State lawmaker slams Raleigh County Board of Education for counselor layoffs
Republican Delegate Elliott Pritt of Fayette County said that school counselors were now a necessary aspect to the state's education system because West Virginia has the highest number of foster children in the U.S.
Counselors are equipped to help with both special needs and student behavior.
In March the Raleigh County Board of Education voted to terminate, transfer or cut the hours of a number of school counselors.
Pritt said recent legislation could force the Board to rehire some of the counselors.
'We had to pass a bill this year in response to a decision Raleigh County made to fire so many of their school counselors, which is a terrible decision,' said Pritt. 'A terrible decision. Whoever made that decision should have their education degrees removed, and I don't mind going on the record and saying that.'
Raleigh County Board of Education members said in March that they were forced to balance a budget with less funding from Charleston.
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Raleigh County Schools Superintendent Dr. Serena Starcher said in March that the Board was following the wishes of school principals, who had suggested the cuts the BOE later approved.
Public schools are expected to lose more funding to private schools and providers of homeschool curricula through growth of the Hope Scholarship program, which transfers tax dollars from public schools to support private institutions.
Pritt also called on private schools to admit a growing population of children in the foster care system, many of whom need the services of school counselors and individualized educational plans.
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The president of the West Virginia Education Association has said that most private schools do not pay professional wages, which would be required to attract school counselors and many certified teachers.
State law now requires one counselor for every 250 students in public schools but does not make the same requirement for private schools.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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