CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Board of Education will continue state intervention in three county school systems after receiving progress reports Monday.
The board noted progress is being made in Logan, Upshur and Hampshire counties but the current intervention status should stay in place.
Logan County
Changing the culture in the Logan County system continues to be a challenge, according to Logan County School Superintendent Jeff Huffman.
“Culture is not an easy change and until the culture changes there’s not going to be the change needed for the students in Logan County,” Huffman said.
State BOE member Greg Wooten, a Logan County native, said wanted some assurances that changes made during this state takeover were going to stick.
“We’ve certainly made progress and I’m sure we’ve made improvements but we have to make sure that they don’t fall off the cliff again,” Wooten said.
Huffman pointed to a number of factions within the school system. He said they’ve worked through that and have emphasized the student is the top priority.
State Board member Paul Hardesty, a former president of the Logan County BOE, said things were going in the right direction when he was leading the local board in 2016 but the situation quickly changed when he was appointed to the state Senate.
“The day I left the (Logan County) Board of Education and took my seat (at the capitol) that’s when things in Logan started to unravel again,” Hardesty said.
Some of the improvements cited in the Logan County school system at Monday’s state BOE meeting included:
–principals putting programs in place to help with student achievement
–better communication between the central administration and principals when it comes to the daily monitoring of classrooms
–more fair and effective evaluations of administrators
–improvements in professional development
State Officer of Educational Accountability Jeff Kelley said takeovers like those in Logan, Lincoln and Upshur counties share a common thread.
“The decision makers set aside accountability to appease adults, to make adults happy, and they do so at the expense of student learning and what’s best for kids. That’s the one consistent thing that existed in all three of those scenarios,” Kelley said.
Upshur County
Upshur County School Superintendent Christy Miller said they are still working to gain the trust of the community since last summer’s state takeover.
The state board seized control after an initial review revealed federal money received during the pandemic was spent on things like pool passes and bed and breakfast retreats. The system received $16.1 million in pandemic relief funding over three years. Dr. Sara Lewis-Stankus was Upshur County school superintendent at the time.
Miller said Upshur County voters rejected a school excess levy in May. She said Monday the defeat was tough to take but she understands.
“An unscientific poll–the lack of movement in the investigation outcomes is really what sunk that levy from passing,” Miller told the state BOE. “The trust, building that trust back, is going to take time but we are doing everything we can to get out into the community and work on building that trust.”
Before the state takeover, the county didn’t have a policy manual. Miller said a new one was posted on the system’s website for the first time Monday.
Other areas of improvement discussed Monday include:
–more than $800,000 in federal an state funds have been repaid
–leadership improvements
–upgrading of financial policies
-priority focus on the changing behaviors of students continues while also engaging resources to assist principals in supporting students
Hampshire County
The state’s special intervention into the Hampshire County school system is focused on the county’s special education program.
A number of improvements were noted:
–19 indicators have show improvement while there’s been positive maintenance in eight other indicators
–significant progress in the 2024 Local Education Agency Special Education Determinations elevating operations to the “Needs Assistance” category from the “Needs Substantial Intervention” category
–fulfilled several recommendations of the Special Circumstance Review including the hiring of a compliance specialist to assist the county director with numerous responsibilities
–support from a WVDE special education liaison also provides intensive support to address graduation, dropout and secondary transition planning
The Hampshire County intervention may continue for another six months. School Superintendent Jeff Pancione said they want to be an example for other systems having problems in the area of special education.
“I think our desire in a few years that we will be the state model as other counties struggle the state will be able to send them to Hampshire County,” he said.
New state BOE president
Bridgeport resident Nancy White is the new president of the state BOE. Hardesty served the last two years in the position.
White said she has big shoes to fill.
“I’ll do my best to stay in touch with everyone and I’m free anytime to talk,” White said.
White had a 36-year career in West Virginia schools, most of that time was the business side of the school systems.
Hardesty will remain on the board has a regular member.
The board’s next meeting is Aug. 14.