For the Cumberland Times-News
May 09, 2008 11:48 am
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Editor's note: Mary C. Aronhalt submitted this announcement for her candidacy for re-election to the Mineral County Board of Education.
NEW CREEK, W.Va. - I have lived in Mineral County for 50 years and am a graduate of Keyser High School, class of 1969.
I have been employed at Potomac Valley Hospital for 10 1/2 years as clergy, performance improvement/utilization review secretary and medical staff office secretary.
I am married to Richard Aronhalt and we have five children and six grandchildren.
My husband and four of our children graduated from the Mineral County school system.
Three of our grandchildren will go through the county school system. One grandson attends Keyser Middle School and our granddaughter attends Burlington Primary School.
I am a member of Sunnyside Church of the Brethren, assistant Sunday school superintendent and serve on the Ministerial Board.
I attended Potomac State College. I am also an ordained minister with the Church of the Brethren.
I serve as a member of Keyser Wee Care Day Care Advisory Board.
I have been a Mineral County school board member for nine years and served as vice president for two years.
I have been president of the board since 2006.
I have brought honesty, caring, fairness, dedication, knowledge, leadership, listening and equality to the board.
Accomplishments achieved by the board from 2004 to 2008:
* Pay for all advanced placement exams and tuition costs for students taking college classes (dual credit) at Potomac State College and Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College.
* Established articulation agreements with Eastern College, Mountain State University and numerous trade schools throughout the country.
* Worked with the state Department of Education to promote Earn a Degree Graduate Early courses at the high schools.
* Established an LPN-to-BSN program for nursing students on the campus of Mineral County Technical Center.
* Employ 2.5 additional nurses above the state-mandated ratio of 1 nurse to each 1,500 students in grades K-7.
* Doubled the amount of time allotted to middle school students in math and employed additional teachers.
* Adopted a uniform grading system for middle and high schools.
* 100 percent of teachers meet the stringent No Child Left Behind criteria as highly qualified.
* Board meetings are scheduled in the local schools to be more accessible to the communities.
* Worked with the county sheriff's department to assign a Preventive Resource Officer in each high school.
* Reviewing/revising all board policies.
* Voted to keep a primary school in each community.
* Increased the percentage of budget dollars devoted to maintenance and established a five-year maintenance plan for all school facilities.
* Addressed ongoing problems with the HVAC system at Keyser High School.
* Renovations at Frankfort High School and the construction of a new science wing.
* Renovations at Keyser Primary/Middle and Fountain Primary School.
* Upgrading of facilities at Camp Minco.
* Assisting the Mineral County Technical Center with the installation of a meat processing facility.
* Summer maintenance crews established.
* Installation of security cameras and beginning the installation of keyless lock systems in all schools.
* Working with Keyser High School and the community on the completion of the Sports Complex.
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