CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — Several state education officials took part in the first Harrison County Board of Education meeting after the partial state takeover.
The West Virginia Board of Education seized partial control over Harrison County Schools during the state’s meeting earlier this month. State officials received a report that the county was set to spend $16 million of reserve funding over a two-year period because it was employing hundreds of employees over the state funding formula.
West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) officials Jeff Kelley, Alexandra Criner, and Lisa Hindman were on hand for Tuesday night’s board meeting in Clarksburg.
Criner, Director of the WVDE’s Office of Accountability, said her office’s on-site monitoring identified concerns with financial and staffing management, along with a “targeted review” of the county’s special education services. This led to the state taking action.
“I want to emphasize that accountability reviews are not intended to assign blame or diminish the important work occurring in our schools,” Criner said. “Rather, they’re designed to identify conditions that may affect the county’s ability to provide a thorough and efficient education system, and to ensure that appropriate supports are put in place when concerns are identified.”
Criner emphasized that state officials recognize the work and care shown by Harrison County Schools personnel.
“The purpose of the intervention is to improve governance and operational practices, ensure compliance with state and federal requirements, and establish a pathway toward local control through demonstrated progress and accountability,” Criner said. “The intervention should be viewed as an opportunity for improvement, not as a judgment of the many dedicated educators working in Harrison County Schools.”
Going forward, Criner said the Office of Accountability will work with Harrison County Schools leadership and staff. She said some agenda items going forward for Harrison County Board of Education meetings will require approval from the state Superintendent of Schools Michele Blatt. Criner said the pre-approved items will appear on a separate section of the BOE’s agenda, while the rest of the agenda will proceed, business as usual.
The next three months will include on-site reviews by the WVDE, Criner said. In November, the education department will meet with Harrison County Superintendent Dora Stutler and Board of Education President Frank Devono Jr. to review the findings of those reviews. Criner said the West Virginia Board of Education is “tentatively scheduled” to hear an update in December 2026, with further updates scheduled for every six months after that.
“Our collective goal is straightforward: to ensure that every decision, every resource, and every action supports the educational opportunities and outcomes that Harrison County students deserve,” Criner said. “We remain committed to providing guidance, monitoring progress, and supporting the county throughout this improvement process.”
One board member inquired about when the staffing changes should be expected.
Kelley, WVDE associate superintendent of the Division of External Operations, said student enrollment numbers will be confirmed in a couple of months. He said the changes will be made in accordance with that.
“Ultimately, the official (enrollment) number will come in October,” Kelley said. “The numbers, the overages, will be calculated based on those numbers and come to the county usually in December, I believe, if I’m not mistaken, and then subsequently, you make those decisions on staffing in the staffing season in the spring.”
Kelley noted that 200-days-or-more employees are now the WVDE’s domain, while the Harrison County Board of Education remains in charge of “200-day” employees. He said that staffing season “won’t look any different” for the county.
While state officials attended Tuesday’s meeting, Kelley said they won’t be at every meeting going forward, but rather as needed.