WV BOE approves school closures/consolidations in six counties
By Autumn Shelton, RealWV
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Board of Education (BOE), during their regular meeting on Wednesday, voted to approve requests to close or consolidate schools in six counties throughout the state.
Multiple speakers attended the meeting to ask board members to not close their schools, citing lawmaker mistakes with funding the Hope Scholarship, long bus routes, county fund mismanagement, and a possible restructuring of the state’s school aid formula as some of the reasons to wait before a permanent decision is made.
However, BOE President L. Paul Hardesty said that while he didn’t want to “poke holes” in the legislature, West Virginia State Code prevents him from being able to do much concerning school closures.
“I want to be upfront and as transparent as I can be with the crowd this morning, there’s not much I can offer you in the way of a consolation and give you the outcome you desire based on what is currently housed in that book,” Hardesty said. “There’s not much that I, personally, can do.”
According to Hardesty, public schools continue to “hemorrhage enrollment,” and the last time the school aid formula (a model that calculates state funding for schools) was addressed was in 1982.
“It is based solely on population,” Hardesty said of the school aid formula. “Somebody, somehow, someway is gonna have to factor in that we have rural counties, but large square mileage, but not a lot of kids. That has to become factored somewhere in that formula or these crowds will continue to grow as we continue to lose students in other counties in the states.”
Hardesty concluded that the legislature needs to fix the school aid formula, or school closures and consolidations will continue.
Board member Debra Sullivan (who has announced her retirement, but is waiting on Governor Morrisey to appoint her replacement) added that counties are making tough decisions, which cause “heartaches.” However, she remains hopeful that a solution will be found to stop West Virginia’s schools from closing.
“It is shocking to realize that in the past eight years alone over 70 schools have closed or consolidated,” Sullivan said. “Small schools are just that, they are smaller, but their impact is often huge.”
The six counties impacted by these recent closures/consolidations are:
Barbour County
The BOE approved Barbour County’s request to close Belington Middle School, Kasson Elementary/Middle School (Grades 6-8 only), and Philippi Middle School, and consolidate them into Philip Barbour High School beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.
The BOE also approved the merger of fifth grade students at Philippi Middle School into Philippi Elementary School and fifth grade students from Belington Middle School will be merged into Belington Elementary School beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.
Lastly, the BOE voted to close Junior Elementary School and merge all students from Junior Elementary School and Belington Elementary School into the vacant Belington Middle School building beginning in the 2027-2028 school year.
According to an impact study provided to the BOE by Barbour County Superintendent C. Eddie Vincent, Barbour County Schools has experienced a 19.8% decrease in student population since fiscal year 2016. Current student enrollment at the end of July was 1,904, a loss of 62 students from last year.
“One of the factors affecting our enrollment is out-of-county transfers, i.e., Barbour County Students that are enrolled in other counties, typically due to parents working outside of Barbour County,” according to the impact statement. “This past year there were 84 of these students. More critically, there has been a massive growth of Home School students. In 2016 there were 24 students that parents chose to Home School. At the current time, 2025-2026, there are 429 in Home School. Additionally, there are currently 126 that are supported by the Hope Scholarship.”
Other factors cited for the requested closures/consolidations include financial stability and to provide students with more certified teachers.
“Over the past few years finding certified teachers has become a real challenge, especially at the middle school level,” the impact study states. “Barbour County has had to resort to providing many subjects virtually. This is not ideal as the students do not have the same level of direct communication with the teacher online as they do when the teacher is in the same room.”
Logan County
The BOE approved Logan County’s request to close Verdunville Elementary School and consolidate it into Omar Elementary School at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
Additionally, a waiver of WVBE Policy 4336 was approved to create a Dingess Mountain bus route (50 minutes) that exceeds the recommended transportation time for elementary students, which is 30 minutes.
The impact study provided by Superintendent Sonya White, stated that the county has experienced a loss of 1,398 students in the past decade. Current enrollment is 4,665 students countywide.
Additionally Vendunville Elementary is located 20 ft. from a rock cliff, which experienced a slip in April 2025 that caused a temporary closure of the school.
Randolph County
The BOE approved Randolph County’s request to close Harman K-12 School and merge it into Jennings Randolph Elementary School, Elkins Middle School, and Elkins High School at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
They also approved the closure of North Elementary School and its merger into Jennings Randolph Elementary School at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
In addition, the BOE approved a waiver of WVBE Policy 4336 for creating bus routes that will exceed the recommended duration of transportation time for elementary students.
An impact statement provided by Superintendent Shawn Dilley stated that one factor in the school closures/consolidations is loss of student enrollment, from 4,065 during the 2014-2015 school year to 3,436 this year.
As for transportation concerns, the impact study notes that “Randolph County Schools currently has three school buses that serve Harman School. All three routes will see an increased ride time to their new schools. This increase will range from 13 minutes to 44 minutes of increased time. The district is prepared to make the addition of a 4th bus route, which will allow for two of the buses to be dedicated to middle/high school students and two buses to be dedicated to elementary students.”
Roane County
The BOE approved Roane County’s request to close Geary Elementary Middle School and Walton Elementary Middle School, their consolidation into Spencer Elementary and Spencer Middle School, and the consolidation of county PreK students into a defined space at Roane County High School at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
In addition, the BOE approved a waiver of WVBE Policy 4336 for “a limited number of routes” that will exceed the recommended duration of transportation time for elementary students.
The impact study provided by Superintendent Michelle Stellato notes that a loss of student enrollment is a factor in the decision to close/consolidate schools.
“The Roane County Board of Education has experienced a significant decline in student enrollment in the past ten years,” according to the impact study. “Overall, student enrollment has dropped by 31%, from 2,334 students in the 2014-15 school year, to 1,630 in the 2024-25 school year. In July of 2025, the West Virginia Board of Education declared a state of emergency in Roane County Schools (RCS), citing failure to address building utilization, budgetary concerns, over staffing, and a projected deficit of nearly 3 million dollars by the end of the 2025-26 school year.”
Upshur County
The BOE approved Upshur County’s request to close Rock Cave Elementary School and consolidate it into French Creek Elementary School at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
Additionally, the BOE approved a waiver of WVBE Policy 4336 to create bus routes that exceed the recommended transportation time for elementary students.
The impact statement provided by Superintendent Christine Miller cites a decline in student enrollment as a factor in the decision to close/consolidate schools.
“Upshur County Schools continues as all counties in West Virginia to experience a decline in enrollment. This has increased year over year with the adoption of more choice options such as learning pods, microschools, charters, private and the allowance to use the Hope Scholarship,” according to the impact statement. “Beginning in school year 2022-2023, enrollment was 3,689 in grades PK-12. The current 2025- 2026 school year, Upshur County Schools enrollment is 3,063.”
There are 240 students in Upshur County who have received the Hope Scholarship, according to the impact statement.
Wetzel County
The BOE approved Wetzel County’s request to close Magnolia High School, Valley High School, Short Line School (Grades 6-8 only), New Martinsville School (Grades 6-8 only), and Hundred Heritage School (Grades 6-8 only), and their consolidation into a newly constructed school in Porter Falls. These closures will occur upon completion of the new school.
Complete impact statements can be read on the West Virginia Board of Education website or here.
