Timothy W Conzett

The meeting agenda included several key items requiring action or information. Under consent agenda items, recommendations were presented for the approval of substitute teacher employment policies for various counties related to areas of critical need and shortage, approval of affidavits for submission to the Consolidated Public Retirement Board, and approval of Certified Teacher of Record (CTR) Agreements between Wheeling University and Ohio County Schools, and Concord University and Morgan County Schools. Additionally, approval was sought for the West Virginia School Board Association's regional training schedule and agenda. New business items included updates on the State of Emergency in Hancock County Schools and Upshur County Schools. A significant item involved recommending the unconditional reconveyance of the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (WVSDB) off-campus barn property to the City of Romney to facilitate a federal grant for a public pool. The agenda also allotted time for the discussion of legal matters, specifically Supreme Court No. 25-642, and WVBE/WVDE personnel matters, which might involve executive sessions.

The primary action was the declaration of a state of emergency specific to the operation of Martinsburg North Middle School. Subsequent discussion centered on the positive changes in school culture, including the establishment of new behavioral boundaries, improved parent and student attitudes, and increased safety. Leadership efforts by Mr. Pit Snuggle and his administrative team were highlighted for establishing firm expectations and accountability for both staff and students, leading to improved student maturity and academic performance. The ongoing focus remains on building a unified team culture across all staff levels and continually striving for improvement.

The meeting included discussions and actions related to personnel, safety, and facility planning. Personnel matters involved introductions of associate superintendents and directors. The safety update reported approximately 40 school threats addressed in January and detailed upcoming training opportunities, including basic officer training and behavioral threat assessment management courses. The board approved the agenda and later approved a consent agenda. New business involved an amendment to the Wayne County Schools 2020-2030 Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan (CFP), revising proposed school closures so that students from closed schools would be dispersed among existing buildings rather than moving into a new facility. Subsequently, the board considered the Wayne County Schools' request to close Dunlow Elementary School and Genoa Elementary School and merge them into Chrome PreK-8, Eastland Elementary School, and Wayne Elementary School, effective at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. Public delegations addressed topics including school closure policy, funding inequities, research on student performance in smaller schools, and the importance of vaccinations.

The meeting began with recognitions for the 2026 West Virginia Teacher of the Year and Service Personnel of the Year, followed by presentations from delegations regarding vaccination statutes, legislative goals, teacher-led reforms, and county school closures. A school safety report detailed the distribution of funds for the school mapping project and provided an update on safety training. The Superintendent reported on a reorganization within the WVDE, introducing new leadership roles. The consent agenda approved various items, including substitute teacher employment policies for Berkeley and Jefferson counties, retirement affidavits, and partnership agreements for Certification Teacher of Record programs with WVU/Berkeley County Schools and Davis & Elkins College/Tucker County Schools. Updates and progress reports were provided regarding the ongoing interventions and States of Emergency for Boone County Schools, Randolph County Schools, and Roane County Schools, leading to the extension of the States of Emergency for Randolph and Roane Counties. Personnel matters for both the WVBE and WVDE were approved.

The emergency meeting was convened to discuss imminent material financial shortfalls in the Hancock County School system that posed an immediate threat to school operations, and to consider whether extraordinary circumstances justified immediate intervention. Discussions included the escalation of Hancock County Schools' financial situation from monitored concern to fiscal emergency, noting that the county formally requested emergency state aid for payroll. It was reported that Hancock County Schools has been operating with approximately $10 million over the funding formula in Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026 due to overstaffing and overspending on construction and sports facilities. The Board subsequently approved a series of recommendations, including assigning Nonapproval status to Hancock County Schools, declaring a state of emergency, limiting the authority of the county board in critical areas, declaring the County Superintendent's office vacant, appointing Walter Saunders as the new Superintendent, and delegating significant decision-making authority to the State Superintendent to address deficiencies and operational matters.