoey Borgman, Miranda Poe, & Eileen Parks.
The PHS Boys' Cross Country team qualified three team team members to the state meet including Huxley Rumer, Braden Armstrong, and Wyatt Foley. Other team members include Ethan White, Travis Parks, Evan Livengood, Coen Thomas, and Isaac Copen.
Preston High School recognition as a College for WV Champion of College Access & Success (PHS Principal Todd Seymour & PHS Guidance Staff- Shelly Pyles, Jane Layne, and Vicki Parks):
On October 21, 2025, Mr. Seymour and Mrs. Pyles travelled to Charleston, WV to accept the award to PHS as a College Access & Success Champion School. Earning this honor involves meeting 3 milestones:
Register for and participate in College Application and Exploration Week. Must also complete the College Application and Exploration post-event survey.
Meet the statewide FAFSA completion goal of 60% or increase the previous year's completion rate by 5%. (PHS grew 9%)
Register for and participate in College Decision Day and complete the post-event survey.
* PHS has earned this distinction 2 of the past 3 years.
PHS Football players Slaton Manko and Aidan Schmidl:
Slaton & Aidan has a historic performance during the 10/31/25 football game between PHS and Buckhannon-Upshur HS.
Both Slayton and Aidan established new state records {Slayton for total completions in a game (43) and Aidan for total single game receiving yardage (421 yards)}
Overall on the evening Slaton completed 42 of 60 pass attempts for 597 yards with 6 touchdowns and no interceptions. Slaton also ran 92 yards and two additional touchdowns. Aidan had a total of 21 catches for 421 yards.
Skills USA Fall Skills Leadership Conference in Cedar Lakes:
This event was for PHS Skills USA Chapter Officers
The two-day event allowed for participants to earn and be awarded Statesmanship Award. The conference is an opportunity to gain leadership skills that will allow participants to lead their chapter through their program of work over the school year. Participating PHS students included Jadyn Pifer, Evan Livengood, Brody McCleary, Dayton Wilson, Dakota Nelder, Shae Nethken, Julian Shaffer, and Carson Rouzee.
PHS Soccer Players Ava Turner and Skylar Wilson:
Both Ava and Skyler have been named to the 1st Team All-Big 10 Conference Team
With the possibility of inclement weather, this is subject to change or move around days. We always prioritize the holiday meal to ensure all students receive it, so could be moved if expecting bad weather.
Surveys - 419 Total Participants (3600 enrolled students)
Menu changes and sustains were taken into account in the creation of Decembers' menus. Portions and types of offerings are subject to USDA National School Lunch and Breakfast guidelines. These are monitored by the Child Nutrition Director and the WVDE Office of Child Nutrition. While all students eat for free, the reimbursable meal funding that we get from the federal government covers but a portion of our costs, so budget also goes into account in meal selection, as well as the number of cooks available at each site. We are also working with our distributor and Group Purchasing Organization to discuss with manufacturers that the quality has gone down on some products previously used. Responses so far have been companies are combatting inflation to keep costs down, but we can search for alternative items if these don't improve. We are working to incorporate more home-cooked, or home-cooked-like options when our staffing permits it. PCS goal is to stay within budget and state formula. Many other districts offering more "from scratch" options have 1.5-2 additional cooks per building, coming at a cost of roughly an additional $800k per year. Another survey will go out in the spring, but in the meantime, questions, comments and concerns can be emailed to jhough@k12.wv.us
Congratulations to PHS!!! Guidance Counselor Shelly Pyles and Principal Todd Seymour went to Charleston on October 21st to accept PHS's award of being a Champion School.
Being a Champion School involves meeting 3 milestones:
1. Register for and participate in College Application and Exploration Week; Must also complete the College Application and Exploration post-event survey.
2. Meet the statewide FAFSA completion goal of 60% or increase the previous year's completion rate by 5%. (PHS grew 9%)
3. Register for and participate in College Decision Day and complete the post-event survey.
Great things continue to happen at PHS.
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If you're interested in subbing for PCS, or getting your foot in the door for full-time employment, please contact our personnel office for more info or to sign-up for one of these classes.
Brain Freeze Days - info can be found here (https://5il.co/14g0f) - Most staff reports on a 2 hour delay - students do not report - assignments from home
2 Hour Delays - students and most staff report on a 2 hour delay, and breakfast will still be served.
3 Hour Delays - students and most staff report on a 3 hour delay, and breakfast WILL NOT be served. (Staff could be asked to report on 2 hour delay)
Cancellation - Students do not report, and most staff do not report
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If you're interested in subbing for PCS, or getting your foot in the door for full-time employment, please contact our personnel office for more info or to sign-up for one of these classes.
