by Kate Evans
The Morgan County School Board approved the following personnel changes at recent meetings, Changes included granting leaves of absence and rehiring probationary and substitute personnel:
In professional personnel actions, Richard Gramling was employed as a Paw Paw Schools long-term substitute health/physical/driver’s education teacher beginning April 21 for the rest of the 2024-2025 school year.
Taylor Tyser, a county itinerant pre-K/pre-school special needs teacher, was granted an unpaid/paid leave of absence from March 13 through March 24 (paid) and from March 25 through June 1. (unpaid)
The following probationary personnel were rehired and they were granted continuing status effective beginning with the 2025-2026 school year:
Paula Banks, Brittany Cockrell, Amy Elias, Spencer Shives, Jason Smith and Joy Woofter.
The following probationary personnel were rehired effective beginning with the 2025-2026 school year:
Kristina Anderson, Molly Arbogast, Ruthie Buser, Sherry Byrd, Tina Cannon, Clinton Cochrum, Hannah DeJonge, Joseph Giles, Morgan Golden, Brittany Griffith, Alisa Henrich, Lora Hetrick, Jared Hildebrand, Benjamin Hopkins, Melissa Jiannotti, Kim Khuen, Lesley Leary, Joshua Morrell, Britney Norris, Shawn Prinkey, Brian Raciborski, Rhiannon Ritenour. David Sandy, Dana Scharf, Amanda Sealey, Julia Simpkins, Jared Spielman, Nancy Staebler, Lauren Starr, Amber L. Stotler, Danielle Swisher, Ben Taylor, Quintin Thompson, Jessica Vanorsdale, Christina Vogt, Emily Wardropper, Lisa Wenzel, Ryan Wratchford and Breonnah Ziler.
The school board rehired around 109 substitute teachers for the 2025-2026 school year,
They also approved rehiring Kathleen Cavanaugh, Elizabeth Gibson, Kaylee Schlaefli and Jennifer Sullivan as substitute nurses for the 2025-2026 school year.
Kathleen Cavanaugh resigned as county substitute nurse effective at the end of March 14.
Michelle Voigt resigned as Paw Paw Schools long-term substitute health, physical education and driver’s education teacher effective at the end of April 1.
Reduction in Force rescinded
The board rescinded the RIF (reduction of force) of Candace Kesecker, Widmyer Elementary itinerant special education aide/autism mentor, and reassigned her as Widmyer Elementary itinerant special education aide/autism mentor, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
Jessica McConnell, Warm Springs Intermediate itinerant special education aide/autism mentor’s RIF was rescinded and she was reassigned to to a position as Warm Springs Intermediate School teacher aide/ECCAT (early childhood classroom assistant teacher) starting with the 2025-2026 school year.
Melissa Kelley, Widmyer Elementary itinerant special education aide/behavior support, had her RIF (reduction in force) rescinded. She was reassigned to a position as teacher aide/ECCAT at Warm Springs Intermediate starting with the 2025-2026 school year.
Caitlin Stotler, Pleasant View Elementary itinerant spcial education aide/autism mentor, had her Reduction in Force rescinded. She was reassigned to a position as Warm Springs Intermediate School teacher aide/ECCAT beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
The employment contracts of Candace Kesecker, Widmyer Elementary itinerant special education aide/autism mentor, and Caitlin Stotler, Pleasant View Elementary itinerant special education aide/autism mentor, were terminated. They were placed on the preferred recall list, effective at the end of the 2024-2025 employment term.
Service personnel
Candace Kesecker, Widmyer Elementary itinerant special education aide/autism mentor, transferred to a position as Warm Springs Intermediate School teacher aide/ECCAT starting with the 2025-2026 school year.
Abigail Day, Widmyer teacher aide/ECCAT (early childhood classroom assistant teacher) transferred to a position as Warm Springs Intermediate School teacher aide/ECCAT starting with the 2025-2026 school year.
Bus driver Dennis Beddow was granted a leave of absence from February 3 through June 3.
Jeremy Stitely was employed as a custodian III/truck driver starting April 2.
Marita Smith was hired as a substitute custodian beginning April 3.
Jodi Daniels was employed as a substitute cook starting April 3.
Patricia Munson, transportation clerk II, transferred to a position as Berkeley Springs High School itinerant classroom aide beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
Echo Stotler, Widmyer teacher aide/ECCAT (early childhood classroom assistant teacher) transferred to a position as Warm Springs Intermediate School teacher aide/ECCAT starting with the 2025-2026 school year.
Lindsay Bryant resigned as Berkeley Springs High School itinerant classroom aide effective at the end of March 27.
Paw Paw Schools cook II Jason Galliher was granted a leave of absence from March 25 through May 6.
Gloria Rankin, bus driver for Bus 24-22, transferred to driving Bus 22-19 starting with the 2025-2026 school year.
Fairy Lida, Michelle Underwood and Christopher Wills were employed as substitute secretaries starting April 21.
Michelle Underwood and Christopher Wills were hired as substitute clerks beginning April 21.
Probationary service
The following probationary personnel were rehired and granted continuing contract status effective starting with the 2025-2026 school year: Rhonda Davis, Shannon Horrell and Gary Wilson.
The following probationary personnel were rehired effective beginning with the 2025-2026 school year:
Mark Bennett, Kelly Bohrer, Preston Bowers, Rhiannin Breeden, Vanessa Brown, Chrystal Butts-Peck, Abigail Day, Dawn Day, Timothy Devlin, Mary Dunn, April Emerson, Christina Fleece, Kelly Froebe, Jason Galliher, Daniel Green, Kathy Helmick, Amanda D. Henry, Jessica Hook, Charlana Hornick, Preston Jamison, Kerry Kendo, Gary Kerns, Heather Kesner, Bradley Kidwell, Melinda Knipe, Jack Krueger, Amy Laing, Megan Lampson, Kelsey Lantz, Mark Maconaughey, Rhonda McDaniel, Stephen McDoniel, Redena Miller, Patricia Munson, Deidre Omps, Samantha Pearce, Samantha Perry, Kerry Puffinberger, Kimberly Puffinberger, Sharon Roach, Haylee Rusnak, Heather Schmidt, Keith Shade, Tammy Comers, Kayla Souders, Nikki St. Clair, Jeremy Stitely, Caitlin Stotler, Kristi Stotler, Vickie Taylor, Melissa Waugh, Alyson Whipple, Holly Yost, Mary Young and Kathy Zeigler.
Substitute personnel
The school board rehired substitute personnel for the 2025-2026 school year including 29 substitute aides, three substitute bus drivers, 15 substitute clerks, 16 substitute cooks, 14 substitute custodians and 13 substitute secretaries, along with one substitute electrician, one substitute general maintenance worker and two substitute mechanics.
The board also rehired several individuals as “employee-also-substitutes” for the 2025-2026 school year:
Cooks: Cathy MacCumbee, John Marra and Gloria Rankin.
Custodians: Mary Alice Hobday, Cathy MacCumbee and Gloria Rankin.
