CHARLESTON – The West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) unanimously elected Nancy J. White as president during its July meeting. White previously held the position of vice president of the WVBE and has served on the board since 2018 when she was appointed to fill an unexpired term. She was reappointed in January 2023.
White retired after a 36-year career in West Virginia school business. She held the position of treasurer of Morgan County Schools and also served in Taylor, Lewis and Jefferson counties. An active member of the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International, she received the prestigious Eagle Award for lifetime achievement.
“I am humbled to be elected as president of the West Virginia Board of Education,” White said. “This board is dedicated to the education of children in our public schools and the advancement of education to support our state’s economy and future. We have worked earnestly to represent our education community and the critical work that occurs every day at the hands of our educators and administrators. It is a privilege to continue to serve my state because the work ahead of us is so very important.”
White is a native of Grafton and currently resides in Bridgeport with her husband. Together they have three daughters, seven grandchildren, three step-grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Her term on the WVBE expires in 2031.
The WVBE also elected Victor L. Gabriel as vice president. He retired from Harrison County Schools after serving as a teacher, administrative staff member and in various positions within the county board of education.
Additionally, the WVBE approved the restructuring of offices and elected F. Scott Rotruck as secretary and L. Paul Hardesty as legislative liaison. The WVBE holds elections each July to elect or re-elect officers. The president may serve two consecutive one-year terms as president.
Special Circumstance Reviews/Interventions Updates
The WVBE received three updates on county interventions and special circumstance reviews.
Upshur County Schools
Upshur County Schools has been under state intervention since June 2023 after a special circumstance review resulted in extraordinary circumstances in several areas of non-compliance. The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE), through the coordination of the Office of Accountability, has provided ongoing technical assistance and has worked closely with Superintendent Christy Miller, who was appointed by the WVBE.
Areas of progress include:
- County policies have been reviewed to correct and improve practices including overtime pay policies.
- Improvements to leadership within the county have been made and are ongoing.
- Credit recovery procedures have been reviewed and revised as needed.
- Monitoring of special education programs continues.
- Curriculum and resource audits in all schools have been conducted.
- More than $800,000 in federal and state funds have been repaid.
- Priority focus on the changing behaviors of students continues while also engaging resources to assist principals in supporting students.
Logan County Schools
Logan County Schools has been under state intervention since October 2022 after a special circumstance review resulted in numerous points of non-compliance. The WVDE, through the coordination of the Office of Accountability, has provided ongoing technical assistance and has worked closely with Superintendent Jeff Huffman, who was appointed by the WVBE.
Areas of progress include:
- Principals are incorporating programs to better support student academic progress.
- Central office administrators are collaborating with principals to strengthen daily classroom monitoring.
- New processes are in place for nominating teachers and service personnel of the year candidates.
- Administrator evaluations have been revised to be more fair and effective.
- The county will conduct the 2024 Summer Teacher Academy to ensure staff are providing quality instruction that leads to increased student learning.
Hampshire County Special Circumstance Review
Upon receipt of a report from a special circumstance review conducted by the WVDE Office of Accountability, the WVBE voted to declare a state of emergency in Hampshire County relative to the operation of special education services on November 8, 2023. The county had not met the necessary requirements for several years, resulting in it dropping into the “Needs Substantial Intervention” category in the 2023 Special Education Determination status.
Areas of progress include:
- Improvement in 19 indicators and positive maintenance in 8 indicators.
- Significant progress in the 2024 Local Education Agency Special Education Determinations, elevating operations to the “Needs Assistance” category from the “Needs Substantial Intervention” category.
- Fulfilled several recommendations of the special circumstance review, including the hiring of a compliance specialist to assist the county director with numerous responsibilities.
- Support from a WVDE special education liaison provides intensive support to address graduation, dropout and secondary transition planning.
The WVBE approved a six-month extension of the Hampshire County state of emergency for special education.
To review the complete updates for the counties listed above, please visit the WVDE website.
The next regularly scheduled WVBE meeting is at 9 a.m., Wednesday, August 14, 2024, in Building 6, Suite 600, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East, Charleston.
