FLEMINGTON, W.Va. — The Taylor County Board of Education meets Tuesday night and will consider the required impact statement for the proposed closure of the Flemington Elementary School and set public hearing dates.
The move took some in the community by surprise, including a state lawmaker.
Senator Jay Taylor, R-Taylor, sent a letter to the Taylor County Board of Education asking board members to pause the process and look for alternatives. Taylor said following the investment of nearly $1 million for a new roof, windows, and doors in 2024 there were no mentions of closure plans.
“All of a sudden everything has changed, and we don’t get it,” Taylor said. “There are a ton of alternatives I want to make them aware of.”
Taylor wants the Taylor County BOE to reconsider and look at all the options before starting the closure process. He said consolidating classrooms, applying for waivers from the state Board of Education and cutting costs are some of the options.
“I’m hoping we stop it now before it starts and they will do the hard work of finding an alternative,” Taylor said. “We have to protect this school; we have to protect rural schools in West Virginia, and there are plenty of alternatives to look at here.”
Work on a revision to the state school funding formula and state school code has been underway in some cases for decades. During the 2025 legislative session, the most substantive talks were held to date, and Taylor believes an agreement to revise the funding formula will be reached in the upcoming 60-day session in Charleston.
“You start talking about stuff, and then in the following session you get it done. So, I’m hoping this next session we can get it done,” Taylor said. “One of my goals in getting it done is to protect small rural schools and that’s the majority of West Virginia.
Taylor said many in the community are mistakenly placing the blame on the Hope Scholarship program that receives more than $100 million annually in state funding while public schools get more than $1 billion. Once the BOE members can look at some of the options available, Taylor believes they can reach an agreement to keep the school operating.
“This has nothing to do with the Hope Scholarship,” Taylor said. “The scholarship has its own funding and we need to worry about the plank in our own eye before we worry about the speck in our brother’s.”
Taylor would like to see the BOE look at costs and staffing as this process unfolds. Much of the cost savings could be dedicated to enhancing the student experience and keeping buildings like the Flemington Elementary School open.
“They are very top-heavy at the administrative level in Taylor County, and they need to look at that,” Taylor said. “I’m hopeful that cooler heads will prevail here and we can save this school.”
The Taylor County Board of Education meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Taylor said Taylor County BOE president Michelle Gallo responded to his request and he provided the following response.
Re Request to Delay Flemington Elementary Closure
Gallo did not respond to a request for comment from MetroNews.