……..The February 2 Board of Education meeting where we were supposed to learn about what transpired in the school district that resulted in the State taking it over was a disappointment. While we learned how much we were in arrears and why, most of us were still left shaking our heads. Most of us already knew the information that was provided. What we were looking for was “Who” allowed it to happen. And, we were not told that.
……..Granted we know the administrators who allowed the staff in excess of the formula to grow to 143. We know the failure to make hard decisions through the years will result in a $10 million price tag now and a lot of futures turned upside down. But there are pieces of the puzzle that still need to be revealed. Was it maladministration or malfeasance or worse? Superintendent Walt Saunders pointed me in the direction of Jeff Kelly, accountability officer at the State Board of Education. Kelly would not take my call. I persevered and finally got Christy Day. communications director, who confirmed that investigations are ongoing into the Hancock County finances. Who would pursue any charges? It could be Federal, State or County depending what is found according to Day. I asked Day how I could keep abreast of the progress of any investigation. She said to attend the County Board meetings. Information would be forthcoming at the meetings.
………I don’t think so, At the most recent Board meeting, it was pretty clear in my mind that we were done talking about what had happened and were moving on to what was going to happen. It was pretty sad to see our elected Board of Education take no action on any item. Even the agenda is approved by the State.
……..I was astonished to see 11 candidates for the Board of Education. It shows that there are individuals in our county who want to return the school system to solvency and ensure our children continue to receive a quality education. I did some research, however, and found that the average school takeover in West Virginia lasts 7 years. That’s a lot of time to not be able to make a vote. After one year, the State evaluates the system and determines whether to continue the takeover. After five years, if the State has not turned the school district back to the County, a public hearing is held. Currently there are 8 school districts of which the State has control. Most are for academic testing scores or failure to follow Roberts Rules in meetings. While Hancock was taken over for its financial crisis, we hear there are several other counties in dire straights.
………At the end of the Board meeting, the importance of passing Del. Pat McGeehan’s bill to assist us financially was stressed. While both the bill with the criteria and its financing bill passed the House in one day after a suspension of rules, both bills appear stalled in the Senate. We are told the bill necessary to secure the funding will pass out of Senate Finance Committee Tuesday and continue to the full floor. The bill stipulating the criteria may languish in Senate education. Kudos to McGeehan for being so pro-active and effective for his district. Call your Senators, Weld and Wakim-Chapman and urge them to work towards both bills’ passage.
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