Raleigh County Board of Education votes on Reduction-In-Force

Yahoo

10-04-2025

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — Raleigh County Board of Education met at Woodrow Wilson High School Tuesday night, anticipating a large crowd.
An estimated 80 parents, teachers, counselors and students attended, as speakers asked the board to reconsider a Reduction-in-Force (RIF) that would affect 79 counselors and elementary school teachers.
The RIF would cut positions, contracted hours or force transfers between schools.
Two Woodrow Wilson High School students spoke about the importance of school counselors in their own lives, and two of the school counselors spoke of the difference they make in students' lives and academic success.
'We're looking at this, and everybody's like, 'We don't have the money, we don't have the money, we don't have the money,'' Woodrow Wilson High School counselor Erica Hampton said. 'But somehow we have the money for things, our kids, our students don't necessarily need with an education, but they need a support system.'
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Another counselor spoke of maintaining diversity, equity and inclusion standards which validate all students.
Brian Brown, a Beckley businessman, asked the board to have a 'change of heart.'
'Cuts will need to be made. But they should be made across the board,' said Brown. 'We know that we have a top-heavy administration, yet we seem to be cutting from the bottom and not the top. We are taking from the children when we should be taking from leadership.'
Board members and the superintendent went into executive session and the board voted to continue the RIF of most school counselors.
The board voted to spare the job of a Stratton Elementary School counselor and to stop the transfer of three other elementary school counselors.
In a split vote, the board approved the terminations and transfers of a large number of elementary school teachers, predominantly music and art teachers.
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Following the vote, the two students who had spoken on behalf of counselors huddled protectively near Hampton.
'These counselors mean a lot to me. My sister is also adopted,' said Virginia Kestler, one of the students who spoke. 'She has IEP's, so this really does affect my family, as well. It just means a lot to me, and it means a lot to my friends, my family and the community, and I'm worried about my future.'
Board members have said they are forced to make personnel cuts due to the state aid formula, set by lawmakers.
They said schools have lost enrollment and funding because of population loss and also because of the tax-funded Hope Scholarship, which takes money from public schools and places it into private schools and homeschool curricula providers, some of which are out of the state.
Catelyn Cook, the second WWHS high school student who spoke, said cuts could have been made in a way to spare counseling positions.
'They have chosen to cut so many of the counselors from the schools, and it's really going to affect the students, whereas they could've cut some from the board,' she said. 'There's tons of positions up there that don't really need to be up there. They aren't necessary.'
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Dr. Serena Starcher, superintendent of Raleigh County Schools, said principals at the various schools had submitted the positions they believed could be cut.
Starcher said there are vacancies inside the school system, which is overstaffed in some fields, and those who have been terminated may apply to fill, even though it is not in their field of expertise.
Some of those attending the meeting said they had concerns for the benefits and seniority of those educators forced to find another position.
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