Most faculty and staff surveyed by Upshur County Schools recently said they plan to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the Board of Education learning at their meeting last Wednesday.

Dr. Jeffery Harvey, Upshur County Schools Director of School Safety and Emergency Preparedness, reported on the status of COVID-19 vaccinations for school personnel. Harvey gave his report remotely and said they began giving vaccinations the week of January 4.

Harvey said school personnel were surveyed and 637 people responded, although a few of those may have been duplicates.

“Of those 637 responses, 391 have indicated they are interested in receiving the vaccine, which is 61.38 percent,” Harvey said at Wednesday’s meeting. “That is actually an improvement from a week and a half ago. We have focused our efforts on those age 50 and over.

Harvey said the school system administered 90 doses of the vaccine on Friday, Jan.8, to 45 teachers, 32 service personnel, seven building administrators, three district level administrators, one substitute, one BOE member and one universal Pre-K partner.

Also during Wednesday’s BOE meeting, members received an update from Upshur County Schools Facility Director Tim Derico, who reported the hot water project at Buckhannon Academy Elementary School has been completed.

“It was completed at the end of last week,” Derico said. “We have moved on to a little heat issue in the gym at the middle school. Hopefully, that will be resolved by the end of the weekend. Actually today, the pump was not making the noise that it was making when we had issues.”

Derico said the bid opening for the Union Elementary School roof project was scheduled for Thursday and he would have more information on that soon.

“I will be able to update you on Tuesday, at the next board meeting, on that project,” Derico reported.

The next Upshur County BOE meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021 at 6 p.m. at Buckhannon-Upshur High School, located at 553 Route 20 South Road in Buckhannon.