Randolph County BOE delays school closure votes amid community concerns

ELKINS, W.Va. (WBOY) — The Randolph County Board of Education has pushed back hearings on the possible closures of Harman and Pickens schools after community members voiced their opinions against the closures at the Randolph County Board of Education meeting Tuesday night. But during the same meeting, the BOE also announced plans to consolidate at least three additional schools by 2028 as part of its five-year reorganization plan.

The plan outlined by the superintendent during the meeting calls for the closure of Harman and Pickens by the end of the year and the combining of all schools in the county onto four campus by 2028.

However, residents said during the meeting that they are willing to fight to keep schools in their small communities.

Pickens residents argued that Pickens School is a “lifeline for our community” and serves as a cultural hub in addition to supporting high performing academics. And the data supports that; the superintendent’s report says that Pickens students performed better in recent reading and math assessments than Tygarts Valley and George Ward students—where Pickens students would go if their school closed.

During the meeting, the BOE agreed to implement a waiver from the state that pushes the hearings and votes on the Pickens and Harman school closures from November to January. Updated dates as well as possible snow dates for those hearings will be announced at a later date.

Closing those two K-12 schools is just phase one of the five-year Randolph County Schools Reorganization Plan. Under that plan, those students will either be moved to other existing schools in the county, attend virtual school, attend a new community-based-charter school outside of Randolph County Schools, or go to school in neighboring counties.

After that, the school district has plans to continue consolidations by moving Coalton, North and Third Ward elementary schools into a new elementary school by 2028, meaning all county schools would be on four total campuses. The plan also includes building the new combined elementary school building and adding classrooms and a gym to Tygarts Valley Middle/High School.

Randolph County is far from the only school district in West Virginia facing school closures and consolidations in the next few years. Harrison County Schools has already approved the merging of Liberty and Robert C. Byrd high schools, Washington Irving and Mountaineer middle schools, and the closure of North View Elementary School, which will go into effect at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year. Preston County has also proposed the closure of two elementary schools , Fellowsville and Rowlesburg, which are currently under public review but could go into effect as early as next year.

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