CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — The leader of the Harrison County Board of Education is firing back at state officials after a partial state of emergency was declared this week.
The county was placed under partial state intervention during Wednesday’s state board meeting. State officials received a report that Harrison County Schools was spending $16 million of its reserves over a two-year period to afford hundreds of employees over the state funding formula.
Harrison County board president Frank Devono Jr. joined MetroNews “Talkline” Friday to discuss the situation.
Devono said there’s a lot of rhetoric going around about Harrison County Schools and the steps taken by the board. State board president Paul Hardesty called the situation “pathetic.” Devono said he doesn’t agree with such divisiveness language, emphasizing that officials need to come together and work as a team.
“Calling people ‘pathetic,’ when we haven’t even seen individuals, such as President Hardesty or Superintendent (Michele) Blatt, in our offices or have come down to the school system here in Harrison County to talk with us, is a little bit, in my opinion, unfair (and) unjust,” Devono said.
Devono said there was little communication and information provided to the board prior to Wednesday’s announcement. He said he knew Harrison County had some things to work on and had been working on those issues over the last two years, but the partial takeover was surprising.
“I was completely shocked, to be honest with you,” Devono said. “I’ve got to tell you; I went down to the board meeting. They came in, about three or four months ago, and did interviews. We didn’t hear anything at all for a good four months until we saw our name on the agenda, our Harrison County board name on the agenda.”
Harrison County recently consolidated five schools and has eliminated 147 positions over the last two years, Devono reported. He said those cuts were made through attrition and retirement. However, state officials reported that Harrison County Schools was 239 positions over the state funding allotment.
Devono said 150 of those positions were funded by the county’s excess levy.
“That left us 89 positions over what we could afford,” Devono said. “We were working on a plan, talking with the superintendent, talking with the staff, so they could continue doing exactly what we had listed. That was the plan, on top of all the other things that we had already done. We were working on it and continuing to do it.”
He said the board received a plan March 3 from its treasurer to address the issue but didn’t act on it. The plan was reportedly tabled until the March 17 meeting, which state Department of Education School Financial Officer Uriah Cummings attended.
COMMENTARY — Harrison Board Saw the Train and Refused to Move
Devono said he and the Harrison County Board of Education want to get this taken care of.
“Every board member in Harrison County is in it for the children and the community,” Devono said. “We are willing to work, and will work, with the state. We have no problem with that.”
The $16 million spending number over a two-year period relates to Fiscal Year 2026, which was recently completed, and the upcoming 2027 fiscal year. Devono noted that the county had $17.5 million remaining in that reserve account at the conclusion of FY 2026.
The board’s hands are somewhat tied because of the inaction in March. Devono said the county won’t be able to cut through transfers, RIFs (Reductions in Force), or personnel assignments until “personnel season” in March 2027. He said the county did some transfers and elimination of positions in March, but further work in that regard will have to wait until next year.
Harrison County Schools have lost 1,800 students in the last two years, Devono reported. He said there’s a variety of reasons why, such as the Hope Scholarship Program, homeschooling, and charter schools. Devono said he’s not going to “bash” those options, as the county school system can compete with School Choice, but resources are necessary to aid that.
Devono affirmed that he can commit to cutting those 89 positions over-formula but warned that major slashes to employees can have a “severe impact” on student learning. He said the board is doing its best to be responsible, and “cut with a scalpel.”
As for next steps, Devono said the path is somewhat unclear to the Harrison County Board of Education.
“We don’t know, to be honest with you,” Devono said. “We haven’t seen anything. The state has not contacted us. They have not provided us any information at all. They are coming to our meeting, to my understanding, on July 21, which is when they’re supposed to give us the information that we’re looking for.”