CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Schools across West Virginia will be closed again Monday after the Senate and House of Delegates failed to agree on a proposal regarding pay raises for teachers and other education employees.
Monday will be the eighth straight instructional day that schools have been closed. Many of the messages stating the reasons for closure grew more pointed Sunday afternoon.
All schools in #Mason Co closed Mon 3/5/18 due to Unavailability of staff and safety of students
— WV SnowDay (@WVSnowDay) March 4, 2018
All schools in #Hancock Co closed Mon 3/5/18 Until I have the ability to ensure adequate supervision and safety for our children schools will remain closed
— WV SnowDay (@WVSnowDay) March 4, 2018
UPDATE: All schools in #Wetzel Co now closed Mon 3/5/18 due to All schools in Wetzel County will be CLOSED Monday, March 5, 2018. Until I am satisfied that Wetzel County Schools will have adequate staff to safely conduct school, our schools must remain closed
— WV SnowDay (@WVSnowDay) March 4, 2018
All schools in #Nicholas Co closed Mon 3/5/18 due to Closed due to lack of staff to safely operate school
— WV SnowDay (@WVSnowDay) March 4, 2018
Superintendents from a majority of West Virginia counties gathered at the Capitol on Friday. They told most of the Republican caucus from the Senate and then Gov. Jim Justice that they support an average 5 percent raise for educators, believing that is the one key remaining to reopening schools.
Both chambers agreed Saturday to go into a conference committee over the proposals; the Senate agreed on a 4 percent pay raise for all state workers, but the House supported the 5 percent increase backed by Governor Justice.
Many of the superintendents had remained at the Capitol through Saturday to watch what happened. Following a Senate Finance meeting, Superintendent Gary Price of Marion County said he felt certain that sticking with the 4 percent would guarantee school closures on Monday.
Price is also the president of the West Virginia Association of School Administrators, representing superintendents.
“I thought the only way — and it was pretty clear listening to the employee groups — the only way to get the teachers back in the classroom and the students back in the classroom was to pass the 5 percent,” Price said.
“We had the opportunity to meet with the senators on a couple of different occasions and we really made that very clear to them. We understand this is not a problem they created. However, it is a problem that only the Senate was in a position to stop the work stoppage.”
Superintendent Price of Marion County, president of WV Association of School Administrators pic.twitter.com/f6kZ4NSVX9
— Brad McElhinny (@BradMcElhinny) March 3, 2018
The West Virginia Education Association, American Federation of Teachers and West Virginia School Service Personnel Association said in a joint statement Saturday they were “angry and disappointed” in the Senate’s decision not to agree to the 5 percent raise.
“We too would love to see state employees receive the same percentage increase as our school employees, and we are fully supportive of them also receiving a 5 percent increase,” their statement said.
“However, you do not equalize pay for different groups by simply taking away from one and passing it to another. The purpose of this is clear — to divide us and to pit us against each other.”
The unions said schools will remain closed until the Legislature agrees to the 5 percent deal announced last week.
As it stands after Senate Finance, “this goes on indefinitely” pic.twitter.com/k4lzJ3jxlf
— Brad McElhinny (@BradMcElhinny) March 3, 2018