and Alexandra Criner addressed the Harrison County Board of Education last week on the partial intervention.
Over the past year and a half, a number of county school systems in West Virginia have run into fiscal problems. Many of those, including Harrison County, found themselves with higher numbers of staff than could be paid through the school funding formula and/or a special levy approved by voters.
Harrison County Schools employed approximately 150 more students than state aid or levy funding could pay without cutting into financial reserves. While Frank Devono Jr of the Harrison County Board of Education in a release that the system still enjoyed financial stability, the West Virginia Department of Education disagreed.
Devono cited what he and the Board saw as progress toward fiscal stability, including the controversial and painful closing of Liberty High School, in recent years.
WVDE officials also alleged that the Harrison County Board of Education stepped too far into the administrative purview of the Superintendent and central office, especially in personnel matters.
Just as it has done in counties such as Hancock, Randolph, Roane, Upshur, and others, the WVDE partially intervened in the administration and operation of Harrison County Schools.
After attendees stood for and recited the Pledge of Allegiance, officials from the WVDE introduced themselves and spoke.
Associate Superintendent for the WVDE Jeff Kelly introduced himself and also Alexandra Criner, Director of the Office of Accountability for that organization.
Criner spoke at length about what the Board, Superintendent, and other officials could expect during the intervention process. She also discussed the path to successful resolution by the close of 2026.
She said, “Our office recently conducted on-site monitoring activities in Harrison County Schools.
Through those reviews, several systemic concerns were identified involving governance practices, financial management and staffing, and the need for a targeted review of special education services.
These findings ultimately resulted in the West Virginia Board of Education authorizing a partial state intervention.
I want to emphasize that accountability reviews are not intended to assign blame or diminish the important work occurring in our schools.
Rather, they’re designed to identify conditions that may affect the county’s ability to provide a thorough and efficient education system and to ensure that appropriate supports are put in place when concerns are identified.
Throughout this process, we have continued to recognize the dedication of Harrison County’s teachers, principals, service personnel, and support staff.
Our observations confirmed that many professionals throughout the district remain deeply committed to serving students and families.
The issues identified by the office of accountability are primarily systemic in nature and require attention at the organizational and leadership levels to ensure long term stability and success.
The purpose of the intervention is to improve governance and operational practices, ensure compliance with state and federal requirements, and establish a pathway toward local control through demonstrated progress and accountability.
The intervention should be viewed as an opportunity for improvement, not as a judgment of the many dedicated educators working in Harrison County Schools.
As we move forward, the Office of Accountability will continue to work collaboratively with county leadership, the local board of education, administrators, and school staff.
Last week, staff from the office of accountability met with the central office staff to establish protocols for the agenda items identified as requiring state superintendent approval.
Items that have been preapproved will appear in a separate section of the board agenda with the remainder of the agenda proceeding as usual.
Over the course of the next three months, the WVDE will conduct on-site reviews in at least three additional areas of operation.
In November, we will schedule a meeting with the superintendent and board president to review the progress that has been made in addressing the identified findings.
The West Virginia Board of Education is tentatively scheduled to hear an update in December of this year.
The cycle will then continue with the examination of additional areas followed by training and technical assistance to address any findings with progress updated to the WVBE approximately every six months.
Success will depend on transparency, adherence to established roles and responsibilities, sound stewardship of public resources, and an unwavering focus on student achievement and well-being.
Our collective goal is straightforward to ensure that every decision, every resource, and every action supports the educational opportunities and outcomes that Harrison County students deserve.
We remain committed to providing guidance, monitoring progress, and supporting the county throughout this improvement process.” Criner concluded.
Additionally, the Harrison County Schools Superintendent, Donna Stutler, now reports to the State Superintendent of Schools.
Dr. Jenny Santilli, one of the new members of the Board of Education apologized for asking a “newbie” question. She inquired about when the Superintendent and Central Office should start looking at staff to student ratios, noting the expectations of the State.
“Those decisions should start, really in August when you have kids in school.” said Criner, who then added that “the sooner you start looking at your numbers and what decisions can be made, the better off that you’re going to be as far as making the right decision and looking at the impact and doing everything correctly.”
Kelly explained that “I know staffing season occurs, in the spring, but the process that contributes to that really begins soon here in August when kids start rolling through the doors.” He shared that officials could work with “a predictive state there in September, once things have settled down as to what that might look like,” although “ultimately, the official number will come in October.”
He then stated that “the numbers, the overages will be, calculated based on those numbers and come to the county usually in December . . . And then subsequently, you make those decisions on staffing in the the staffing season, in the spring.”
Enrollment may also decline after Oct 1, Kelly said.
Santilli then asked about employees with 200 day contracts versus other classifications of personnel. Kelly explained that 200 day contract employees would remain “business as usual” but that those above that threshold would require State preapproval for hire, transfer, or elimination.
Next, Board members and Kelly worked through the “nuts and bolts” of how WVDE oversight would work with the County chain of command and also public meeting requirements. Kelly stated that the WVDE might request that a meeting agenda item scheduled be tabled so that State officials could review the matter and discuss further with the Board, “especially . . . high cost items.”
Later in the meeting, Kelly informed the County Board that “historically” the State has performed full takeovers, but not this time. “We kind of individualized this plan and, probably (that is) the first time we’ve done it that way . . . I think we probably wanted you guys to have a little bit of skin in the game whenever we get staffing season.
Board member Douglas Hogue brought up a potential issue that he shared may have contributed to the problems faced by HCS. He stated that “for whatever reason, after our assistant superintendent retired, we chose, for whatever reason, not to replace the assistant superintendent.”
Hogue went on to add that the lack of “somebody there that she trusts” to support the work of a Superintendent who serves “one of the larger counties in the state.”
Kelly responded with “I’m not going to tell you right now whether that would be a fantastic idea or a terrible idea,” but stated that since this would be a newly created position, the WVDE would have to study the proposal first.
Hogue replied after some discussion that “I just think that it’s it’s foolish for us not to have an assistant superintendent . . . that’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it.”
Later, Hogue discussed mistakes and reminded all “there was only One who was perfect and He hung on the Cross.” He asked that State officials explain mistakes made and how to avoid them going forward and also requested that he have the chance to meet with officials one on one from time to time to ask questions and receive explanations.
Kelly spoke to reassure the Board that “we’re not going to focus too heavily on what’s in the rearview mirror” but establish a collaborative effort to fix the problems and prevent recurrence. “This is the time for a little bit of a reset.”