….I’ll admit to being focused on the State’s takeover of Hancock County’s school district. To me, it was like a mystery. The State knowing that Joe Campinelli wasn’t submitting reports using the state-mandated WVEIS system, not responding to e-mails about financial reports and not communicating to Hancock County officials raised a red flag.
…….As I started to delve into Campinelli’s work history I found issues with his performance which dated back to when he first was employed. This problem wasn’t a result of the last two years, it went back decades. Superintendents had written him up andhad improvement plans placed in his file . An anonymous note mailed to me steered me to when Superintendent Suzan Smith had just taken over only to discover the district was in arrears. But, the strangest thing about this all is that those letters and improvement plans were missing from his file.
…….There is a misconception that with each level of government the expertise increases. So I expected to find the State’s investigation of this issue professional and transparent. Nothing could be further from the reality of their actions.
…….And so, I filed a Freedom of Information Act request which I felt would give me the answers which I was seeking. My first request was to be delivered 5 business days after I submitted it. I received a letter asking for a delay until April 9. Yesterday, I opened my e-mail, not to the answers, but to a letter from Kelli Talbot, general counsel to the WVBOE:
Dear Ms. Pettit:
On March 3, 2026, the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) received your request under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in which you are seeking the following records. **any documentation Campinelli refused to use the WVEIS system; and how many years he failed to do so; any correspondence to the Hancock County Board of Education or Hancock County Superintendent on Campinelli’s refusal to utilize WVEIS;
**E-mails that were sent to Campinelli over the past three years citing problems with Hancock County’s financial reporting; late or not received at all required reports; and any response that may have been forthcoming. A list of anyone who was copied in on those e-mails at either the State or Hancock County Board level;
**The letter dismissing Tetrick & Barlow, Hancock County’s auditing company;
**The letter employing the WV Auditors office to perform the current audit and the timeline for its completion;
**Any documentation that the CTE funds in Hancock County or anywhere else in the State were used for any other purpose rather than intended purpose;
**The financials which Campinelli submitted to the State:
**Any evidence submitted to the Federal, State or county authorities regarding Cmpinelli’s false reporting and other evidence of malfeasance, maladministration, fraud, or theft;
**Any correspondence stating a time and date to turn a report in on the Hancock County takeover to the Hancock County Board; people of Hancock County; legislature, and Governor Patrick Morrisey.
On March 10, 2020, we responded to your FOIA request and advised you that we expected to respond on or before April 9, 2020. Please be advised that we are still in the process of reviewing our records and now expect to respond to your FOIA request on or before May 15, 2026.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Kelli D. Talbot General Counsel
There is no doubt the State will keep kicking the can down the road. Were we a big newspaper, a lawsuit would force their hand. We’re not, so they will keep putting us off. I’ve invested a lot of time and energy into this to give up now.
Stay tuned!
