In late 2024, Randolph County faced a very contentious decision: whether to close Harman School and Pickens School, as part of a five-year reorganization plan to address financial shortfalls. This plan, proposed by Dr. Shawn Dilly, would have consolidated elementary schools following the closing of Harman and Pickens. This proposal ignited strong community responses.
The reorganizational plan cited economic necessity as its driving force. With dwindling resources and a shrinking student population, the county’s education officials argued that consolidating schools would streamline operations and reduce costs. However, for residents of Pickens, especially Harman, the proposal represented more than a logistical change—many claimed that it threatened the heart of their community.
The Kids Count Data Book linked poverty to poor education outcomes—West Virginia ranked 48th out of 50. The Republican-heavy state legislature has focused on school choice, especially with the Hope Scholarship. Kelly Allen, the executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy was quoted saying that school choice only helps a “certain subset of families” who are typically not living in poverty.
Henry Guy Kump’s tenure as Governor of West Virginia (1933-1937) was marked by significant educational reforms aimed at centralizing and educational reforms aimed at centralizing and equalizing school funding across the state. Before his administration, local property taxes were the primary source of school funding, leading to disparities between wealthy and poorer countries. Kump’s introduction of the “Better Schools Amendment” in 1933 centralized school funding at the state level, promoting a more equitable distribution of resources and standardizing teacher salaries.
In contrast, today’s West Virginia school system still grapples with funding challenges and disparities. Despite the centralized funding model established during Kump’s era, issues persist due to outdated funding formulas and economic constraints. For instance, West Virginia spends less per student than the national average and less than most neighboring states, indicating that the centralized funding system may not adequately address current educational needs.
While the decision to keep the schools open was met with some relief for more rural areas, it did not resolve the underlying financial challenges facing Randolph County’s education system. Superintendent Dilly expressed disappointment at the outcome, noting the fiscal constraints that prompted the initial proposal remain unresolved. The BOE must now find alternative solutions to address budget shortfalls while maintaining quality education for all students.
At a board meeting in mid-January, more than 20 members of the community spoke out about this issue, and the program and job cuts that would have to be made to maintain the budget. Many voiced their concerns, including Mr. Richardson, a civics teacher at Elkins High School. “We are drowning in an ocean and we are trying to bail the water out with a teaspoon, he said, “I crunched a lot of numbers because I wanted to come here with some options because I feel that we can sit here and talk about the past, we can talk about the vote, we can talk about them versus us. It really doesn’t work that way. We are on the same ship, we’ve got to row the boat. We are going in the same direction and the course is going to be challenging.”
