001Well, >> testing, testing, testing. on. >> Got it. >> The uh purpose of tonight's meeting is to receive public comment regarding the uh possible closure or uh consolidation of Dunlow Elementary with Genanoa Elementary. And so this is a special meeting of the board of education. So we will start by opening the meeting, Miss Hall. >> Right. Um we'll go ahead and call our special meeting of the Wayne County Board of Education to order. And if you'll stand, we'll say the pledge. >> I'll lead us this evening. >> 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. >> Let the record show that all board members are present in person this evening and we
002will begin with our >> Dunlow Elementary School hearing. Before we get started, I just want to let you guys know that um we really appreciate you coming out this evening. Uh we know these conversations are difficult. Um nothing about this um is easy. So we appreciate your time and your um attention to coming and sharing your thoughts and your concerns with us. Um the board has specific uh guidelines that we have to follow. West Virginia code 18-5-13A sets the tone and the guidelines for us for this meeting this evening. So we are following those. Um so we just ask a few simple guidelines from you as you speak this evening. Uh when you come up just state your name and how you're connected to the school. Um, you'll direct your comments to the board and
003uh you'll have up to five minutes to speak and uh your board will not be able to interact or discuss or comment on anything. Uh but if you have questions or you need to clarify anything, we'll refer to our superintendent or to our directors that are in attendance tonight and we'll get those questions answered for you. Um, I just want to make you aware that uh there's no vote that happens tonight and there's no final decisions. This is just an opportunity for you to come and give us your thoughts, your concerns, answer any questions, and um make sure that we have all the information we need in order to uh move forward. Okay. All right. If there's no other questions, we'll turn it over to our superintendent. >> Yeah. So, I had attended a a
004community meeting here at Dun in December and discussed some financial numbers and some enrollment numbers. Go over that really quickly. Um, just to set the context for this evening's hearings. Um, over the last decade, the Wayne County Board of Education has lost approximately 1,600 students in a climbing enrollment. That's 1,600 students. If you took our nine smallest buildings in the district, their enrollment would add up to a total of 1,600 students. So, in the last decade, we have lost about nine buildings worth of population out of the 18 buildings that we currently operate. uh Dunlow and Eleanoa have consistently operated under 100 students for the past decade since 2015 2016 and uh the combined enrollment of those schools would be at the lowest point that it's been since that time. In addition, the other schools
005that are part of the public hearings this week, East Lim, Wayne Elementary, and Crumb PreK through 8 have also saw declines in enrollment over the past decade. Um those schools have been designated as receiving schools of both Dunlop and Genoa closed. The demographic trends for Wayne County indicate that deaths are exceeding births in the county and so for the next decade the birth rate is projected to continue to decline which will result in less students in our buildings. When you look at the utilization numbers for the school, uh, Dello Elementary School is sitting at 23% utilization, Genanoa at 38%. Wayne Elementary at 76%. Crown preK through 8 at 28%. Fort Gate preK through 8 at 40% and East Land Elementary at 36%. And it's important to keep in mind that the recommended number from the
006state is between 80 and 85% for utilization. None of the schools meet that number. Wayne Elementary School is the closest closest at 76. Um all the other schools are uh significantly below the recommended usage number by the state. In addition, uh the cost for educating pupils. Uh the state releases information on a school by school basis on the cost for educating students. Genanoa and Dunlow are at the top of that scale with Genanoa being over $20,000 per student and Dunlow being approximately $18,000 per student. Those are the two highest expense ratios in the district. Um this isn't just a Dunlow and Genanoa problem. Uh this loss of enrollment has occurred countywide as I mentioned earlier and that has resulted in the number of uh positions that the state funds for the school district continually decline.
007And so what happens is the positions that we hold on to when we hold on to smaller buildings have to be picked up by local funds. In 2024, the uh number that is used for personnel outside of from local funds is approximately $9 million. In 2025, after a reduction in staff, that number was decreased to $8.5 million. But this year there's another enrollment drop of 220 students which is going to push that number unless there are cuts made back up above the 9 million uh dollar figure. The district's unrestricted fund balance or carryover budget. Um how much we have in excess that's not assigned for spending and uh two in 2024 was just below $1 million. In 2025, that number was at 1.8 million, but it's far below what is recommended by the state for
008uh healthy financial picture. We we are to have between five and $6 million in the bank by by state recommendations and the county is currently on the state financial watch list because of its fund balance. So, for all the reasons that I've just stated, um, we're having to consider making some moves within the district. That includes the closure of small buildings and that includes, um, possible consolidation of small buildings. So, that's where we stand today. Again, I went over these numbers public hearing. I'm not going to delay them this evening, but that's what we're here to receive public comment on. Um, if you have any comments uh as you're as you're speaking, you can speak to the board any questions. Um, I will respond to those questions myself. Okay. So, we're going to go to
009the uh we're going to go to the sign up list and each speaker is going to have five minutes uh to be able to speak. Miss Hall, I'll turn it over to you. >> All right. Our first delegation is Miss Kim Mills. Go right ahead. >> We're good. >> Okay. Um, I dropped off to you just now the additional 35 community responses that we received in the second round of the community survey that we sent out after the meeting we had in December. Uh, one of the things that I'm going to talk about this evening just is how we're going to go back and I'm going to repeat some of the things that I said in 2019. We had talked about then consolidation. We had requested as a school family link for consolidation and several
010of those reasons do include the facilities here. We sit on 3 acres compared to 1 acre at Genanoa allowing for additional playground space and outside opportunities. If we were able to consolidate and return to one of everything, uh it will require nine classrooms, that is one of everything, including preschool, two special education classrooms. We have 10 here at Dunlow and Genoa has seven. Our classrooms are already configured to support department of ed requirements for kindergarten preschool along with our 1% program with designated OTCT spaces and their hygiene in the classroom. We can this infrastructure allows us to take all of those students just like it would have the last time without any remodeling or inter instructional disruption. Also, we have a dedicated bus loop parking and all of our things are off of 152 providing
011safety that is not necessarily accessible down the road. When we were denied the option to consolidate the last time, our families were very vocal about they did not appreciate that. Um, and it also allowed us to have them keep our split classrooms. Split classrooms are a major part of the reason why our families continue to be here to go somewhere else because they want their students to have grade level instruction, not two grade level instruction. and we've not been able to achieve that in the current financial status. Um with 21 we had little minor flood we talk about it but that allowed us to remodel upgrade do a complete asbestous abatement and have a perfectly safe facility for students and then our academics still didn't falter. So, one of the things that we're really proud
012of is the fact that between 22 and 25, we consistently met or partially met our accountability targets for the West Virginia Department of Ed education summit of exams. And in 2023, we're the only school countywide at any grade level to achieve exceed standards in the measures of academic progress relating to the instruction of special education students. We have demonstrated the ability for long-term stability and growth and capacity uh that we think is a plus for us. Um just this winter we had received our scores from the star benchmark in the county. Miss Stephie shared those with the data team and our school showed the strongest academic growth of any elementary school in Wayne County with reading and with math. So our reading proficiency was a 19 point gain which was the largest in the county
013and our math proficiency was a 25 point gain again the highest growth in math in the county. Other notable things in those scores our first grade had the largest improvement countywide and our third grade reading and math are the highest in the district. So we are doing those things despite the challenges that are sent our way each and every year. So, we ask that you take that into consideration and think what we could do if we had everybody here along with one of everything like it was. Um, the last time we were one of everything. The West Virginia Department of Ed has issued report cards. We had a B and we were 310 of a point behind Eastland Elementary School who also scored a B. and they were the top elementary school in the county
014and that was the year before they were a national blue ribbon school. They got to go on with one of everything and be a blue ribbon school and all of our staff was given a red transfer letter and said sorry you're going to look great. But we're asking to take on students to eliminate that and continue the growth that we have. >> All right, next up is Sarah Stevens. Okay. So, my name is Sarah Stevens. Um, my daughter is a kindergartener. Um, the key points in my life story, so you guys might know my story, but um, my daughter is in um, I'm also a teacher, so I know the struggles of what it's like to say, you know, for a kid like mine. Um, all summer long I went and tried to figure out
015where I was gonna send her. I'm at Tulsa, so I went over somewhere kind of close to me. um just in case of emergencies and I sent a message out like a thing on Facebook whatever asking what were my options like how did my kids that had graduated and I was trying to feel about the different schools and I got messages back saying please don't send her to the big schools because they had ser so many like I hate saying the horror stories of kids like um for example at um one of the schools for gay um one the kids were like physically harmed um bruising and stuff like that. I've not heard physical issues but um very understaffed and so that kind of worried me if my daughter's a runner um she will run
016out of buildings and try to keep whatever she can fun um and that brings me back to where I could send her which is Wayne. Um I live on the hill no water is great. Um, but you know, I went to I'm a product of I wasn't pregnant and there's a a child just like mine. She's a year older. I know her parents. Um, she's gotten out of the classroom because there's not enough staff at the the 1% rate, like enough to like watch kids like ours. And like I'm crazy enough to know that I can't get a look out of my daughter. But in some room, there might only be two adults in that room. But I know she's kept and she's safe and she's loved no differently than I love myself. So um
017with that made a list the thing I want to talk about. Um being from Wayne I during the 90s the height of like the crazy all the way people um is autistic because of genetics right so um I would sit in the cafeteria and have meltdowns. Now I know what it's called. And um I had a friend who had an older sister and she would pet him and try to get me calm down. But every single morning I would have what I thought was just nervous and it was just too much. At 40 kids my daughter is still struggling. But I can't imagine sitting in a center where there's like 500, right? Like I literally can imagine. And that also goes into the fact that Dunlow is a family. Like I've only met some amazing
018people a couple times but I already know who their kids are. Um, my daughter was out sick for a week this month or this year with N potato and they told me that when she came back, everyone went, "Oh my god, Ellie's back. She's back." And my daughter's My daughter hugs people here. She's part of the family. There's another mom here. Her daughter is okay with being friends with the daughter that her kid can't talk. She is like, you know, it doesn't bother her to not be friends with, you know, my daughter can respond. So, um, with her being so special needs, she's like in level three, um, if you would consolidate at the middle of us. I mean, I know there's like space issues and stuff, but I have to get out and unle
019my daughter and walk her to the door for hand off. If I you consolidate, you know what? act to park, cross 152, which I cross daily, and we will fly no matter if those things are blinking or not, um with a reference. So that adds another layer of concern for parents like me. Um and then my daughter has also had a lot of growth in just a few months been here. Like um when she started here, she was absolutely nonverbal. Like every once in a while, she would say daddy. Um I think it was like what the first week or two she said outside because the little boys said she was outside talking um she said I love you today like that's because of the school because of the the kids here because of the
020teachers here and um I'll end soon because I want to shower and that's where I'm heading next but I did a little bit of the math um when you were sitting back there and if I did it correctly hopefully um I know know that the goal is 25 kids roughly in a classroom and they want to stay 17%. That's 20 kids per class. Mind you, my daughter isn't part of that. But I know as a teacher that's miserable. Um, kids today are very different than when we all went to school and everyone. And I know that's not an issue that you guys can something that we all need to be together at. But I have a 25 classroom right now of 9th to 12th graders for your book and it's it's crazy at times. >>
021Okay. >> Time man if you can ramp up. >> Yep. Okay. That's it. Yeah. So, just thank you guys for taking the comments and stuff and um have a good evening. >> Thank you. Mr. Corby Dylan [Music] sure you get that top. If you don't know who I am, I'm represent this area in the West Virginia House of Delegates. Now, I've lived in this community general part of the state in Wayne County all my life. My parents were both teachers. My wife's parents both teachers. I've been around education all my life. Well, I want to say to the parents who are here tonight, first of all, thank you for being willing to show up just exactly what it takes. Being willing to come out and do what you're doing to make your voices known. You
022guys were right. You're right to trust your instincts. You're right to insist that if your child is enrolled in a public school, it needs to be a public school that you know and trust in a community that you know and trust, not some school wherever someone else has decided to send a job. And the research bears that out. The research indicates, Marshall's done studies on this and other universities have done studies on this. The research indicates that children who go to schools where they have access to their natural social support from their own communities, they far exceed and can do much better than students who don't, especially when they come from low SCES households. Now, uh, a couple years ago when this issue first came up, I attended a meeting and I asked the board
023of education, give the legislature a couple of years to work on this. A full legislative cycle is two years. Now, last year, I was discouraged to see that it was difficult getting any sort of uh effort underway in the legislature. and at times it felt like maybe I was kind of pulling trying to pull uh the train along. However, I'm encouraged this year to report that I do see a greater level of interest in the issue of both the school aid formula as well as post consolidations. And I can say that that level of interest is is not exclusive to just the House or just the Senate or to just uh delegates or senators of of a certain rank. I can report that there is interest from higher levels including the speaker and including some
024higher rank ranking senators. Um, so that's encouraging and I al also want to remind everyone that both the legislature and other economic factors have been at work to change the way West Virginia uh is viewed in the country. Uh we have some real positive aspects uh coming down the pike here and economically in particular. I can point to the fact that the governor just made an announcement a couple days ago. I think it was just yesterday considerably uh large coal processing plant that's going to be uh located in Mason County which is not that far from us. And I also remind everyone that West Virginia is currently at the top of the number of states for people moving into the state. So we're right at the top of the list of states for people moving
025in. Why is that happening? Some good things are happening in the state. >> What's that? Probably. Well, uh I can't speak to that right now, but um what I can say is that Duno and Genova, even though things look a little bit bleak right now, Duno and Genanoa are not responsible for the $4 million or $6 million deficit that we're facing as a county. They should not be treated as such. We need to understand that demog financial make up a very small part of the overall picture. Also, if we're looking at the financials themselves, which I have requested some information from different directions, some of it from the board of education, some of it from the state auditor, lots of different directions. I can offer a couple of suggestions that might be helpful when it
026comes to freeing up some additional dollars. I would recommend looking at some of the purchase curriculum and some of the technology spending that uh goes on in the county. I think you can find dollar figures that that get way up there in the in the hundreds of thousands if not beyond that. I think we need to look at the numbers of non-instructional professional staff different locations uh around the county and I think we need to make some hard decisions. The board needs to make some hard decisions about staffing about >> time. >> Thank you. I'll finish with this. Um, finally, people keep the faith. Keep doing what you're doing and board. See if you can partner with the county commission to see if you can bring in and promote Wayne County as a destination for
027some of these people who are interested living in western. Thank you. All right, up next, Miss Carolyn Maynard. Hello. Um, so I just want to talk about the staff. They are great. My son when he first started going here is I'm Evan James. I'm Evan James Banner. I'm Evan James Baker. And still to this day, he won the principal award last year. And she said, "Evan James Ber, that's what he likes to be called." And they all love him and he runs and pugs all of them. And it's really a nice family atmosphere. And I'm sure that's way everywhere, I guess. I mean, he's my only son. It's the only I've ever known here. But it's just a nice thing. Like you're talking about the buses. they can pull up or I can pull in
028behind a bus and the teacher or principal, whoever's doing the uh loading of the vehicles knows it's me. I don't have to have a little sign saying Maynard or all those things that you see in Wayne. We don't have to do that. They know all the people. They know all of them. Um, also I'm not from around here, but my in-laws are. My father-in-law, who was in his 70s, I won't give his age, went to this school. I mean, it's like a family deal. All the families go to this school. It's it's it's a generational thing. And I also like when um just today my son was sick. Janet, the secretary, says, "Hey, Carolyn, Evan's sick. He's not feeling good. I can come right away. You know, we can we live five minutes from here.
029It's nice to be able, especially elementary school, it's nice to be able to come and pick him up fast. If he went to Crow, if he went to East Lynn, if he went to Wayne, that's a 30 minute drive. What if he's real sick? you know, uh I just elementary schools is I understand he's going to have to go somewhere at middle school, but elementary schools when they're young, I mean, imagine being a six-year-old or a 5-year-old at preschool and saying, "Hey, your baby's sick. He's vomiting. They have a fever." You know, whatever. Have to get a phone call and drive a half an hour to go get your child. That's nerve-wracking. Um, yes. I did hear Chrome and Wayne are full. I know you just told us that. Um, I I know you told
030us that they're not, but I' I've heard from rumors, you know, they're full. They're they have too many students. They'll kind of get lost. And then another one that I'm really worried about is flooding. Delo floods a lot. So does Crumb. So does the way to Wayne. So, let's say my son went to Crumb. So, it's going to flood at Crime or it floods at Dunlow. This school is like, "Hey, we're closing. We have like, I don't know, two hours to get them." Let's say Prime isn't that good. And they don't know that it floods all the way up into Dunlow or all the way up into our kids going to get stuck at Prime because it's flooded. And the same thing with Wayne. If it's flooded in Dudlow and it's not Wayne because doesn't
031really flood in Wayne that I know of. Are they going to get stuck in Wayne because I can't go out and get them in Dunlow? I mean that's I I just worry about the safety. It's nice that everybody knows everybody around here and the safety of the flooding and the you know the sickness and all that. And then uh just a little shout out. My son was not doing well in reading on the star things last year and his teacher who is no longer here but she was a first year teacher which I love you know the teachers here too but that teacher pushed him and he got from the red to the needs improvement or like bad I can't remember what the the whole red green yellow thing is he went to exceeds in
032reading they worked so hard and believed in him so well that he exceeded and he was actually at board meeting for his math this last time. He got the star achievement. He brought home last week the whole star achievement things that they sent out on reading and math. Like they just make a difference and I love them for it. That's all. >> Thank you. RIGHT. UH, next up, Lexi Followway. [Music] >> Hey, my name is the emails that I send each and every one of you. Thank you to Mark and Missy for mailing me back. I appreciate it. Um, I'm a parent of a student here at Dunlo and I'm also a citizen of Dunlo. I went to school here as well. We as a community are very concerned about demo closing. There are multiple
033reasons why I think DMO should stay open. Small schools have more impact on students, more one-on-one time, more time to focus on students needs, their education, and ways that is better for each individual to learn. Our test scores prove that. Students at home, students feel at home here in our small school where you would be taking that bond away from them and that trust and the children here that at all. We also already have the special needs facilities. Small schools provide more personalized attention for each child's needs. It is more safe than these larger schools. Our community will fail if our school closes. Families will not want to stay if we do not have anything here. Our kids will lose opportunities such as the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program, math field day, and robotics
034due to the population at larger schools. Our small school means staff members know each and every student personally. So that means they can prevent bullying. They can recognize social, mental, and emotional problems. Where at a larger school, they're just another number. Over classrooms is another concern. With other schools opening closing permit due to a fallen in the river, those children will expand to crime as well, which will lead to overfilled classrooms. the longer bus routes due to further schools. Some of the children here already go on the bus at 6:15 in the morning. And that is absurd for an elementary student to be on the bus that early. Small elementary students being on the bus with older high school students. Most parents do not even want to send our children to crunch the previous issues
035that have happened in the past year. Um, we want to keep our school open and we agree to consolidate with no elementary as well. We also have the option to completely take our children out of Wayne County schools or we can even homeschool. And also I would like for you all to remember that this property is owned by a local family and it cannot be sold whereas genital property could be. Thank you for your time and I pray that each and every one of you can find it in your hearts to put yourselves in our shoes and consider keeping our school open or consolidating. Thank you. That that concludes the uh public comment uh section. Now we have a a series of hearings throughout the week. Uh the hearings continue tomorrow atrum. Uh we will
036be at Genanoa on Thursday and then Eastland and Wayne. Depending on the water situation, there will be hearings that evening. Location will likely be at East Land and Wayne. And then um next Tuesday the board will make its final decision on the future of the schools. And so uh the board will continue to receive comment for the remainder of the week and then u make a decision next week. >> Right. >> Is there any >> how do we know what the decision is? >> It it's a public meeting. The meetings are livereamed or you can attend the meeting. >> There any other questions? [Music] Do you you want to make some comments? >> Sure. >> Just turn the camera off. I appreciate you appreciate [Music] you knowing what labor keeping open and as well as
037I think the education that you receive at the small school the lady back there that was speaking after Dylan great points which heard a lot of great points that you know the closest to home and um you know education You're not going to see a it's not a a profit and loss thing where you know it's going to cost money to educate and it's just we need to not look at the money that's involved in educating our kids because that's part of the process which I made a post last night and I'm so thankful to the superintendent for sitting down with crunching numbers with me last Friday but I don't know what's been addressed here tonight but you know we've about I think 142 too many employees in the county and I feel like that
038Genanoa and Dunlo are kind of like an easy target that they that we can you know just cancel out and not have the expenses of these schools. So, um I I have quick question for the superintendent. Did you ever find out on average how many u staff and professional employees of the county retire on average every year? >> A rough number is 20. I'm double checking that number, but that was the initial number I've been given. >> Yeah. Um, I don't know that it would work, but there's kind of like by attrition the 20 people that that retire. That way we can save jobs if we don't rehire that everybody that's currently in place will keep their job. And just, you know, each year that would save a little bit of money. Another question. You
039may have already said this. What total money are you looking at by saving by not opening or closing Janoa and >> 1.6 million annually? >> Yeah, I did some crude math and with the amount of extra employees that we have that we don't get aotted from the state is 8 million per year. this I base the salary on 60,000 a year and I'm sure some of them are more some of them are less. So with that, why don't you put some >> Yeah. I don't even know which positions are. >> So $250,000 a year. That's just some ideas that I had. You know, if we're spending 8 million extra per year on employees in the county that the state says we don't need. I realize they put hard regulations and you know they may base
040it on a big number in the classroom. Um but I think this is when we go to the state and say hey you're being unfair. We need this amount of employees and we need which that would be when the formula you know gets changed. But I kind of feel like it should have been done years ago when we saw this you know headed in the wrong direction. But uh I'll be up there in Charleston meeting to do whatever we can do. I'm sure that he wants to save this little school and know it too because nothing like small community school get education. So >> thank you all. >> All right, that that concludes um the hearing for this evening. Again, we want to thank you all for coming out and taking your time to share
041with us all your concerns and we will take all your uh comments and we do not take this situation lightly. I do want you to know that we will review everything um completely and thoughtfully and um hopefully we can come to a decision. So, but thank you again for for coming and and sharing with us. We appreciate it. Motion to adjurnn. >> Motion. >> Second. Dennis. All in favor? Any >> opposed? Carries. 5 to zero. It is 641. need to hang on to this or not. >> Yeah, that booklet. >> Hang on to it. >> That Yeah, that's the clo that's the closure booklet I gave you. >> Let me turn off the screen.