CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Superintendents from three county school systems report positive progress since the state Board of Education seized control over them because of internal issues.
School chiefs in Mingo, Nicholas, and Tyler counties provided updates to the state Board of Education during their monthly meeting on Wednesday.
Mingo County Schools Superintendent Dr. Joetta Basile assumed the role in July 2025. She said the district has done significant work so far this year.
“During the last six months, our work has centered on several key areas that directly impact instruction,” Basile said. “We developed a county curriculum team and created a model to guide processes related to student achievement, attendance, and leadership. Ongoing year-long professional learning has been implemented to support both teaching and instructional leadership.”
Basile said 144 policies have been updated so far, and 67 are still under review. She said the policy review is set to come to a close in the coming months.
The work in Mingo County Schools has been wide ranging, Basile said. She listed many of the improvements the district is implementing, including focused walk-throughs and trainings for teachers, long-term substitutes, and school administrators. Basile also said Mingo County Schools are planning a program that prepares teachers to become principals.
“We identified that processes and procedures in Mingo County have lacked consistency,” Basile said. “In response, we’re developing clear-written processes and procedures to ensure alignment with policy and code and sustainability for the district. We hope to have these in place for FY (Fiscal Year) ’27 school year and expect the procedures will be a playbook of sorts to support long-term district progress.”
State Superintendent of Schools Michele Blatt gave credit to Basile for her work.
“I was in Mingo County a month or so ago,” Blatt said. “I had a couple principals and some central office staff pull me aside and let me know how grateful they were that the state board had intervened, and appointed Dr. Basile to be down there, and how quickly they had seen the impact and the change, the focus on her instructional leadership.”
Meanwhile, Superintendent Scott Cochran has been at the reins of Nicholas County Schools since May 2025. He said this year’s student learning and assessment results have displayed the district is getting back on track.
Cochran said students are remaining consistent with — and some even exceeded — national averages in Math and English-Language Arts (ELA).
“Preliminary indications are that Nicholas County will be at or above the state average in a large percentage of grade levels on the General Summative Assessment for the school year,” Cochran said. “We have held individual data meetings with all school administrators to review all relevant student-achievement data to assist in planning for professional development, and for strategic planning for the 2026-27 school year.”
Cochran noted that Nicholas County Schools eliminated 27 service and professional positions in response to declining student enrollment. He said finances in the district are now in a good spot heading into the next fiscal year, which is the first of five years on its renewed excess levy.
Cochran also reported the new pre-K-through-8th-grade Summersville academic complex project is ahead of schedule. He said the projected completion date is set for before the 2027-28 school year.
Finally, Tyler County Schools Superintendent Shane Highley said the district has taken the board’s review to heart.
“Over the past year, Tyler County Schools has worked diligently to address the concerns and recommendations outlined in the Special Circumstances Review conducted by the West Virginia Department of Education,” Highley said. “While no school system is perfect, I’m proud to stand before you today and speak not only about the challenges identified in that review, but more importantly, the progress, growth, and improvement that has taken place since that time.”
Highley said policy revisions in the district were a main focus. He announced that all of them have been revised, and Tyler County Schools has also worked to update its policy manual. Highley said the plan is to vote on the updated manual during the July 1 county board meeting.
An issue cited in the West Virginia Board of Education’s review of Tyler County Schools was communication, or sometimes a lack thereof. Highley said there have been “tremendous strides” taken toward addressing that. He said he provided regular updates to the state Board of Education about with board agendas, district operations, and district finances.
Highley said Tyler County Schools employees have honed in on building positive relationships with the community.
“We understand that trust is built through openness and visibility,” Highley said. “This is why Tyler County Schools have increased its use of social media to keep our communities informed and engaged.”
That social media presence included the launching of a podcast on YouTube where Highley and other county office staff members discussed school system operations, along with “coffee with the superintendent” events where community members could grab coffee and chat with Highley.
Highley emphasized the county has practiced active shooter drills and stepped up its game with a reunification drill this year. He said he recommends that drill for all counties to practice, so that they are ready in the event of an emergency. Highley said the county staff learned so much through the reunification drill.
The progress of Mingo, Nicholas, and Tyler counties was not lost on the board. Vice President Victor Gabriel praised the three superintendents for their work in their respective counties.
“I just want to thank you, because I know how difficult it is to go into a takeover county,” Gabriel said. “First of all, it’s difficult for us (the Board) sitting up here to take over a county, and I know the staff puts in an awful lot of work in doing that, but it’s tough on you guys to walk in there and do that. Thank you.”