CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Board of Education voted Wednesday to uphold the decision by the Wayne County Board of Education that will close Dunlow and Genoa elementary schools at the end of this school year.
The state board also voted Wednesday to return some local control to the Logan County Board of Education and lift a state of emegency in Pocahontas County Schools.
Wayne decision
The Wayne County BOE voted 4-1 last month to close the small schools to help save money created in large part by decreasing student enrollment.
“Over the past decade we’ve lost 16-hundred students,” Wayne County School Superintendent Todd Alexander told the state BOE. “That 16-hundred students equates to the enrollment population of nine of our current schools.”
Alexander said the system is looking to cut $4.2 million out of its operating budget in the next year. The closures of Dunlow and Genoa will create a savings of $1.6 million. He said unfortunately the system continues to lose students while costs are going up.
“We lost 220 students this school year which was a loss of $1.3 million in state revenue that we’re facing for next year, plus a PEIA increase, the BRIM increase, all of that has compounded where we need to cut $4.2 million where we need to stay solvent,” Alexander said.
State School Board President Paul Hardesty applauded the Wayne County School Board for making the tough decisions.
“I’m going to liken this to a comment by the Apostle Paul, this puts us ‘in a strait betwixt two,’ do you do what’s financially prudent? Like Wayne County is doing today or do you do like what happened in Hancock County?”
Decisions on Logan and Pocahontas counties
After hearing a report from new Logan County School Superintendent Sonja White, the state BOE voted to return some local country to the Logan County Board of Education including in the area of policy approval.
White, a former deputy state school superintendent, has been on the job for just more than 100 days.
“The mantra we have adopted as a system is that our actions support first and foremost what is best for the students, period,” White said.
The state BOE has been in control of Logan County Schools for approximately 2.5 years.
Pocahontas County Schools is no longer under a state of emergency after a state BOE vote Wednesday.
The state of emergency was declared a year ago following a review of Pocahontas County High School. Along with the counseling services, transcribing and scheduling issues, state investigators found issues revolving around leadership, positive and safe school environment and special education.
Pocahontas County School Superintendent Leatha Williams reported Wednesday many improvements have been made.
“We’ve addressed issues through central office reoroganization, clearly defined roles, regular school visits and formalized administrative guidance through superintendent memorandums to ensure consistant policy-based decision-making,” Williams said.
After the vote to lift the state of emergency, Hardesty told Williams she “has the keys back” and urged her to continue to oversee the improvements.