Lincoln County Schools Work to Regain Control From State

By Shaya Tayefe Mohajer

Lincoln County, whose struggling school system sparked a landmark challenge to the way education was funded in West Virginia 30 years ago, is now seeking to regain control of its schools for the first time in seven years.

“Lincoln County is finally getting what Dan Hedges said they needed in 1975,” said Kenna Seal, director of the Office of Education Performance Audits, referring to the lawyer who spearheaded the legal battles for education equity.

Janet Pauley, a mother of five boys, filed a court challenge in 1975 underscoring the widening division between rich and poor school districts in West Virginia. Her lawsuit led to a landmark decision in 1982 in which Ohio County Circuit Judge Arthur Recht ordered the state to better balance funding among all 55 county school systems.

Just two weeks ago, the Lincoln County Board of Education met with the state school board for the first time since losing local control of the district in 2000. The goal of the Feb. 28 meeting was to develop strategies for resuming local control.

Though that meeting was the first formal step, Lincoln County had already begun to transform its ill-kept facilities where students – and their test scores – suffered under widespread cronyism that put unqualified teachers in classrooms.

Since the state’s takeover, the county has undergone major consolidations that left no school untouched, said state-appointed Lincoln County Superintendent Anne Seaver. Grade levels were switched at some schools, while other schools were closed.

“I wasn’t here in 1999 when the first audit was done here and things have changed so much that I probably don’t even know how much they’ve changed in exact terms,” Seaver said.

With another state audit expected this fall, Seaver said each school in the county is assessing its own individual progress.

By fall, universal preschool will be available in all schools. Also, political considerations that once dictated hiring practices have been replaced with proper hiring standards, she said.

Seal estimates that schools in Lincoln County could be back under local control in 18 months to two years, if they continue to progress.

“They’ve got a real opportunity down there now,” Seal said.

Lincoln County is among four county school systems now under state control. Of the others – McDowell, Mingo and Hampshire counties – Hampshire appears the closest to regaining local control.

Hampshire audit

State-appointed Superintendent Cynthia Kolsun said the prognosis for Hampshire County looks good based on a draft of a state audit she’s reviewed. The audit is to be presented today to the state school board.

“It looks like the changes that we’ve made, particularly in the areas of personnel and finance have been very positive,” Kolsun said.

She said auditors will recommend that the state begin the process of returning control to the Hampshire County school board.

Hampshire’s problems were different from most. While test scores and buildings were generally at average levels, personnel practices were corrupt.

One case involved former House Education Chairman Jerry Mezzatesta, a former county school administrator who faces federal charges of defrauding the school board and misappropriating public funds. Mezzatesta was indicted along with former county Superintendent David E. Friend.

Mingo, McDowell

Seal said McDowell County has made good progress, though it faced numerous challenges from flooding. At a meeting in October 2006, state schools Superintendent Steve Paine said he expected to see the county returned to local control within a year.

Mingo County schools will have to focus on improving school enrollment because, “you need a critical mass of kids to offer the sorts of electives, AP [advanced placement] courses and honors work they need at a school,” Seal said.

‘On the bubble’

Counties that should be wary of future problems include Fayette County, which is “on the bubble,” and was given conditional accreditation at a recent meeting, and Cabell County, where there have been numerous complaints about hiring practices.

“I’ve received about a letter a day since [Karen Oldham] came before the board at the February meeting,” Seal said.

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