001motion down or something. We got eight minutes. >> Oh, sure. Hey, that's fine. I'm here. >> You ready? >> H. Give me this. >> You're fine. You're fine. >> Okay. Go ahead. Oh, I wish I changed my timer for my timer. I don't know if I can do it now or not. And I gave you all your all your agendas for >> Yes, you did. Thank you, >> Todd. If the weather's bad, could we call if we have a warm so we won't have to delay the meeting? >> If the weather's bad, we'll move it. >> But when do we have >> by the end of the week? I'm going to make sure with the state. >> Okay. Okay. Okay. I'll >> just check. Thank you. >> Turn on the mic if you'd like. All
002right. Hey Mark, your mom's your mom still got that green Corvette? Your mom still got that Corvette? >> Dennis. >> Okay, folks. It's 6:00, so we're going to go ahead and start this meeting of the Wayne County Board of Education. Of course, as you know, our purpose for being here this evening is for a public hearing uh for the uh possible closure or consolidation of Genanoa Elementary. In a in the case of a consolidation, it would be with Dunlow Elementary. So, this is a uh a special meeting of the board of education. So, uh President Hall will open the meeting u and we will do the pledge. All right, we're going to go ahead and open our special meeting of the Wayne County Board of Education. It's 601. And if you'll stand, we'll say the
003pledge. >> I'll lead us again. >> Okay, Dennis. >> It's those seats. >> They are low. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Excellent. >> Let the record show that all board members are present in person this evening. And I want to start by just saying thank you all for taking the time to come here this evening and share. Sorry, I just want to say I want to thank you for coming this evening and taking the time to give us your thoughts and your opinions and uh your concerns. Uh we are listening and that's what today's uh meeting is about. That's the intent. We're here to listen. uh your board
004members will not be able to engage in any discussion or uh debate or answer any questions ourselves. Our superintendent or the directors that he has here with him this evening, they'll be answering any questions that you may have. So, we'll um we'll clarify anything that you need. Um, this meeting is being held in accordance with West Virginia code 18-5-13A and those uh set the proceedings for this type of meeting. So, we're going to turn it over to our superintendent now for a a brief overview of the proposal. >> Yeah, back in back in December, I had came down met with the staff at the school and we also held a community meeting that testified the school to address the topic closure. consolidation. >> No. >> The reason that we're considering closure or consolidation is because
005of a loss of enrollment here. In these last 10 years, the district has lost approximately 16600 students. To put that into perspective for you, 1,600 students is currently the enrollment of our nine smallest schools. And so we operate 18 schools overall. And in the last 10 years, we've lost equivalent of the enrollment of nine of those schools. The school funding formula which uh supplies money for the school system to operate on. It's based upon student loan. So as those uh as those numbers have continued to decrease um it has uh put the school system in a financial bind. And so what has happened over the years and and you're familiar with schools that closed down um in in rural parts of the uh of the county. What has happened over the years is that uh
006the school systems have to adjust and and you not only see this conversation going on here in Wayne County, you see it going on across the state because it's a problem for about 51 out of the 55 counties in the state of West Virginia. Um Genanoa and Dunlow are our two smallest schools. Uh Dunlow currently operates with less than 50 students. Uh Genanoa operates with between 50 and 60 students currently. Some of the students that are here are all transfer from other school districts and they've chosen to come here. Um the enrollment trends for the entire district um including the the schools that the students would be transferred to and that's East Lind Wayne Elementary and Crumb PreK through those schools have also lost population. So when the when the state looks at the financial
007district and they issue reports to us, they look at two things. They look at what's called building utilization and economy as a scale. And what that boils down to is how many students are serving in the building and how many kids does it take to keep a school open to reasonably serve students in a building. So they the state expects that our building utilization they take the number of classrooms that's in a building they multiply by the number of students that's allowed to be in a classroom at that grade level. They come up with a total number that that a school can hold at any one period of the day. They divide that by the actual enrollment. The state wants our utilization number to be at 80 85%. When you look at uh Genanoa, Genanoa's
008current utilization rate is at 38%. Doug Lowe's is at 23%. Wayne Elementary, the largest school in the schools that we're talking about, is 76%. Crown PreK, the brand new multi-million dollar building, is at 28%. Fort G is at 40%. East Lane Elementary is at 36%. Know that there was a statewide article last week that said that Wayne County's average for the entire district is at 44%. Well below the utilization rate. They also talk about economies of scale and that's really what's driving this decision uh to the forefront is the economies of scale. So we are funded on ratios. So the state looks at the number of students we have. Everything comes down to the number of students we have. >> They have they take the number of students and they provide us with teachers and
009service personnel and they have ratios to provide those. So for example and I just I can cite different examples for different job classifications. Um this is an easy one to understand. Our cooks by state state policy they are to serve 140 meals per student. So when we are being funded for positions for cook positions that's what we expect that we have a cook for approximately 140 students that so when you get into schools that fall below 100 what happens is you lose those economies of scale. So we have cook at Dunlow for less than 50 students. We have cook here at Genanoa for between 50 and 60 students. We have a halftime cook that works at both places for safety reasons with these people coming in at 5% more. So we have three cooks working
010to serve 100 kids when our ratio is supposed to be one to 140 meals. I can give you a ton of examples. third grade classes. Uh we're required to have uh we're required to have you have your third grade teachers and then you have your ECADs and we're funded as if a class is full. So if there's if there's 23 kids in the class, we get funding for one teacher. But if we have multiple schools that have 10 kids in each third grade class, then those those extra positions um we have to pay for that out of the local monies. So what that drives up is the amount that we're paying for out of local funds. And what has happened over the years is even though we have cut positions every single year, we have
011less positions now than we did six or seven years ago. Even though we have cut those positions, the uh the amount that we have to spend out of pocket had increased to over $9 million out of local funds. So we had worked and made cuts last year and dropped that number to about 8.5 million. And then we we open up this school year. We see another enrollment drop. The birth rates and for Wayne County and for most of the state of West Virginia indicate that enrollment is going to keep dropping across the uh across the state with those enrollment drops. Uh we lost 200 approximately 215 kids this year. Our number our projected numbers right back up to over >> 9 million out of levels with less positions. So we are paying pretty much twice
012as much for the extra positions that we were paying for a decade ago. And so what's happening is the money is running out. Uh when you look at what is spent through federal sources, state sources, all funding sources, um we spend approximately $15,000 a student in Wayne County. those economies of scale. When you get to the small schools, that number goes up. And the reason it goes up is because your teachers are with less kids, your cooks are serving less students, your custodians are serving less students, your principles are serving less students. So when we look at the numbers, Genanoa Elementary, the district is at at an average of 15,000 per student. Uh Genanoa Elementary has over over 20,000 per student. It is the most costliest building that we operate based on economies of scale.
013Now that's through no fault of anybody here and it's through no fault. It it's just because the numbers have shrunk to the point and that was the last available data. I'm sure when the state updates that it's going to show that deadline is at the highest end of the scale because their enrollment has fallen below your notice. So those are the impacts that are hitting the county school system. And so we have had in the last 5 years we've had a fund balance as high as 9.5 million. Now the state recommends that we keep a fund balance of at least $5 million. Those are emergency funds. It's to pay our staff. It is to um deal with any type of emergencies. It's for facility upgrades that have to be planned for, etc. So, we've been
014as high as 9 and a half million in the last 5 years. But as we've continued to lose enrollment year after year, we are eating into that reserve. At the end of last year, we were at 1.9 million, which is below the threshold that the state says that we have to have for emergency use and to make sure that employees are paid. And so, we have to get that number under control. We cannot continue to operate in the deficit with the money's gone. And so, that's what we're working on is uh we need to get that 1.9 million that we have in reserves. We need to get that back up um above 50 for the district to to be stable and to do what it needs to do to provide the services and the facilities
015for every student in the district including the students here. So that's why we're having this conversation this evening and u I know we have a series of people signed up and we will turn it over to them. >> Okay. All right. All right, we'll go ahead and start with our public comment. First on the list is Miss Clawudet Cox. Are you going to tell me? >> Oh, and just so everyone is aware, you have up to five minutes to speak. And if you'll just uh state your name and uh your connection to the school and let us uh know those information before you get started, that would be great. Yeah, it's on. It It is It doesn't amplify. It sets up to feed into the live stream. >> Yeah. >> My name is Fox and
016I'm educator. I'm here to speak to the people of this small community about First, let me say my family is from this community, but this is a heart of the county and some of the best people that we have in I am tired though of people making certain statements on social media or showing up to certain meetings and saying things that just don't add up. first to any board member or member of our legislature that we've voted in or persons wanting to be a part of our community instead of making statements to people about misappropriation of fund which if that were true we would have already been taken over by the state and that monies can just be moved I believe I saw on Facebook of 149,000 from technology or move in as delegated to
017specific uses this is what the law says Any elected official knows that we vote in that the only way it can be moved is if they vote to do that and create a ball of every we cannot do that as a local they can't that's who we vote in so smart people where did the money go our elected officials voted against anything that would benefit public schools how social media posts are made of the state that you would use the retiree employees of 60 plus that that would be monies that we can use to save your schools because each teacher makes 60,000 a year from one thing. Well, I call for 30 years and I have a max plus whatever and I'll never make $60,000 a year. >> True. And what percentage of that is
018a cook, a bus driver, a custodian who lives on? That's not our home. However, when our current house members voted to invest in the home scholarship, that cost over our family, we've lost students. Whether it's to homeschooling, to private school, to whatever. And you have the right to make a choice. That doesn't matter to me. We can't sit here and say that it does not affect the public schools because it does. If you want to be a part of Wayne County school system, then don't homeschool your kids and receive $7,500 a child. That two means from Genanoa and Dad. What isn't being told to you is that our board has multiple teams with a proposal to help our vulnerable counties receive help in order to help our schools stay afloat. They've been there year after
019year with something proposed to help you all stay open. So what happened? Our elected officials, they go against us pulled around. It's both. They say school choice is what's more important. I have no problem with school choice, but they say it's fair and equity. Well, not for every student. That leaves public school. Our county gets no fun for this student. That's what happened to us. That is the back some monies that have helped would help save our schools. This is the kicker. I teach special education for 30 years. And what percentage of those most vulnerable schools are given equitable access under the law to attend private school? Kids with significant differences are discriminated against. Private schools don't have to provide specifically trained stat instruction. A small percentage 2% of private schools in the state of
020West Virginia who serve special needs students and they are special ed allowed to attend that. That's discrimination. >> The federal law says that I have to provide under IDA. I have to service those students but private schools don't >> so those students where we have one of the highest populations of kids that have difficulties. The only way you get services if they kind of come instead of people making statement of why didn't any of them have the budget or they don't have the plans or why did they come with a plan. My dad was a self-employed barber and he told me don't ever come to me with a problem if you don't have a solution. So we have lots of people making statements on social media and we have lots of people that think that
021people in these small communities are stupid. But we know what we look for and we know what we need to do. This is not their fault. If we have people who say otherwise, where is their documents and their plan to help save another color? I haven't seen it. I've seen a lot of talking, but I haven't seen anything in writing. >> Applaud time. >> You're at your time limit. >> So, let me just say it's not. >> Thank you. Uh, Miss Valerie Robinson. It It's on. It's on. It just feeds into the live stream. You just need to >> be loud so everybody can hear you. So, for those of you that don't know me, my name is Valerie Robinson. I taught at this school for about 11 years, but I have lived in this
022area since I was born. Um, I actually came to school here in the 90s. Um, and I've thought long and hard about what I want to say. And I guess over the years, the community and the staff, the teachers, we've all said everything that there is to say. So, I'm not going to repeat it now. You all know what the issues are. I know that our county is in bad financial shape, but that is not the fault of Dunlow and Genoa Elementary, which you said earlier, but we are receiving the consequences. These communities have already been sorry devastated by years of abandonment. First, the coal mines left, then the other jobs that were related to that left. So, people left to get jobs and then more jobs left. And we're the ones that stay. And
023we stay because we want a future for our community and these children. We want our kids to have a sense of community and a sense of home. And that's what they have in these schools. This school is literally all Genanoa has left. I went into teaching with the goal of the school that gave me such a good start in life. There's always been something special about the school and I know that Dun feels the same way about their school. These schools feel comfortable and inviting us to walk in. Um, the kids know the teachers, they know the staff, the kids feel comfortable here. The parents are comfortable and they feel safe sending their children here. We have enough time to give them what they need beyond academics to give them a sense of belonging. And
024if these school closed, our communities will have nothing left. There's around 40 miles between the beginning of our district and the ending of Dunlo's district. and they won't have a local school. And if there's no local schools, more people aren't going to want to move here. And I know Wake County isn't the only county of this shape. Many are, and several are taken over by the state. But did you know that West Virginia had a $338 million surplus at the end of the 2025 school year? With all that money, it's sad that they're talking about closing so many uh schools in this state. And I know that that's not your fault. you guys can only give um work with the money that you're given, but it's a whole system problem that these little schools and
025these little communities are paying for. I saw a press release that the state treasurer doesn't want any more community schools closing and I know that there's legislation going forward to try to stop these small community schools from going uh from closing. They seem a little more serious about it this year. Um, my hope is that if we hold off one more year that the legislature can step in and do something to save all these little community schools across the state. I haven't offered you any solutions. I don't have any. I don't know how to fix this. But please think about the kids and the families living in this area before you make your decision. Please pray about this situation. I've been praying that the Lord's will be done. And I know if it is, everything
026will be okay. And that's basically what I want. I just want everything to be okay for our kids. I'm just concerned about our kids going to bigger schools that are farther away in schools that have like a different culture than our schools have. So, please make your decision carefully because once you close these schools, it can't be undone. Thank you for your time. Mary sword. Good evening members of the board and superintendent Alexander. My name is Mary Perry Sword and I attend Genoa Elementary as did my son, brothers, all my nieces and nephews and majority of my cousins. I'm not here solely because Jano was our school, but to hopefully spare Delo and other small schools that we everyone wants their school to remain open and the good reasons other than nostalgia and loyalty. I
027know that you know all the attributes that the small schools have for the community. So I won't go into that as I want to start by saying I totally understand the seriousness for the financial situation facing this district. I know you are over a million dollars in our budget and I don't envy the position you're in. I'm not here to deny that reality. I'm here to ask you to consider whether closing Janella and Dunlow this year is the wisest response to it. Schools closures are often described as cost-saving measures, but they're actually permanent decisions made to address short-term financial pressure. Once a school is closed, it's gone. Even if circumstances change, closing schools does not fix a struct structural deficit. It offers a one-time reduction while introducing new homes, longer transportation routes, student displacement, staff
028turnover, and the risk of families leaving the district entirely or in many cases parents deciding to homeschool. Those risks deserve careful consideration, which I know you've done. But there are now legislation legislative bills that are being considered that might mitigate the problem. I know that the topic of closing Jano Dunlow was brought up in 2019 and you have already postponed this decision since then and thank you for that. Right now the legislature is actively debating bills that directly affect rural school closures. Senate Bill 217. This bill would revise how community schools are funded in West Virginia. It's currently pending. 218. This bill proposes the creation of a new support fund specifically for community schools. This bill is also pinned. Uh 219. This bill aims to create a moratorum on school closings and consolidations statewide. It
029would add a new section to the education code to impose a temporary halt on all public school closures and consolidation proposals. A moratorum would retreat closure proceedings while lawmakers figure out other reforms. 504. This bill could give local residents significant legal and procedural tools to block closure, including requiring public votes and higher thresholds for board. I understand that those bills are not law yet, but closing schools before that process uh concludes removes options forever. We have senators Mark Mine, Craig Hart, Jay Taylor, and delegate Henry Corby Dylan who are working diligently to find ways to keep school closures from becoming necessary. Let's give them some time to fix this. Please don't officially close these two schools before they have that chance. There's no emergency that requires these schools to close at the end of the
030school year. A one-year postponement does not ignore the budget problem. It allows the district to manage it without making an irre irreversible decision under pressure. Even if circumstances change, even if laws change, even if funding improves, these doors will not reopen. I'm not asking you to abandon fiscal responsibility. I'm asking you to exercise it by pausing, gathering more information, and allowing time for legislation. I cannot pronounce that word. Legislative clarity and alternative solutions. Leadership is not about choosing the fastest solution. It's about choosing the one that causes the least permanent harm. So, I'm asking you to pause, not to avoid responsibility, but to manage risk. Even if you ultimately move forward, I hope you remember that many of us ask for time, not to resist responsibility, but to protect our children and communities from a
031decision that cannot be undone. I appreciate your honesty. I don't believe for one minute that any of you really want to do this but feel forced to do so due to the budget. But in light of these bills that are before the legislature and with the help of our elected officials, please consider postponing until they can do something that hopefully will help. I respectfully ask you to postpone the closure of Janova and elementary for at least one year. Thank you for your time and consideration and let's do what's right for the children of these communities. Danny Scarberry. I'm here tonight to address these members. And my main concern is not the kids. >> That's my main concern here tonight. What's best for them, not what's best for us. You take these kids and you put
032them on your buses and you bus them to these other school. What are you doing? You're overcrowding your buses. Bus drivers has a big responsibility. And when you got a bunch of kids on the bus that's acting up, talking is drawing the tent attention of these bus drivers. what you're doing, you're going to create a more problem than what you got right now with with what you're dealing with with these two schools. I understand wants to keep her kids there. Janoa want to keep her kids here. I took my kids out of Fort Gates Cove and brought here because of the drug situation that's in Fort Gay. Tossa High School, same thing. Is eat up with drugs in that school, believe it or not. And so is Fort Gay because how I know my kids
033even got a hold of it. Me and my wife when she was 11, we raised four kids of our own and they came to school here. They learned more in this school than they did at Tulsa High School or Fort G when when they had to be transferred there. We lived right up here on Mil Creek on top of the hill there. So, we busted we brought our own kids here because we did not want them to be in them schools because they're overcrowded. There's a drug problem in them schools and we don't want our kids to have no part of it. And another thing, I went to school I went to a one room school from the first to the sixth in a one room school. I learned more in that one room school
034in Lawrence County, Kentucky than I did going to Louisa High School, Louisiana because it was overcrowded in their schools that they could not give us the education that like the one room schools, smaller schools did. We had one teacher that taught six graders She would take us up front, set us down and teach us everything that we need. When she got done with us, we come back, we sit down while she took the next class up and she taught. While she was teaching them, we was learning what they were learning. By the time we got to the six, we know what what had to be done because we learned in these one room small rooms. Now, I'm telling you, I'm telling you board members, all you want to do is create a bigger problem. I
035know money is a big situation. And I've been a coal miner all my life. And I know that the state ain't got the tax money that it used to have because the coal mines shut down cuz a lot of the coal mines supplied money to a lot of the school systems up here at Dunlow at that coal mine. I work there. They they help Dunlow school up there with money and everything. I know that. But the coal mines have gone down and the tax money is no longer available. I understand. But right now, C is going to have to figure out something to do to perate more money towards the school systems. >> Either that they're going to they're hurting the children. >> They're not hurting the parents or the grown-ups. They're hurting the kids
036that's trying to learn and everything. And this world is not going to hold back just because they ain't going to they ain't learning. Now you can bring you Dun up here. Even when I worked up there, Dunlow every time there was a big rain or flood, Dunlow flooded. I know that for a fact. >> It says back on away from the creek up on the hill. It has never flooded here. >> It's that time if you can wrap up. >> It's time if you can wrap up. >> All right. But I thank y'all for your time. >> Thank you, sir. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, Tom. >> Delegate Dylan. Oh, there he is. I've lost him. hair front view >> go thank parents for coming off my don't have my work with me But at
037home, maybe some of you guys have yours with you. Maybe we will then, but I'll say this. It feels like we're rushing toward a predetermined outcome. It feels like we're looking at 1.6 million and savings on paper. But that's a much different question from how much could be cut in order to save these two schools. I don't think that we would have to cut necessarily 1.6 or 1.7 million. I think that we're making a mistake of looking at Genanoa Dun as an ATM for the rest of the county for other priorities. But our children, they're not numbers on a ledger. They shouldn't be treated that way, >> right? >> Regardless of what the state says, and I know the state likes their numbers and their spreadsheets, and I deal with them pretty often, I feel
038like we're indeed rushing the process toward a predetermined outcome. Maybe it's time we tap the brakes a little bit. Now, before I get into the next part here, we heard homeschool mentioned a little bit Fact is, if you are a bonafide homeschooler under state code and you you the homeschooler, you do not receive a dollar. I've never my wife and I are our children. That's our decision. We pay taxes. We don't take any money from the state for our children. There are some children, some parents who decide to utilize the scholarship which was upheld by the state supreme court as part of they called it they considered it part of the public school system that those were their words. Okay. Now back to the topic at hand. After the December round table where we discussed
039Dunlow and other matters, I submitted the legislation that was brought to me by the board as well as several of my own bills for consideration upcoming session that we're currently in. We just started. I was not the only one. Several others, several senators, delegates submitted legislation of their own. These are going through the process of being introduced, showing up in the system. We just started this year's legislative session. There's a process to follow. I submitted those bills that I submitted in good faith with the effort to try to help keep these schools open. I've been around public school all my life. My parents were both public school teachers. My wife's parents were both public school teachers. My mother-in-law went to Jano. Okay. Um, we have to give the process a chance to work. And I
040promise that if I could pass a bill unilaterally by myself today, right here tonight, I would do it. We're not a dictatorship. We don't operate that way in a republic. But I do know I do know that I've not made the decisions for the Wayne County Board of Education for the past several years. question is has the Wayne County Board of Education done everything in its power to make sure all the options have been exhausted before coming to this hasty conclusion. Now, excuse me. At this point, what I would suggest, as has been alluded to earlier, let the process work. Last year, when this first issue first came up, I asked for a full legislative process in two years. That's a two-year cycle for each legislative cycle. And here we are. We're just starting this
041year's legislative cycle. More bills have been introduced this year. There's more interest this year to save these community schools by far than there was last year or the year before that. We're a lot closer to solution than we've ever been. And if we act now prematurely, we're going to preclude all those solutions from taking effect. So my advice is let the process work. And if the if the members of the board would like to have a meeting perhaps with some of the senior leadership of the House and the Senate, I feel confident that Senator Maynard and I be happy to sit in on that be part of that discussion. In fact, just this last week, there was a bill passed for majority leaders uh Hancock County. I'll wrap it up here. >> Okay. Thank you.
042Uh, I believe that the House leadership and the Senate leadership would be happy to meet with our Wayne County board and I know that Senator Mayor and I will be happy to help with that. We also have financial staff who would be happy to go through the numbers if there are any questions. We can identify the bill that's going to help the most. Maybe we can make something happen. Give us a chance. THANK YOU. SENATOR Mayor everybody for showing up tonight. Thank you for putting this together. I don't know if this is required or not, but I appreciate you letting us hear from you, let you hear from the community. A lot of my notes I jotted down when I sat down here has already been touched on, but I want to talk about the
043decisions in Charleston. So, back in 2022, there was amendment two on the ballot that the state voted on that allowed the legislature to have oversight on the rules that the state board of education put forth. All the agencies in the state put rules out and a rule is basically details to our state code. the state goes into the law that sometimes these bills that we pass are incomplete don't have certain details. So all these agencies like department of highway the department of health and they all these rules will these rules all of them come before the legislature legislation. So we vote on it during the uh the committee votes on it during the a season like during the summer. Then when it comes time for the legislature then the whole entire senate and house body
044also votes on these rules. The department of education all their rules do not come before the legislature. Right. Correct. So we our hands are tied. we can't uh determine, you know, any all we have to do is try to make laws that kind of supersede what we're doing in the rules. And I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but we just, you know, there's not an extra set of eyes on one room schoolhouse mentioned. And I never had the luxury of attending one, but I think about the nation's leaders that were educated one. I'm sure Henry Ford went to one. And I think about the the little uh school on Little House on Prairie that was a church on Sunday and then a schoolhouse during the week. You know, what great times. And I wonder
045what the overhead was. I'm sure it was very many. And I'm sure the community got together and did whatever repairs on the church building and what they needed for school supplies. Um so I'm going to explain a little bit what I found out from my research. the school le all 55 counties have a school levy but it's basically the property taxes that the county collects and that I'm not sure the percentage like 80% you all know the percentage of the of the property tax that goes to the school board >> it's yeah something like 80% yeah >> so then not all counties have an excess le but Wayne County does and that's voted on on the ballot so that's extra money So the state board of education takes the enrollment and probably a lot of
046other figures and our levy money and they decide how much money to send to the county. Excess levy is not counted in that. So no matter how many kids are enrolled in Wayne County, we get that levy money and excess levy money and it's not diminished according to popularity. Um subject >> Hancock County has been in the news. You know, they uh the state took them over and proceedings criminal proceedings I guess which they mismanaged a lot of other money. I've heard like the bonuses two bonuses last year for all employees, but they had 142 extra employees and their state the state board of education a lot. So they had to put them upside down and and I'm not throwing you all under the bus and I hate it that you're in this position because
047I know you have, you know, requirements that you need certain amount of people, but Wayne County coincidentally has 142 extra employees than what the state allows. The state says we need 750 and we have 900. And at $30,000 a year, that'd be $4 million right there. And I know it's not easy to to get rid of these positions once you create them, but you lose about 20 people per year with retirement. That's a good chunk right there to start off that way. And I understand business. I grew up, you know, 5 miles down the road here was around my mom and dad decision that you got to look at your bottom line and overhead, but our education of our kids, you can't really put a price on it. And uh I'm a product of public
048education. I love Wayne Elementary, love Wayne Middle, love Wayne High School with some of my most fond memories and I'm not I just want our kids to be educated because I can't think of a more important job than educating our kids and maybe a parent, you know, between a parent and a teacher like we're both way up there. So important, you can't really put a price on that. Um, today I sent a bill down to bill drafting >> time. >> Okay, I'm all right. >> Yes sir. >> I sent a bill down to bill drafting to get the state board of education to help our county boards when they're upside down on the number of of it actually addresses in the number of employees. And I also put in this bill a way if they
049say one thing about how many employees you have. also put in there a chance for you guys to appeal and get them to be a part of your process as to why you need these extra employees and make them say, "Oh, wow. I see why you need, you know, these employees and get you more money so you're not upside down like this." So, I'm going to wrap up by my one ask and Mary Perry said this. She asked for a year and I hate to compromise with ourselves, Mary, but I asked for you to wait till after midnight on March 14th, our last day of session. And it doesn't have to be at midnight, but at least until after that to see all these bills that are coming through that Mary spoke about, Bill about
050to see if we can help you. You know, if you decide next Tuesday to close this school, it's not going to close until after the the school year. and you know it'll give us time to figure something out and I hope you'll consider that. Thank you everyone. Um what's the correlation to what Mr. Alexander says earlier and it's hard to understand and I'm talking to the group but I'm talking to you as well. I mean that the cost to run this school is more than it is for others per student. It also goes goes back to that um per student ratio because when it comes to the state formula, the formula figures up one teacher pretty much per 13 students. And so that when we come to he used the example earlier of the cooks.
051So if you take one teacher we're we're funded for per 13 students. When you come to a school of this size and you already have to split taxes and those classrooms barely hit the 13 then again you're struggling to pay you're you're not even funding for the teachers that it takes to fill the rooms. And so that too is another thing that help that causes that overreach and what causes the increase to run school the size. It's not you know like you're wanting not to have the school but just the costs become that much more expensive and you have other schools that are sitting up where we have crumb that's getting to that close number two. they're sitting with classrooms of 14 kids, 16 kids or what have you. And you can take the the
052four kids at Dunlow or the five kids and add that to that classroom and you're still funding for that without the teacher. So that that that kind of goes with that part about you're talking about retirements and not replacing is kind of the same. >> I'm not saying no, I agree. I agree. But uh you all need special I think look at you from a special look from the >> Oh definitely everyone statewide statewide we still got >> and education that a kid get in a room with 13 students I can't imagine how much better and I know it's you know more expensive but the price on education ever very much so you have a classroom like it's getting out of hand. >> Just a just a Yeah, just a few things for the record.
053Um, it was Hancock County that was taken over. >> They they and I I read this in the news. I I didn't look myself, but they're half our district size. We're the 12th largest district in the state. They have half our student population, and they're 140 positions over. And um the 142 positions we're over almost 80 of those positions are service personnel. And so it goes back to >> I know that I wasn't trying to >> Oh, I know. >> Yeah. I just going back to what we were talking about earlier about the number of students that they serve. So as across the district as the schools have lost enrollment, those ratios have went down in every single building. and there was a time when there was a buffer and those ratios were higher and
054then you could support smaller schools. But that's what's happening to all the counties. But I I appreciate your thoughts. Thank you. >> Uh Kendra Bowen. >> Hello. >> Oh, you're fine. My name is I am originally from well I went to high school. My kids come here to Ganova Elementary. My youngest is in first grade and my oldest is in fourth grade. Both of them excel really. They do a fantastic job at the school. What I value is that it's more one-on-one education. Um we don't have the overcrowding. We don't have a lot of behaviors. We don't have them exposed to a lot of culture or inappropriate things at their age because they're not they're not in a bigger school where you have prek through 8th grade. You only have you know it's pre well
055it's kindergarten to fifth grade. Um I really have enjoyed my kids being here. I actually drive them um I live kind of in a gray zone so I drive them across the hill and drop them off every morning. Um, and I I I'm very thankful for that. I can't imagine them going anywhere else besides this school. They're the teacher's great. The um principal is wonderful. Like I said, they have more one-on-one education time. We're not overcrowded. Even though the rooms are split, it's actually a plus for my oldest. He's very intelligent. um he's really good at math and science, so he gets to listen to um the fifth grade teacher as she's teaching fifth grade, he gets to participate in that. So that's given him an extra boost. Um he actually participated in math building
056this year with the school. So both, as I said, both my kids, they do a really great job here. Their test scores are great, AR reading, star reading, everything is just right on point. I have the choice to send my children to other schools to bigger schools, but again, like I said, I drive the extra 20 minutes out of my way and they could go to Port Gate where there's a bus at the end of the road, but I bring them here because I do value their education. I want them to get the best opportunity so they can thrive later on as adults because now is what's important. We're creating their future, right? And it's nice to have teachers that's able to do that. I'm not afraid to drop my kids off here. Um I
057trust that I trust the teachers. I don't have to worry about if anything bad is going to happen or you know all these things that you hear on the news going on in these other bigger schools. I know that they're safe here and I know that they're getting all all the education that they need. So I'm very appreciative. There's just a couple points that I would like to point out from the other speakers. Um, I know you guys are looking at cost saving, but really if you close down the school and you move children to other schools, what's what's your cost saving there? You're still going to have bigger classrooms, you're going to have to hire more people. to me it's in the end the greater scale of things is going to eat pl another
058thing when we met back in December um but I had seen a lot of your graphs that you had presented and I felt like a lot of those numbers were skewed because you were looking at data basically from um the pandemic and I know that there was a lot of extra funding during that time because we were end of the pandmic. So you mentioned that there was 9.5 million funding at one point and they wanted us to be at 5 million. So my question was even back then I don't think I even got an answer was how did we go from $9.5 million in funding back down to 5 million. And where did all that money go >> to person? They went to personnel. the numbers that were over formula. The personnel cost to operate
059the district is where the money is going. >> It was 9.5 million. So you're capturing you're capturing a pandmic, but you're it's kind of a skewed number. So what I would like to see is the numbers post the pandemic and maybe taking a look taking a snap or capturing that finance picture and compare it to now. I don't even know if you can compare it to now. You might need a year or two to gather some more data to actually give you an accurate spending >> because to me it's that's you you got all this extra money that you were given to help that building. It would it would work if you were at 5 million during the pandmic because that's how much they wanted you to have and you didn't have any extra money,
060but you had extra funding. So, you can't really say that you're going to be saving this millions of dollars by placing two schools. >> The math doesn't add up. >> Yeah. The uh the 9 million that we're talking about is the county's general fund. That's separate from any CO dollars. CO dollars are were federal dollars that came in. They were kept in in separate accounts. Where the money was able to be um where where the fund balance increased was because the lack of expenses >> during pandemic >> during the during the pandemic because schools were shut down. There were no extracurricular activities. There were no buses running. Um it it greatly reduced the cost of operating the schools when the schools were shut down so much and that that's when the uh fund balance reached
061its highest point but the co dollars were all kept separate and so once once schools reopened we were operating with that $9 million balance but when you ask where does that money go we we are spending $9 million a year out of that fund for the extra personnel that the district has. Those 142 positions that we're over, like 9.5 million to have 142. >> Yes. Yours didn't take that separate out >> those those into separate. >> Yeah, those what those graphs depicted was the general fund balance which is what we're talking about is down to 1.8 million. >> Abs. Absolutely. >> Yeah. >> I might have a copy for you tonight. >> Okay. >> Thank you, >> Mr. parents, our students, legislators, everyone. We are thankful for you being here for your continued support. I
062feel as we've looked at what's taking place in the last couple of months. I feel we as a staff here at understand where you as a board are to this. We understand the financial hardship that the county has gotten into over the course of several years that we just got finished hearing here. We also realize that this didn't just happen overnight. It's been a process that's happened over these multiple years, but the countyy's financial situation cushion that we've also looked at, the funds that we have uh has steadily declined over the past several years. That's been obvious. There's many factors that we've even touched on here tonight. We realize enrollment has dropped in our county as a result of low birth rates, economic instability, jobs left. We realize that some legislative actions on scholarship have
063been discussed on this evening. Turn has called the state aid formula that's also been touched on here this evening because our county will be at a disadvantage because our county and especially has put a target right here this evening on Genanoa and Dun. It's not going to stop here. the other hospitals that have been mentioned in our meeting room. They are dangerous throughout the week and tonight. You guys have heard multiple multiple um scenarios. Please uh from our community to keep schools open. You've heard as the board and you've approached even this. So, it's been touched at the legislative round uh table session. I do appreciate you all moving forward with that to try to have some dialogue between the legislature and the board. a new proposal legislation which is we're here this even move
064forward but we need to understand nothing has happened yet that hasn't been asked for multiple multiple times this takes time keeping all this in mind I want to kind of transition my thoughts here this evening take off one hat as a principle maybe put on another hat tonight thinking about the wisest man that ever lived on this earth other than our Lord Jesus Christ a man by the name of Saul. >> Amen. >> He's in these words. Book of Proverbs chapter 29. Where there is no vision, where there is no vision, people perish. >> Where there's no vision, people. This scripture personally has been a driving force for me in decisions, family decisions, job decisions, marriage decisions. It's been a drive for me and my church, my Christian walk. Not only just that, but I
065have used that philosophy or that thought here at the school. As we come together every year, we have to make a strategic plan. We sit down and make goals. What's goals? Those are visions. You got to have a vision elementary in order to be able to succeed. We have to be able to meet those goals. As we sit down, we make school goals, we make teacher goals, we make uh administrative goals. County, even on every agenda you have, you've got county goals. you sit down and you put together. >> If there's no vision, progress can't be monitored. We can't see what's taking place. We look at all these data sources for our students in our school as a county. We look at all these data sources and try to see what >> we can do
066in order to move forward. But if we're not moving forward, there's one key that we have to look at. That's accountability. If there's no accountability, if you never did those, we're not going to reach our goal. We're not going to reach our vision. The wisest man that ever walked on this earth, I mentioned one of the wisest other than one. The wisest man that ever walked on this earth said this, "For which of you intended to build a tower siteth not down first? Countth the cost?" and countth the cost whether he has sufficient enough funds to finish it. Less happily after that he's laid the foundation and not able to finish it. All that behold began to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish. He had a problem.
067Wayne County's had a problem. We've got a problem here tonight that you know. My heartfelt desire when we speak to the board here tonight is that each of you that's been elected to serve our community, your students or parents of Janoa, Wayne County, that you would wholeheartedly cast your vote next Tuesday and you can say that when you cast that vote as opposing, consolidating or do nothing that these schools is building really taken into account and proceeding is counting up the cost. being good stewards of what you've been entrusted to. Not casting blame, but when I think of being a good steward, I want you ask yourself, have you considered every penny that's been spent? Have you considered every lease on every piece of property of every property, churches, entities? Have you considered every penny
068that you've placed in? Is every penny spent on those leases, every purchase order, has that been for the students best interest? Have you looked at the funding being utilized to operate building zoning to pull the student? Have we looked at that? Have we in every possible scenario and everything we know to save funds these schools will be open? I know we're in a hardship. We've seen that. We know even if we close, we're still in bad shape. So, it's going to take time. As we've heard here from the legislature, this is out of our hands without the state board has even pleaded with the legislature. We need help across West Virginia. It's not a one county problem. It's not a non county problem. It's a state of West Virginia problem that's facing every business. So,
069if we journalism, we might consider counting the cost. If we have no vision, we've got a bigger problem here tonight than just closing two schools. Again, thank everybody for coming this season, your support through all of this. And I hope we all take these next few days between now and next Tuesday with a lot of prayer, a lot of meditation, and do what's right for the students of Thank you. So, next steps. Um, hearings have been scheduled for this entire week. Uh, tomorrow evening we go to East Land um at uh 5:00 and then we will be at Wayne Elementary at 7:00. Um, the board's decision is scheduled for Tuesday night. That meeting will be at Wayne Elementary School in the cafeteria. So, we have more room for folks to attend that meeting. Can't can't
070fit you in up at the board office. So, it'll be Tuesday night at Wayne Elementary. Um, Senator Maynard mentioned um possibly waiting until after March. Of course, I know he understands that we're under state deadlines and the decision has to be made next week uh regarding the school's future. um or they are out of deadlines and nothing can happen for next year. So there will be a decision made on Tuesday evening and then we'll move forward from there. And I think that that's all of our speakers. So I'll >> Yeah. Do we have any question clarifying questions? >> Go ahead. My wife had special education and last year they had three. This year they got more students and they got a number two. So where is the 192 more employees? 142 employees because you have
071already got to pay for special education. So why is it cut cut but you've already cut the special education aids in the room. So where's that? >> Yeah. The the number of special education aids in a building is based upon the student needs in that particular room. >> If you got a fifth grade that's got two special education whatever and you got three that needs a. So why this one get a and get two that don't need? >> Yeah, we would have to look at the individual situation. I can't I don't know the details. We'd have to look at it. I can tell you that the state released a report that Wayne County Schools spends $4 million out of local funds for the education of students in the special needs category. And so I think
072that the state superintendent was proposing today that the counties um receive some of that funding to help with the funding issue overall. So I think what you're saying falls in line with that, but I'll be glad to talk to you oneon one. >> Six o'clock. It's a regular board meeting. >> All right. Just again, we want to thank everyone for coming out this evening and and all of your thoughts and all of your information will be taken and reviewed by each of us. Um, we don't take this situation lightly. But we do appreciate you coming out and letting us know how you feel. So, thank you for that >> motion to approve. >> Ajourn second, >> Dennis. All in favor? >> Any opposed? Uh, motion carries five to zero. >> 7:08 p.m. And let me
073stop the live stream. >> 7:09.