WV BOE approves closure of two elementary schools in Wayne County, ends Pocahontas County’s state of emergency
By Autumn Shelton, RealWV
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Board of Education (BOE) has approved the closure of Dunlow and Genoa Elementary Schools in Wayne County.
On Wednesday, during the February meeting of the BOE, it was announced that Dunlow Elementary and Genoa Elementary Schools will close at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. The schools will merge into Crum Pre-K-8, East Lynn Elementary School and Wayne Elementary School.
Todd Alexander, superintendent of Wayne County Schools, discussed the issue and answered questions from board members during the meeting.
According to Alexander, discussions surrounding the possible closure of the two elementary schools began last year as student enrollment numbers continued to decline – as many as 1,600 students in the past decade. However, he said the Wayne County Board of Education decided to wait before making a decision until they knew if the state legislature would amend the school funding formula.
The proposed financial savings to the county after closure of the schools will be $1.6 million annually, Alexander continued.
“We had a carryover last year,” Alexander said. “Our year end number was just short of $2 million. We’re on the financial watch list. The state has recommended that our carryover should be $5 million or more.”
Alexander continued that next year there will be increased PEIA costs, and the legislature is currently discussing possible personnel pay raises, which would increase local costs.
“We also have a replacement construction project that is getting ready to happen,” Alexander said. “We’re getting ready to reduce our footprint by building a K-8 school in Buffalo. It’s an addition to the existing middle school. That elementary school is in serious need of replacement and we need to free up some operating capital for that project as well.”
Alexander said that because of all this, and to avoid entering into the same situation as Hancock County Schools of not being able to meet payroll, the county had to reduce their budget by $4.2 million.
“Those cuts are going to come from across the district at all levels, including central office and non-classroom positions,” Alexander said. “This closure will be about 38% of the savings that are necessary for us to be able to balance our budget for next year.”
After Alexander discussed the current situation of Wayne County Schools, West Virginia BOE President Paul Hardesty shared some of his concerns, and discussed the “broken” nature of the state’s school system.
“For the people listening today, if my comments over the past several months, if all they’ve heard from my comments is that I’m blaming the legislature for the shortcomings of public education in West Virginia, then I’ve not done a very good job communicating my position, because I’m not doing that,” Hardesty said. “Public education, this model we currently operate under, has been broken for three decades at least. It didn’t start today, it didn’t start yesterday, it’s been a problem for going on three decades.”
Hardesty continued that he isn’t trying to blame anyone for what is happening. Instead, he said that tough decisions must be made.
“This board of unelected bureaucrats, we have to make tough decisions when elected bureaucrats choose not to,” Hardesty said. “It’s pretty simple. It’s not real hard to digest. And the problem is because in the past ten years social media has got so important, people that are brave keyboard commandos run to social media and talk about stuff they know about 10% about. And, 90% of it is falsehood.”
Hardesty continued that he created documentation on the financial status of every county school board in the state, including the amount of professional and service personnel over the state aid funding formula.
That documentation as provided to RealWV may be viewed here:
“Tough decisions have to be made to try to eradicate a broken system,” Hardesty said. “I’m not casting blame with the legislature. I’m looking for help.”
Hardesty said that the Wayne County Board of Education had to make a tough decision that “has ripped the guts out of two little communities.”
“We’re ripping the hearts out of these communities,” Hardesty continued. “But, you can’t have it both ways. The law is the law. You have to operate in a financially sound, responsible manner. I don’t have all the answers ladies and gentlemen. I don’t. We make the best decisions possible on the information presented to us. And, sure people can come try to pick it apart, but bring all the facts – don’t just bring the ones you want.”
Hardesty added that school boards throughout the state are going through reductions in force.
“It’s the most horrible time of the school year,” Hardesty said, adding that these decisions must be made or a county will face insolvency.
“I’m not trying to pick at the legislature,” Hardesty concluded. “I’m looking for a willing partner to try to find solutions to a 30-year broken system, and ladies and gentlemen, it’s broke. It’s not bent, it’s broken.”
Also on Wednesday, the BOE voted to end the state of emergency at Pocahontas County High School and voted to return policy-making authority to the Logan County Board of Education.
