Randolph County RIF vote postponed; Superintendent says consolidation back on the table
ELKINS, W.Va. (WBOY) — A vote to eliminate positions in Randolph County has been postponed following more Reduction in Force (RIF) hearings Thursday night in Elkins, and more drastic moves could be on the horizon.
The last set of school employees who requested a hearing stated their cases to the Randolph County Board of Education against proposed transfers and terminations. Superintendent Shawn Dilly said the final vote on those moves will happen by April 22 at the latest.
Dilly told 12 News the decision was made to wait until the school board gets needed information about state and federal funding. On top of that, the issue of consolidation has resurfaced, as Dilly said the measure is back on the table for the 2026-27 school year in an effort to balance the county's budget.
Consolidation was an option the county explored a few months ago, with proposals to close the rural Harman and Pickens schools. However, the measure to close Harman was voted down by the board, and the one to close Pickens was withdrawn the next day.
Dilly said the proposed terminations and transfers are only a temporary fix, reiterating a point he made last November, where he said that school consolidation in Randolph County is inevitable. Discussions on consolidations are set to start as early as May.
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Of the 11 hearings Thursday night, three were transfers, with those staff members making the argument that teacher turnover and transfers have a negative impact on students' lives.
For some teachers facing these unknowns, a vote to terminate or transfer them may lead them to step away from education altogether.
'Even if this transfer goes through, I will not accept it because third ward is where I belong. I moved here from Virginia with no blood relatives and I took a pay decrease to go here, but this is where I wanted to go and I might not have blood relatives here, but I have family in there at third ward, so if I don't teach there, I will simply have to find a new job,' First-grade teacher Tina Wulin said.
'I mean, I have two children of my own. My husband is a federal employee, which that is up in the air right now. And so it would be very foolish of me to not be seeking employment in somewhere where I could find stable income. I need to provide benefits and income for my family,' Kindergarten Teacher Erica Roth said.
12 News will bring you a more detailed breakdown of the results of this meeting on Friday, March 28. Stay tuned for updates.
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