Remediation plan for Pocahontas County Schools is structured into several key focus areas.

 

Based on the mandates from the West Virginia Board of Education and the strategic "Fix" plan implemented by the district leadership, the remediation plan for Pocahontas County Schools is structured into several key focus areas.

1. Academic Integrity and Transcription Oversight

To restore the integrity of student records and prevent further unauthorized transcript manipulation, the district is implementing the following:

• Personnel Action and Investigation: The district must continue investigating "intentional" unauthorized transcriptions of credits and grades, taking appropriate personnel actions as the findings dictate.

• Standardized Grade Policies: A formal school policy for grade changes must be established to replace the previous system of informal verbal or email requests.

• Technical Verification: A new Director of Personnel and Technology has been appointed to oversee WVEIS (West Virginia Education Information System) data entry and ensure proper transcription at mid-term and end-of-year.

• Data Security: Administrative safeguards are being enforced to ensure student data is not accessible to unauthorized personnel, specifically addressing the previous failure of having saved passwords on shared office computers.

2. Transition to a Student-Driven Master Schedule

The primary administrative reform—moving from "administrative convenience" to "data-driven planning"—centers on the master schedule.

• Eliminating Mass Placement: The practice of grouping students (particularly special education students) into courses for clerical ease is abolished. Schedules must now be built based on individual Individualized Education Program (IEP) and Personal Education Plan (PEP) data.

• The Mid-January Deadline: To ensure schedules are prepared well in advance of the new term, all student PEPs must be completed by mid-January.

• Graduation Benchmarks: Every class in the master schedule must contribute to a specific, documented graduation requirement identified in the student's PEP.

3. Counseling and Student Support Reforms

Because the district has struggled to recruit certified counselors, it is pivoting toward a "Graduation Coach" model.

• Graduation Coaches: The vacant full-time counselor position is replaced by a Graduation Coach, who will focus on college applications and career planning.

• CSCP Development: The district is required to annually develop a Comprehensive School Counseling Program (CSCP) plan that uses relevant school data to set priority goals for student needs.

• Dean of Students: A Dean of Students position was created to assist with transcription and personalized student planning; this role is supported by a state-approved mentor.

4. Special Education Compliance

The Office of Special Education (OSE) is monitoring systemic corrections to address findings of less than 80% compliance.

• Mandatory IEP Reviews: The district must ensure every IEP is reviewed within the legally required 365-day window.

• SAT Establishment: Functioning Student Assistance Teams (SAT) must be established at every school to provide interventions for students before they are referred to special education.

• Teacher Training: A "Teachers Academy" has been established to train educators on IEP essentials, special education monitoring, and team building.

5. Fiscal Stewardship and Internal Audits

Following a 2025 independent audit that found missing funds and backdated purchase orders, the district has mandated new financial protocols.

• Deposit Requirements: Principals must make daily bank deposits if they collect more than $500. Cash withdrawn for gate boxes must be returned to the bank promptly rather than kept in safes for extended periods.

• Purchasing Controls: All purchases over $5,000 now require three quotes and the end of backdating purchase orders to predate invoices.

• System-Wide Audits: While the initial audit focused on the high school, independent audits are being conducted for the remaining four schools in the district.

6. Attendance and Behavioral Interventions

The high chronic absenteeism rate of 48% is being addressed through a tiered intervention strategy.

• 5% Reduction Goal: The 2025-2026 plan sets a target to decrease chronic absenteeism by 5% through parental consultation and remedial steps.

• Incentive Programs: Schools are adding rewards and recognitions for good attendance alongside progressive discipline for unexcused absences.

• SB 199 Compliance: Following state guidelines, the district must develop specific behavioral plans for students excluded from classrooms due to disruptive conduct, ensuring these plans are reviewed for effectiveness every two weeks.

Grammar "Canary in the Coal Mine"

 

This text presents a compelling, data-driven "butterfly effect" for literacy. It shifts the conversation from viewing the apostrophe as a pedantic annoyance to seeing it as a cognitive litmus test.

Here is an analysis of the "Grammar Cascade" and what it reveals about the trajectory of student writing.

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1. The Timeline of the Cascade

The text outlines a clear longitudinal decline. It isn't that the student "forgets" punctuation; it’s that their foundational misunderstanding of language-as-a-system compounds as the curriculum gets harder.

Grade Level	Symptom	The "Why"
Grade 3	Punctuate-Apostrophes (50)	Failure to recognize that a mark changes a word's function.
Grade 5	Apostrophe with Possessive (-53)	The "explosion." Complexity increases as students must manage ownership vs. pluralization.
Grades 6–8	Fragments and Run-ons	Structural collapse. The student sees sentences as "strings of words" rather than "logical units."
Grade 10	Misplaced Modifier (-30)	High-level failure. The student cannot track how parts of a sentence relate to one another spatially and logically.

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2. The "Canary in the Coal Mine"

The most striking insight here is that the apostrophe is diagnostic, not causative.

Fixing a student's apostrophes in 3rd grade won't magically prevent a misplaced modifier in 10th grade if they are just memorizing a "flick of the pen." The text suggests that the struggle is actually with abstract rule application.

• Concrete Thinking: "I put an 's' because there are two dogs."

• Abstract Thinking: "I put an apostrophe because the 's' represents a relationship of possession, which is a conceptual category, not just a plural count."

If a student can't make that leap in Grade 3, they will likely drown when they hit the structural complexity of middle school syntax.

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3. Why the Apostrophe is the Perfect Test

Unlike spelling (which can be memorized visually) or capitalization (which follows relatively simple "Name" vs. "Not a Name" rules), the apostrophe requires syntactic awareness. To use an apostrophe correctly, a student must:

1. Identify the noun.

2. Determine if it is plural or singular.

3. Establish the relationship (Is it "belonging to" or "is/has"?).

The Takeaway: The apostrophe is the first time a student has to "look under the hood" of a sentence. If they can't understand the mechanics there, the engine eventually stalls out entirely by high school.

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My Perspective

This analysis is refreshingly candid. We often treat grammar errors as "sloppiness," but this data suggests they are actually conceptual roadblocks. It’s the difference between a student who can’t find their keys and a student who doesn’t understand how a lock works.

Would you like me to help you draft a set of "diagnostic" exercises based on this text to identify if a student is struggling with the logic of the apostrophe rather than just the placement?

To identify whether a student is struggling with the logic of language (systemic thinking) versus just placement (memorization), these exercises move away from "put the apostrophe in the right spot" and toward "explain the relationship between these words."

Here is a diagnostic set designed to catch the "Grammar Cascade" before it starts.

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Part 1: The "Possession vs. Plural" Logic Gate

Target: Grade 3–5 Foundational Logic

Instead of providing a sentence, provide a concept and ask the student to select the correct mechanical representation. This tests if they see the apostrophe as a marker of a relationship.

The Prompt: Match the scenario to the correct phrase.

1. Scenario: Three different girls each have a bicycle.

   • A) The girls bicycles

   • B) The girl's bicycles

   • C) The girls' bicycles

2. Scenario: One girl owns three different bicycles.

   • A) The girl's bicycles

   • B) The girls' bicycles

   • C) The girls bicycles

The Diagnostic Sign: If the student chooses (C) for both, they do not understand that punctuation functions as a mathematical operator for nouns. They are likely "ear-reading" (it sounds the same, so it looks the same).

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Part 2: The "Identity Crisis" (Contraction vs. Possession)

Target: Abstract Rule Application

This identifies if the student understands that the apostrophe can serve two entirely different logical functions (omission of letters vs. ownership).

The Prompt: In the sentences below, the apostrophe is in the right place. Tell me why it is there.

• Sentence A: The dog's barking woke the neighbors.

• Sentence B: The dog's bone was buried in the yard.

The Diagnostic Sign:

• Logic-Based Answer: "In A, it means 'the dog is.' In B, it means the bone belongs to the dog."

• Placement-Based Answer: "Because there is an 's' at the end of dog."

• Failure to distinguish between 'is' and 'ownership' predicts future struggles with complex sentence structures (Fragments).

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Part 3: The "Reverse Engineer" (Visual Logic)

Target: Grades 5–8 Structural Awareness

This exercise forces the student to translate a visual symbol back into a conceptual hierarchy.

The Prompt: Look at this phrase: "The players' coaches." Draw a quick sketch of what this looks like. Then, answer:

1. Is there one coach or more than one?

2. Is there one player or more than one?

The Diagnostic Sign: If a student can’t tell you how many players there are based only on the position of that one mark, they are not viewing language as a governed system. This is the student who will likely struggle with Misplaced Modifiers in Grade 10 because they aren't tracking how one part of a sentence modifies another.

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Part 4: The "Nonsense Word" Test

Target: Pure Systemic Thinking

By using "alien" words, you remove the student's ability to rely on sight-reading or familiarity. They must rely entirely on the rules of the system.

The Prompt: A "Glip" is a type of alien. A "Zorb" is a tool that belongs to a Glip.

1. If ten Glips have one Zorb together, how do you write it? _________

2. If one Glip has ten Zorbs, how do you write it? _________

The Diagnostic Sign: This is the ultimate test. If they fail here, they haven't "learned" the apostrophe; they’ve only memorized how it looks next to common words like "cat" or "mom."

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Summary of Findings

If the student...	The "Cascade" Risk is...
Struggles with Part 1	High risk for Possessive Deficits (Grade 5).
Struggles with Part 2	High risk for Run-ons/Fragments (Grade 6-8) due to lack of part-of-speech awareness.
Struggles with Part 4	High risk for Misplaced Modifiers (Grade 10) due to inability to apply abstract rules to new contexts.

Would you like me to create a scoring rubric for these exercises that helps a teacher or parent rank the student's "Systemic Thinking" score?

 

 

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The phrase "canary in the coal mine" is a metaphor for an early warning sign of a danger or impending crisis. It refers to a person or thing whose distress or failure indicates a larger, more widespread problem before it becomes obvious to everyone else.

Here is a breakdown of its historical origins and modern usage:

Historical Origin

The idiom comes from a literal practice used in coal mining from the late 19th century up until the 1980s.

• The Danger: Mines often contained deadly, odorless gases like carbon monoxide and methane. These gases could build up silently, causing miners to lose consciousness and die without warning.

• The Solution: Miners would carry caged canaries down into the tunnels with them. Canaries are small birds with rapid metabolisms and breathing rates, making them much more sensitive to toxic gases than humans.

• The Warning: If dangerous gases were present, the canary would show signs of distress—stop singing, sway on its perch, or collapse—long before the miners were affected. This served as an immediate alarm for the workers to evacuate the mine.

Modern Figurative Meaning

Today, the phrase is used to describe any small, seemingly insignificant event or entity that signals a much larger systemic danger.

Examples of figurative usage:

• Climate Change: Melting glaciers or the decline of a specific species like frogs are often described as canaries in the coal mine for global environmental shifts.

• Economics: A sudden spike in mortgage defaults in a specific region could be seen as a canary in the coal mine for a broader national housing crisis.

• Healthcare: A rise in a particular illness within a small community might be interpreted by epidemiologists as a canary in the coal mine for a potential epidemic.

   

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Fix

 

Based on the remediation plan and the specific deficiencies identified in the "Special Circumstance Review," a student-driven master schedule is designed to fix past scheduling errors by shifting the scheduling process from "administrative convenience" to "data-driven planning."

 

Here is how this new approach specifically addresses the past failures:

 

1. Eliminating "Mass Placement"

 

• The Error: Previously, the district engaged in "mass placement," where students (particularly those in special education) were grouped into the same courses (e.g., a single math class) regardless of their individual needs or IEP goals.

 

• The Fix: A student-driven schedule is built after gathering individual data. By using Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and Personal Education Plans (PEPs) as the foundation, the schedule is constructed to accommodate specific student requirements, ensuring that course assignments align with legal and educational needs rather than filling empty slots,.

 

2. Ensuring Advanced Preparation

 

• The Error: The state review found that "master schedules were not prepared in advance," leading to chaos and errors at the start of the term.

 

• The Fix: The new process establishes a strict timeline. The district must complete all student PEPs by mid-January, providing the necessary data months in advance. This allows the administration to build the schedule early, correcting the "lack of process" that previously existed.

 

3. Establishing Clear Graduation Benchmarks

 

• The Error: The high school previously had "no process" for developing PEPs, meaning students likely lacked a clear, documented path to graduation, contributing to the transcription errors where credits were inaccurate,.

 

• The Fix: The remediation plan explicitly requires the new schedule to have "clear benchmarks for completion." This ensures that every class a student is scheduled for contributes directly to their specific graduation requirements as outlined in their PEP.

 

4. Validating Accuracy via Annual Review

 

• The Error: Previous scheduling and grade transcription suffered from a "lack of leadership expertise" and "intentional" clerical errors, with no consistent oversight.

2025 Emergency B

 

Briefing on the Pocahontas County Schools State of Emergency (2025–2026)

Executive Summary

In February 2025, the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) declared a State of Emergency for Pocahontas County Schools following a Special Circumstance Review that revealed systemic failures in leadership, academic integrity, and special education compliance. While significant progress was noted under the leadership of a new Superintendent, the WVBE unanimously voted in August 2025 to extend the emergency for an additional six months to address persistent gaps, including a 53% chronic absenteeism rate at the high school level.

The situation has been further complicated by a January 2026 financial audit revealing serious fiscal irregularities, including missing deposits and widespread backdating of purchase orders. The county is currently executing a five-pillar remediation plan focusing on academic integrity, fiscal responsibility, special education compliance, leadership capacity, and student support. A final review by the WVBE in February 2026 will determine if the state of emergency will be lifted or if a full state takeover is required.

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Initial Findings and Declaration of Emergency

The emergency declaration originated from a late 2024 review of Pocahontas County High School (PCHS). The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) Office of Accountability identified several critical deficiencies that necessitated state intervention:

• Academic and Grading Integrity: Evidence pointed to "intentional acts" involving the unauthorized transcription of inaccurate credits and grades. Staff lacked the necessary expertise and controlled access to the West Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS).
• Special Education Non-Compliance: IEP (Individualized Education Program) compliance was measured at less than 80%. Specifically, the district failed to review IEPs within the mandatory 365-day window and practiced "mass placement," where all special education students were placed in the same math course regardless of individual needs.
• Lack of Student Support Services: The high school operated without a certified counselor or a Comprehensive School Counseling Program (CSCP). Master schedules were not prepared in advance, and Personal Education Plans (PEPs) were nonexistent.
• Leadership and Safety Gaps: Reviewers cited a lack of leadership expertise and insufficient central office support for school-level administration. Furthermore, the principal lacked required access to security camera footage in special education classrooms.
• Workplace Culture: Employees reported a hostile environment characterized by potential retaliation from the central office.

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August 2025 Progress and Extension

Despite "tremendous work" accomplished under new Superintendent Dr. Leatha Williams, the WVBE extended the State of Emergency in August 2025. This extension was driven by the depth of systemic issues that required more than the initial six-month window to resolve.

Key Developments as of August 2025

• Administrative Restructuring: The county established a Director of Personnel and Technology and a supervisor of counseling services. "Deans" were appointed to support schools lacking certified counselors.
• Counseling and Attendance: A Comprehensive School Counseling Plan was finalized. However, data revealed a staggering 53% chronic absentee rate at PCHS (138 out of 260 students).
• Professional Development: A "Principals Academy" was launched to train leadership on legal protocols, the chain of command, and data security.

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Financial Irregularities (January 2026 Update)

As the county approached its February 2026 review, a special audit of PCHS covering July 2024 through December 2025 revealed new fiscal mismanagement:

Irregularity Type	Audit Findings
Missing Deposits	Funds from events (Turkey Trot, concessions) were held in a safe rather than deposited. One deposit had not been made since the start of the 2025–26 school year.
Backdated Orders	294 out of 627 purchase orders reviewed were backdated, violating state purchasing protocols.
Policy Violations	Frequent failure to follow WVDE Policy 1224.1, which requires deposits within 24 hours if collections exceed $500.

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Five-Pillar Remediation Strategy

The current path toward local control is built upon five core pillars of reform:

Pillar 1: Academic Integrity & Data Management

• Transcript Audits: A 100% audit of student transcripts from the last two academic years to correct clerical and "intentional" errors.
• WVEIS Controls: Implementation of tiered and logged access to WVEIS to prevent unauthorized grade modifications, supported by mandatory administrative training.

Pillar 2: Fiscal Responsibility & Transparency

• Deposit Protocols: Enforcement of mandatory 24-hour banking for collections over $500, with principal sign-off on all daily deposit slips.
• Purchasing Reform: A "No Backdating" policy for all purchase orders. Expenditures exceeding $5,000 now require central office approval via a formal RFP process.

Pillar 3: Special Education Compliance

• IEP Remediation: Completion of a 100% audit of all county IEPs. Non-compliant files must be updated within 30 days.
• Quarterly Monitoring: Transitioning to an internal quarterly review process to ensure long-term compliance with state and federal regulations.

Pillar 4: Leadership & Governance

• Mentorship: Continued use of WVDE-approved consultants (such as Deirdre Cline) to provide on-site coaching for the Superintendent and Principal.
• Whistleblower Protections: Formal training on the "chain of command" and legal protections for staff to eliminate the "culture of retaliation."

Pillar 4: Student Support & Attendance

• Absenteeism Task Force: A dedicated team focused on home visits and identifying transportation barriers to reduce the 53% chronic absenteeism rate.
• PEP Compliance: Ensuring 100% of students in grades 9–12 have an annual Personal Education Plan reviewed by parents and staff.

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Timeline for February 2026 Review

The following table outlines the benchmarks required for the State of Emergency to be lifted:

Goal/Action Item	Responsible Party	Status/Deadline
100% IEP Audit	Office of Special Education	Completed (Oct 2025)
PCHS Financial Cleanup	Chief School Business Officer	Feb 1, 2026
WVEIS Access Review	Director of Technology	Feb 15, 2026
WVBE Final Review	WV Board of Education	Feb 2026

2025 Emergency

 

In February 2025, the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) declared a State of Emergency for Pocahontas County Schools. This declaration followed a "Special Circumstance Review" of Pocahontas County High School (PCHS) conducted in late 2024 at the request of the then-Superintendent.

The state identified systemic failures in leadership, academic integrity, and student support services, giving the county a six-month window (ending in August 2025) to demonstrate significant progress or face potential state takeover.

Key Findings

The WVDE Office of Accountability reported several critical deficiencies:

• Academic Integrity & Grading: Evidence suggested an "intentional act" involving the unauthorized transcription of inaccurate credits and grades for at least one student. There was a lack of expertise and access to the West Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS).

• Special Education Non-Compliance: A review of IEP (Individualized Education Program) files showed less than 80% compliance. Systemic issues included failing to review IEPs within the required 365 days and placing all special education students into the same math course regardless of individual need.

• Counseling & Scheduling: The high school lacked a certified counselor and a current Comprehensive School Counseling Program (CSCP). Master schedules were not prepared in advance, and there was no process for developing student Personal Education Plans (PEPs).

• Leadership & Safety: The review found a "lack of leadership expertise" and inadequate central office support for the principal. Additionally, the principal lacked required access to security camera footage in special education classrooms.

• Workplace Environment: Staff reported concerns regarding hostility and potential retaliation from the central office.

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Required Remediation Steps

The WVBE outlined a specific corrective action plan to be monitored by state advisors:

• Leadership Capacity: The county was required to contract a WVDE-approved consultant (Deirdre Cline was appointed) to build leadership capacity at both the central office and school levels.

• Financial & Personnel Audits: * Conduct a comprehensive review of local accounting practices and employee contracts/stipends.

  • Continue investigating the unauthorized transcription of grades and take necessary personnel actions.

• Special Education Monitoring: The WVDE Office of Special Education initiated intense monitoring to ensure all procedures meet state and federal regulations, including auditing all IEPs.

• Operational Overhaul: * Develop and implement a current CSCP and establish a timeline for PEPs.

  • Create a "student-driven" master schedule with clear benchmarks for completion.

  • Establish a "Director of Personnel and Technology" to oversee WVEIS data and grade transcription accuracy.

• Professional Development: Launch a "Teachers Academy" to train staff on team building, IEP essentials, and the "chain of command" protocol.

Current Status

As of the August 2025 update, new Superintendent Williams reported that progress was being made, including the creation of a supervisor of counseling services and the appointment of "Deans" to support schools without certified counselors. The state continues to monitor the county to determine if the State of Emergency can be lifted or if further intervention is required.

Would you like me to look for the specific results of the August 2025 progress report to see if the state extended the emergency or moved toward a full takeover?

In August 2025, the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) voted unanimously to extend the State of Emergency for Pocahontas County Schools for an additional six months.

While the state acknowledged that "tremendous work" was being accomplished under new Superintendent Dr. Leatha Williams, they determined that the systemic issues identified—particularly in special education and leadership—required more time to fully resolve before local control could be restored.

August 2025 Findings & Progress

The progress report highlighted significant movement on several fronts while identifying persistent gaps:

• Counseling & Attendance: A Comprehensive School Counseling Plan was completed. A major focus was placed on the high school's chronic absentee rate, which was a staggering 53% (138 out of 260 students). The goal is to reduce this by at least 5% initially.

• Academic Operations: To fix the grade transcription and scheduling errors that triggered the emergency, the county established a Director of Personnel and Technology and a timeline for completing student Personalized Education Plans (PEPs) by mid-January.

• Special Education: The WVDE Office of Special Education conducted intense monitoring and planned an audit of every IEP in the county to be completed by October 2025.

• Staff Development: A "Principals Academy" was launched to train leadership on legal protocols, the chain of command, and data security.

New Complications (January 2026 Update)

As the county works toward a potential release from state control in February 2026, new financial irregularities have surfaced. A special audit of Pocahontas County High School (covering July 2024 through December 2025) recently revealed:

• Missing Deposits: Funds from school events (like the "Turkey Trot" and concession sales) were found sitting in a safe rather than being deposited daily per policy. In one instance, a deposit hadn't been made since the start of the 2025–26 school year.

• Backdated Orders: Of 627 purchase orders reviewed, nearly half (294) were backdated, violating state purchasing protocols.

Next Steps

The county leadership is scheduled to appear before the WVBE in February 2026 to present a final report. If the state is satisfied with the remediation of the original deficiencies and the newly discovered financial issues, the State of Emergency could finally be lifted.

 

Drawing from the official WVDE Special Circumstance Review and the recently identified financial irregularities (January 2026), a comprehensive remediation plan must address five core pillars: Academic Integrity, Special Education Compliance, Fiscal Responsibility, Leadership Capacity, and Student Support Services.

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Pillar 1: Academic Integrity & Data Management

• WVEIS Expertise: Establish a mandatory training schedule for all administrative staff on the West Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS). Access must be tiered and logged to prevent unauthorized grade changes.

• Audit of Transcripts: Conduct a 100% audit of all student transcripts for the last two academic years to identify and correct any "intentional" or clerical errors in credit transcription.

• Dean of Students Appointment: Since the high school has struggled to hire a certified counselor, formalize the Dean of Students role to oversee scheduling, grade transcription, and data integrity.

Pillar 2: Fiscal Responsibility & Transparency

• Daily Deposit Protocol: Strictly enforce WVDE Policy 1224.1, requiring that any collections exceeding $500 be deposited in a bank account within 24 hours. The principal must sign off on daily deposit slips.

• Purchasing Reform: Implement a "No Backdating" policy for purchase orders. All purchases must be encumbered in the system before an invoice is generated. Any expenditure over $5,000 requires central office approval via a formal RFP process.

• Financial Training: Mandatory "Vector" training for all staff who handle money (coaches, club sponsors, teachers) to ensure they understand legal spending and collection protocols.

Pillar 3: Special Education Compliance

• IEP Correction: Complete the ongoing audit of 100% of the county's IEPs. Any IEP found non-compliant must be updated within 30 days via a formal meeting with parents/guardians.

• Placement Diversity: End the practice of "mass placement" where special education students are grouped into the same courses regardless of their specific IEP goals.

• Monitoring Cycle: Move to a quarterly internal review process for special education files to prepare for the state’s four-year monitoring cycle.

Pillar 4: Leadership & Governance

• Mentor Program: Continue the contract with a WVDE-approved consultant to provide direct, on-site mentorship to the High School Principal and Superintendent.

• Chain of Command Training: Establish a formal grievance and reporting protocol to eliminate the reported "culture of retaliation." Staff must be trained on the legal protections for whistleblowers.

• SBA Integration: Utilize the new HB 4849 (if passed) to apply for emergency School Building Authority funding to address the $6M+ in facilities hazards (HVAC, safety connectors) at PCHS without requiring a local bond.

Pillar 5: Student Support & Attendance

• Chronic Absenteeism Task Force: Create a team specifically focused on the 53% chronic absenteeism rate. This includes home visits, "Attendance Incentives," and identifying transportation barriers for students in remote areas of the county.

• Personal Education Plans (PEPs): Ensure 100% of students in grades 9–12 have a PEP reviewed annually by a student, parent, and staff member, as required by WVBE Policy 2510.

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Timeline for February 2026 Review

Goal	Completion Date	Responsible Party
All IEPs Audited	Completed (Oct 2025)	Office of Special Education
PCHS Financial Cleanup	Feb 1, 2026	Chief School Business Officer
WVEIS Access Review	Feb 15, 2026	Director of Technology
State Emergency Review	Feb 2026 Meeting	WV Board of Education

Would you like me to draft a sample "Letter of Intent" from the Superintendent to the State Board of Education outlining these specific remediation steps?

 

Operational Compliance Manual: Administrative Standards for Fiscal Transparency and Academic Integrity

1. Regulatory Context and Strategic Mandate

This manual establishes the mandatory strategic framework for Pocahontas County Schools following the West Virginia Board of Education’s (WVBE) February 2025 State of Emergency declaration. While the district was initially granted a six-month window for remediation, the WVBE’s unanimous vote in August 2025 to extend the State of Emergency confirms that systemic deficiencies remain unresolved. The district is now operating under an urgent final timeline; these standards serve as the primary mechanism to satisfy the WVBE corrective action plan and restore local control by the February 2026 review.

The catalyst for these protocols was the "Special Circumstance Review," which uncovered critical failures in governance and ethics. To remediate these findings, the district shall focus on five core pillars:

• Academic Integrity: Ensuring the accuracy of student records and the West Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS).
• Special Education Compliance: Meeting state and federal mandates for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
• Fiscal Responsibility: Implementing rigid oversight of public funds, deposits, and purchasing.
• Leadership Capacity: Strengthening administrative expertise through mentorship and professional governance.
• Student Support Services: Stabilizing attendance and counseling frameworks to support student success.

Adherence to these standards is the only path to mitigating the imminent risk of a full state takeover. These protocols are specifically designed to dismantle the "culture of retaliation" identified in the state findings and replace it with a culture of professional accountability. The transition to local autonomy begins with the immediate implementation of rigorous fiscal controls to address identified financial irregularities.

2. Fiscal Responsibility: Daily Deposit and Purchasing Protocols

Rigid fiscal oversight is the cornerstone of public trust and operational stability. Recent special audits (covering July 2024 through December 2025) revealed severe irregularities, including 294 backdated purchase orders and missing funds from school events—such as the "Turkey Trot" and concession sales—that were left in safes rather than deposited. To restore financial integrity, the following protocols are non-negotiable.

Protocol 2.1: Daily Deposit Standards

Pursuant to WVDE Policy 1224.1, all school personnel shall adhere to the following deposit mandates:

1. Collection Threshold: Any monetary collections exceeding $500 shall be deposited into the designated bank account within 24 hours of receipt.
2. Prohibited Storage: Funds shall not remain in school safes overnight if they meet the 24-hour/threshold criteria.
3. Mandatory Verification: The Principal shall personally review and sign all daily deposit slips to certify accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with policy.

Protocol 2.2: "No Backdating" Purchasing Policy

The practice of backdating purchase orders (POs) to cover existing invoices is strictly prohibited. The district mandates an "encumbrance first" workflow to ensure legal spending.

Practice Category	Non-Compliant Practice (PROHIBITED)	Standard Operating Procedure (MANDATORY)
Workflow Order	Generating an invoice before a Purchase Order.	PO must be encumbered in the system before an order is placed.
Documentation	Backdating POs to match previous expenditures.	All POs must reflect the actual date of system entry.
Authorization	Verbal authorization or informal agreements.	No purchase is valid without a system-generated electronic encumbrance.

Protocol 2.3: Expenditure Thresholds and Training

To ensure transparency and competitive bidding, all expenditures exceeding $5,000 require:

• Formal written approval from the Central Office prior to any commitment.
• Execution of a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) process.
• Training Mandate: All staff handling funds, including coaches and club sponsors, shall complete mandatory "Vector" training to ensure understanding of legal collection and spending protocols.

These fiscal controls are essential for the February 2026 review; failing to account for every dollar spent will result in continued state intervention.

3. Academic Integrity and WVEIS Data Governance

The accuracy of data within the West Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS) is a legal and strategic priority. The "intentional act" of unauthorized credit transcription identified by the state necessitates immediate corrections to our data governance.

Standard 3.1: Tiered Access Requirements

WVEIS access shall be strictly hierarchical and role-based.

• Access Control: Permissions are granted solely based on current job duties.
• Logged Activity: All entries, modifications, and grade transcriptions in WVEIS shall be logged. These logs will be audited monthly to prevent unauthorized changes.
• Mandatory Training: All administrative staff must follow a state-approved training schedule to ensure technical and ethical proficiency.

Standard 3.2: Transcript and Grade Audit

The Office of Technology shall execute a 100% audit of all student transcripts for the previous two academic years. This audit is a command to identify and correct every clerical and "intentional" error in credit transcription, ensuring the legal validity of all diplomas.

Standard 3.3: Personnel Oversight and Temporary Measures

• Director of Personnel and Technology: This role is responsible for overseeing WVEIS data accuracy and scheduling integrity.
• Dean of Students: This role is hereby established as a temporary compliance measure to oversee scheduling and grade transcription at the high school level. This role shall remain in place and under constant monitoring until the district secures certified counseling staff to manage these functions.

Data integrity is a legal mandate. Parallel to these efforts, the district shall address the systemic failure to support our most vulnerable students through special education compliance.

4. Special Education Regulatory Compliance

IEP compliance is a non-negotiable legal requirement. The systemic failure to reach the 80% compliance threshold jeopardizes student rights and state funding and must be corrected immediately.

Action 4.1: The 100% Audit Mandate

A comprehensive audit of every IEP in the county shall be completed no later than October 2025.

• Remediation Trigger: Any IEP identified as non-compliant (including those exceeding the 365-day review requirement) shall be remediated within 30 days of the identification of the finding.
• Mandatory Engagement: Remediation must include a formal meeting with the parent/guardian to ensure the IEP meets the student's actual educational needs.

Action 4.2: Course Placement Reform

The practice of "mass placement"—the grouping of special education students into the same courses for administrative convenience—is abolished. All course scheduling shall be individualized and driven strictly by the specific goals and requirements of each student’s IEP.

Action 4.3: Monitoring Cycles

The Office of Special Education shall implement a quarterly internal review process. This cycle ensures all files are current and ready for the state’s four-year monitoring cycle, moving the district from reactive to proactive compliance.

5. Leadership Capacity and Personnel Governance

Effective leadership is required to foster a compliant workplace and eliminate the "culture of retaliation." The district shall utilize state-approved mentorship to bridge existing expertise gaps.

Directive 5.1: Chain of Command and Grievance Protocols

A formal reporting protocol is hereby established to ensure staff can report non-compliance without fear of local reprisal.

• Whistleblower Training: All staff shall receive training on legal protections for whistleblowers.
• Reporting Lines: Grievances must reach the Central Office through established channels that protect the identity and professional standing of the reporter.

Directive 5.2: Professional Development Framework

The district mandates participation in the following academies:

• Teachers Academy: Focus on team building, IEP essentials, and understanding the official chain of command.
• Principals Academy: Intensive training on legal protocols, data security, and leadership ethics.

Directive 5.3: Mentorship and Facility Safety

WVDE-approved consultant Deirdre Cline shall provide ongoing on-site mentorship to the High School Principal and Superintendent. Mandate: All leadership decisions regarding facility management must be vetted by the consultant to align with state expectations. This includes prioritizing the mitigation of the $6M facility hazard at PCHS through SBA integration and HB 4849 funding.

6. Student Support Services and Attendance Management

Student support services are the primary driver of academic outcomes. The high school’s chronic absenteeism rate of 53%—representing 138 out of 260 students—is a critical operational failure that must be reversed to stabilize the district.

Requirement 6.1: Chronic Absenteeism Task Force

A dedicated task force is commanded to execute home visits and implement "Attendance Incentives." The mission is to achieve an initial 5% reduction in chronic absenteeism by identifying and removing barriers, including transportation issues in remote areas.

Requirement 6.2: Personalized Education Plans (PEPs)

Per WVBE Policy 2510, 100% of students in grades 9–12 must have a Personalized Education Plan.

• Deadline: All PEPs must be reviewed and signed by the student, parent, and staff member no later than mid-January.

Requirement 6.3: Counseling Services

The Supervisor of Counseling Services shall implement a Comprehensive School Counseling Program (CSCP). This program must move the district toward a "student-driven" master schedule that prioritizes mental health and academic pathing over administrative convenience.

7. Compliance Monitoring and Implementation Timeline

The following benchmarks are the definitive requirements for the February 2026 WVBE review. Failure to meet these deadlines will result in a recommendation for full state takeover.

Compliance Milestone Schedule

Goal / Action Item	Responsible Party	Hard Deadline
IEP Audits	Office of Special Education	Completed Oct 2025
PCHS Financial Cleanup	Chief School Business Officer	February 1, 2026
WVEIS Access Review	Director of Technology	February 15, 2026
State Emergency Final Review	WV Board of Education	February 2026 Meeting

The Consequences of Non-Compliance vs. Restored Local Control

NON-COMPLIANCE: The August 2025 extension was a final warning. Continued failure to meet these administrative and fiscal mandates will result in a full state takeover. This includes the total loss of local decision-making authority, further personnel actions, and the potential forfeiture of essential state funding due to persistent irregularities.

RESTORED LOCAL CONTROL: Success in meeting these standards will result in the lifting of the State of Emergency. Benefits include the restoration of local governance, a transparent fiscal environment that recovers public trust, and a stabilized academic system where student data and special education services meet the highest state standards. This manual is the district's only roadmap to professional autonomy.

 

Case Study: Restoring Excellence in Pocahontas County Schools

1. Anatomy of a School Governance Crisis

In the American educational landscape, local school districts operate under a philosophy of local control; however, this autonomy is not absolute. The West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) functions as a critical regulatory safeguard, empowered to intervene when local leadership fails to uphold the constitutional and statutory mandates of a thorough and efficient education. In February 2025, the relationship between the WVBE and Pocahontas County Schools shifted from collaborative oversight to emergency intervention. Following a "Special Circumstance Review" that exposed deep-seated operational and ethical failures, the state declared a "State of Emergency," signaling that the district’s leadership no longer possessed the capacity to meet legal or academic standards independently.

Critical Deficiencies Identified (Late 2024)

Area of Concern	Key Finding	Impact on Students
Academic Integrity	Evidence of "intentional acts" involving unauthorized and inaccurate grade/credit transcription for at least one student.	Compromised the validity of diplomas, potentially jeopardizing college admissions and the district’s accreditation.
Special Education	IEP (Individualized Education Program) compliance fell below 80% with systemic "mass placement" practices.	Denied students with disabilities their federal right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) under IDEA.
Data Management	Lack of WVEIS expertise and tiered access; inability to ensure data security or accuracy.	Student records became vulnerable to manipulation, and administrative decisions were based on unreliable data.
Support Services	Zero certified counselors at the high school level; a staggering 53% chronic absenteeism rate.	Over half the student population lacked necessary guidance and mental health support, leading to profound disengagement.

These failures were not isolated administrative errors but symptoms of a systemic breakdown in leadership capacity where basic operational checks and balances had been entirely circumvented.

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2. Deep Dive: Core Failures in Specialized Services and Integrity

To analyze the Pocahontas County crisis from a governance perspective, one must look beyond the symptoms to the underlying violations of federal law and institutional ethics.

The Breakdown of Special Education and FAPE

The investigation revealed a total departure from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The mandate for "individualization" was replaced by administrative convenience:

• Mass Placement: Rather than receiving tailored instruction based on unique needs, all special education students were funneled into a single math course. This "one-size-fits-all" approach is a direct violation of the federal mandate for a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
• Regulatory Neglect: IEPs must be reviewed every 365 days; the district routinely missed these deadlines, leaving students with outdated and irrelevant educational strategies.

The Erosion of Academic Integrity

A school district’s credibility rests on the integrity of its data. The review identified three primary issues that decimated this foundation:

• WVEIS Access: Administrative staff lacked the technical proficiency to manage the West Virginia Education Information System, resulting in chaotic record-keeping.
• Transcript Manipulation: The discovery of "intentional" unauthorized grade changes suggested a breach of professional ethics that undermined the value of every credit earned in the county.
• Scheduling Structural Failure: The absence of a "student-driven" master schedule meant that academic offerings were dictated by staff availability rather than student graduation requirements or Personalized Education Plans (PEPs).

The Workplace Environment

The "Special Circumstance Review" synthesized a workplace culture defined by hostility and a "culture of retaliation" originating from the central office. In such an environment, the institutionalization of reform is impossible, as staff members fear reporting errors or suggesting systemic improvements.

The West Virginia Board of Education responded by implementing a structured roadmap for recovery known as the "Five Pillars of Remediation."

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3. The Five Pillars of Remediation: A Blueprint for Recovery

The remediation plan serves as both a corrective action list and a legal framework for the restoration of local autonomy.

1. Academic Integrity & Data Management
   • Goal: Restore the accuracy and security of the student record-keeping lifecycle.
   • Critical Action: Execute a 100% audit of all student transcripts from the previous two years. Additionally, formalize the Dean of Students role to provide a structural bridge for scheduling and data integrity in the absence of certified counselors.
2. Fiscal Responsibility & Transparency
   • Goal: Implement rigorous internal controls to prevent the misappropriation of funds.
   • Critical Action: Strictly enforce the "Daily Deposit Protocol" (WVDE Policy 1224.1) and implement mandatory "Vector" training for all personnel handling money. A strict "No Backdating" policy for purchase orders was established to restore the integrity of the accounting process.
3. Special Education Compliance
   • Goal: Re-establish IDEA compliance and individualized instruction.
   • Critical Action: Transition from "mass placement" to "Placement Diversity" and establish a quarterly internal monitoring cycle to prepare for the state’s four-year monitoring schedule.
4. Leadership & Governance
   • Goal: Build sustainable local capacity through expert mentorship.
   • Critical Action: Retain a WVDE-approved consultant to mentor the principal and superintendent. Furthermore, the district must utilize HB 4849 and SBA (School Building Authority) funding to address over $6 million in facility and safety hazards, recognizing that physical safety is a prerequisite for academic recovery.
5. Student Support & Attendance
   • Goal: Remediate the 53% chronic absenteeism rate and provide personalized pathways.
   • Critical Action: Ensure 100% of students in grades 9–12 have a Personalized Education Plan (PEP) and utilize the "Principals Academy" to train leaders on student-driven master scheduling.

Learner Insight: The Goal of State Oversight From a governance perspective, the "Five Pillars" are not merely a punishment; they are a capacity-building framework. The state’s objective is not permanent control, but the sustainability and institutionalization of reform. Each pillar addresses a specific deficiency: if the issue was "intentional" grade changes, the solution is "Data Integrity." If the issue was "culture of retaliation," the solution is "Leadership Mentorship." Remediation succeeds when these processes become part of the district's DNA, rather than temporary responses to pressure.

While the blueprint was clear, the implementation phase revealed that the depths of the district's financial mismanagement had not yet been fully plumbed.

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4. Evolving Challenges: Fiscal Responsibility & The 2026 Update

By January 2026, as the county moved toward a scheduled review, a special audit of Pocahontas County High School revealed that the systemic failures were more pervasive than initially realized. These findings highlight that remediation is often a "process of discovery":

1. Missing Deposits: Funds from school-sanctioned events—specifically the "Turkey Trot" and concession sales—were not deposited according to state policy. In several instances, cash was left in a safe for months, circumventing the Daily Deposit Protocol.
2. Backdated Orders: The audit found that 294 out of 627 purchase orders (47%) were backdated. This represents a total failure of encumbrance accounting, where the district was spending money before obtaining legal approval, creating a significant risk of deficit spending.

These findings complicated the county's potential release from state control, illustrating that "tremendous work" in one area (such as special education) can be overshadowed by a lack of discipline in another (fiscal management).

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5. Milestones and the Path to Local Autonomy

The following timeline details the milestones required for the WVBE to consider a return to local control.

Timeline for February 2026 Review

Goal	Responsible Party	Target Completion
State of Emergency Extension Vote	WV Board of Education	August 2025 (Completed)
100% IEP Audit & Correction	Office of Special Education	October 2025 (Completed)
High School Financial Cleanup	Chief School Business Officer	February 1, 2026
WVEIS Access & Data Integrity Review	Director of Technology	February 15, 2026
State Emergency Review Meeting	WV Board of Education	February 2026

Key Takeaways for the Governance Learner

• Compliance as a Civil Right: Adherence to IDEA and financial protocols is not "red tape." In this case, non-compliance resulted in a violation of the civil right to FAPE and the mismanagement of taxpayer resources.
• Data Integrity as a Foundation: Without accurate transcription and WVEIS data, a district's diploma loses its currency. Governance requires an "audit culture" where data is verified and secure.
• Sustainability Requires Capacity: State intervention is a bridge, not a destination. The use of WVDE-approved consultants and "Principals Academies" is designed to ensure that when state advisors leave, the local leadership has the technical expertise to maintain the new standards.

As of early 2026, Pocahontas County Schools remain under state oversight. While the district has made significant strides under Dr. Leatha Williams, it must now demonstrate that its new systems—from encumbrance accounting to special education placement—are institutionalized and sustainable for the long term.

Navigating the WV Education Framework: An Administrative Essentials Guide

1. The Anatomy of a Crisis: Why Systems Matter

In February 2025, the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) declared a "State of Emergency" for Pocahontas County Schools. This rare and severe administrative intervention followed a "Special Circumstance Review" that revealed systemic failures so profound they necessitated an August 2025 extension of state oversight. When a district enters a State of Emergency, it signals that local leadership has defaulted on its legal and operational obligations to students, moving the institution toward the precipice of a full state takeover.

The Pocahontas County crisis is a cautionary tale for every administrator: systemic neglect is never localized. It spreads from the front office to the classroom, eventually compromising the district’s standing with the WVBE.

Case Study: Critical Systemic Failures

• Academic Integrity: Discovery of "intentional acts" involving the unauthorized transcription of inaccurate credits and grades for at least one student.
• Special Education: Documented compliance fell to less than 80%, characterized by a failure to meet federal 365-day review timelines and "mass placement" violations.
• Leadership Capacity: A lack of expertise and central office support fostered a "culture of retaliation," directly impacting school safety and the principal’s access to vital security footage.

These technical systems are not merely administrative conveniences; they are the legal safeguards of the institution, with WVEIS serving as the primary ledger of a student’s academic history.

2. WVEIS: The Pulse of Academic Integrity

The West Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS) is the digital backbone of the state’s educational infrastructure. As a centralized database for grades, transcripts, and graduation credits, its integrity is non-negotiable. The Pocahontas County review identified critical risks stemming from a lack of "tiered and logged" access, allowing for unauthorized data manipulation. To remediate this, the state mandated the appointment of a Director of Personnel and Technology to provide high-level oversight of all data entry.

Healthy WVEIS Management	Pocahontas County Failures
Logged & Tiered Access: Editing privileges are restricted to specific roles; every change is tracked and timestamped.	Unauthorized Transcription: Evidence of inaccurate credits and grades being manually entered into the system.
Staff Expertise: Administrators and data clerks undergo rigorous, ongoing training on WVEIS protocols.	Lack of Expertise: A documented inability to manage system protocols, leading to "intentional" errors.
Director Oversight: A dedicated official monitors transcription accuracy and system security.	Administrative Neglect: Failure to provide the principal with necessary access and support for data management.

Data integrity in WVEIS is the essential prerequisite for individual student planning; without a secure digital ledger, a school cannot legally defend its graduation rates or student placements.

3. IEP: The Legal Mandate for Inclusion

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a federal mandate under IDEA, requiring a bespoke educational roadmap for students with disabilities. West Virginia law requires a 365-day review to ensure these supports remain relevant. The "Special Circumstance Review" uncovered a disturbing trend of "mass placement," where students were grouped into the same math courses based on their "label" rather than their specific IEP goals—a direct violation of federal and state inclusion regulations.

To achieve total remediation, the WVBE has dictated the following mandatory steps:

• 100% Audit: A comprehensive review of every special education file in the county was mandated for completion by October 2025 to ensure total compliance.
• 30-day Correction Window: Any IEP identified as non-compliant requires a formal meeting with parents/guardians to be corrected within 30 days.
• Placement Diversity: Scheduling must be reorganized to reflect individual student needs, ending the practice of grouping students solely by disability category.

Beyond the digital ledger of WVEIS and the legal protections of the IEP, the administrative failure extended to the broader student population through a breakdown in counseling and attendance systems.

4. CSCP & PEP: Mapping Student Success

The failure to manage student support services contributed to a staggering 53% chronic absenteeism rate at Pocahontas County High School, where 138 out of 260 students were frequently absent. Re-engaging this population requires the rigorous application of the Comprehensive School Counseling Program (CSCP) and the Personalized Education Plan (PEP). Per WVBE Policy 2510, these are not optional documents; they are the "data source" for the district's Master Schedule.

The Student-Driven Scheduling Process:

1. PEP Development: Students in grades 9–12 collaborate with parents and staff to map academic goals; all PEPs must be completed by a mid-January deadline.
2. Administrative Bridge: In the absence of a certified counselor, districts must appoint "Deans" or a Supervisor of Counseling Services to lead this process.
3. Master Schedule Alignment: The Master Schedule is built around the data harvested from student PEPs, ensuring the curriculum meets the actual needs of the student body rather than administrative convenience.

Even the most sophisticated student-facing plans remain aspirational if they are not supported by the bedrock of fiscal transparency and administrative accountability.

5. Fiscal Responsibility & Leadership Pillars

A school’s leadership is only as strong as its financial controls. The January 2026 update revealed a profound failure of fiscal stewardship: 294 backdated purchase orders out of 627 reviewed, and thousands of dollars in cash—including funds from the "Turkey Trot" and concessions—sitting in a safe for months rather than being deposited.

Manager’s Checklist for Fiscal & Leadership Compliance:

• [ ] Daily Deposit Protocol (Policy 1224.1): All collections exceeding $500 must be deposited within 24 hours. No exceptions.
• [ ] "No Backdating" Enforcement: Purchase orders must be encumbered and approved before an invoice is generated.
• [ ] Formal RFP Threshold: Any expenditure exceeding $5,000 requires a formal central office Request for Proposal (RFP) process.
• [ ] Vector Training: Mandatory financial protocol training for all staff who handle money, including coaches and club sponsors.
• [ ] Principals Academy Participation: Mandatory leadership training focusing on the legal "chain of command" and data security to eliminate "cultures of retaliation."

6. Summary of Administrative Terminology

• WVEIS (West Virginia Education Information System): The state’s primary database for tracking academic integrity, including grades and transcription.
• IEP (Individualized Education Program): A legally binding document for students with disabilities requiring an annual 365-day review and individualized placement.
• CSCP (Comprehensive School Counseling Program): The strategic framework for student support services and attendance intervention.
• PEP (Personalized Education Plan): A student-driven roadmap for grades 9-12 that serves as the foundation for the Master Schedule.
• WVBE (West Virginia Board of Education): The state governing body with the unilateral authority to declare a State of Emergency and oversee district remediation.
• WVDE (West Virginia Department of Education): The state agency responsible for monitoring compliance and providing technical assistance for corrective action.

These acronyms represent the legal and ethical framework of a safe, functioning, and transparent school system. Failure to master them is a failure to lead.

 

Comprehensive Strategic Remediation Plan: Restoring Local Autonomy to Pocahontas County Schools

1. The Mandate for Reform: Contextualizing the State of Emergency

The February 2025 declaration of a State of Emergency for Pocahontas County Schools was not a mere administrative rebuke; it was a necessary intervention to halt the systemic collapse of educational and operational standards. For the district, this declaration serves as a mandated catalyst for total transformation. This plan is designed to dismantle the failed practices of the past and replace them with a rigorous, state-aligned framework that restores local control through demonstrated competency rather than a return to the status quo.

The 2024 Special Circumstance Review revealed a catastrophic failure across all critical domains of school governance. Specifically, the district must address:

• Academic and Data Integrity: Deliberate "intentional acts" involving the unauthorized transcription of inaccurate grades and credits for students, exacerbated by a pervasive lack of WVEIS expertise.
• Special Education Negligence: Compliance rates plummeted below 80%, characterized by the failure to meet the federal 365-day IEP review mandate and the systemic "mass placement" of students into math courses for administrative convenience rather than individual need.
• Leadership and Workplace Culture: A profound lack of leadership expertise at the central office level fostered an environment described by staff as hostile and rife with the threat of retaliation.
• Operational Instability: The absence of certified counselors and current master schedules, combined with the restriction of principal access to critical classroom safety footage, created a vacuum of accountability.

While the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) acknowledged "tremendous work" by the current administration in August 2025, the unanimous vote to extend the State of Emergency for another six months constitutes a final warning. The risk of a complete state takeover remains imminent. The extension was granted solely to ensure that these corrective measures are not temporary fixes but are permanently embedded in the district's operational DNA. The path to autonomy begins with the absolute restoration of academic integrity and the security of student data.

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2. Pillar I: Academic Integrity and Data Governance

Data integrity, maintained through the West Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS), is the non-negotiable foundation of school accountability. The "intentional act" of inaccurate transcription found in the 2024 review was a fundamental breach of trust. It is now evident that systemic student disengagement—reflected in a 53% absenteeism rate—created a vacuum where academic integrity was compromised to maintain the appearance of progress.

WVEIS Operationalization

The district is hereby mandated to implement a tiered access and logging system to prevent further unauthorized modifications. Level 3 administrative access—the highest tier—is strictly restricted to the Director of Personnel and Technology and the High School Principal. All WVEIS entries must generate a digital audit trail, ensuring every grade or credit modification is linked to a specific user and timestamp for monthly review by the Superintendent.

Transcript Correction Strategy

The district will execute a 100% audit of all student transcripts for the last two academic years. This is not a cursory check, but a granular, five-step verification process:

1. Extraction: Export all PCHS student transcripts directly from WVEIS.
2. Comparison: Cross-reference every digital record against physical teacher grade books for the 2023–2025 academic years.
3. Identification: Document all discrepancies using a standardized "Reconciliation and Correction Form."
4. Personnel Action: Identify the source of any "intentional" errors for immediate personnel review and potential disciplinary action.
5. Certification: A final validation of corrected records by the Director of Personnel and Technology.

Role Clarification

To bridge the gap created by the absence of certified counselors, the district has strategically formalized the roles of Deans of Students and the Director of Personnel and Technology. These positions are vital in providing the oversight necessary for master scheduling and data transcription accuracy, ensuring that data reflects actual student achievement.

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3. Pillar II: Fiscal Responsibility and Procedural Transparency

Strategic fiscal stewardship is paramount to meeting state auditing standards and rebuilding public trust. The discovery of new financial irregularities in January 2026—midway through the emergency declaration—demonstrates that procedural rigor is not yet fully ingrained. The failure to deposit funds and the widespread practice of backdating orders are unacceptable violations of state policy.

Remediation of Financial Irregularities

The audit revealed that funds from school events, specifically the Turkey Trot and concession sales, were held in safes rather than deposited. In the most severe instance, a deposit had been withheld since the start of the 2025–26 school year. Furthermore, nearly half (294 of 627) of all purchase orders were found to be backdated. The following Corrective Action Table is effective immediately:

Issue	Mandated Corrective Action	Policy Alignment
Missing Deposits	Daily deposit of any collections exceeding $500 within 24 hours. No funds may remain in safes overnight.	WVDE Policy 1224.1
Backdated Orders	Absolute prohibition on backdating; funds must be encumbered in the system before an invoice is generated.	State Purchasing Protocols
Accountability	The Principal must personally sign off on every daily deposit slip and maintain a copy for the central office.	Local Governance Mandate

Enforcement of Protocols

Centralized approval is now non-negotiable for all expenditures exceeding $5,000. These purchases require Central Office approval and must proceed through a formal RFP (Request for Proposal) process to ensure transparency and competitive pricing.

Training Mandates

All staff members who handle funds—including coaches, club sponsors, and teachers—are required to complete Vector training. This training will focus on the legalities of fund collection and the rigid protocols for public expenditure to ensure that the district remains above reproach.

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4. Pillar III: Special Education Compliance and Procedural Rigor

The October 2025 audit serves as the baseline for operations, highlighting a transition from reactive correction to proactive management. The district has a legal and moral imperative to provide the individualized support mandated by law; failure to do so will result in immediate state intervention.

IEP Remediation Protocol

Following the comprehensive audit, every non-compliant IEP must be remediated within 30 days. This process requires a formal meeting with parents or guardians to ensure the educational plan is legally sound and tailored to the student’s needs. Administrative "shortcuts" in the IEP process are strictly prohibited.

Operationalizing Inclusion

The "mass placement" of special education students into uniform math courses for administrative ease was a systemic failure. The district is mandated to implement Placement Diversity, ensuring that student schedules are driven exclusively by individual IEP goals and the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) principle.

Long-term Monitoring

To sustain compliance beyond the February 2026 review, the district will shift to a quarterly internal review cycle. This internal "pre-audit" will evaluate special education files against the state’s four-year monitoring cycle, ensuring that procedural rigor survives the lifting of the State of Emergency.

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5. Pillar IV: Leadership Capacity and Organizational Governance

Leadership capacity is the engine for all remediation. The transformation in this pillar requires an aggressive move away from the "culture of hostility" and "retaliation" toward professional accountability and mentorship.

Professional Development Framework

The district continues its contract with Deirdre Cline, the WVDE-approved consultant, to provide direct, on-site mentorship to the High School Principal and the Superintendent. This mentorship is focused on building leadership capacity and operational competence.

Furthermore, the "Teachers Academy" and "Principals Academy" have been launched to formalize standards. These programs emphasize the chain of command protocol and provide mandatory training on legal protections for whistleblowers. This is a strategic move to eradicate the previous culture of retaliation and ensure internal transparency.

Facilities and Safety Integration

Addressing the $6M+ in facilities hazards at PCHS—including HVAC and safety connectors—is a strategic priority. The district will utilize HB 4849 to apply for emergency School Building Authority (SBA) funding. This is a strategic alternative to a local bond, demonstrating fiscal ingenuity and the ability to secure infrastructure without increasing the local tax burden.

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6. Pillar V: Student Support and Engagement Initiatives

The 53% chronic absenteeism rate at the high school level is a primary metric of success for this plan. This disengagement is a direct symptom of the previous culture of hostility and the lack of systemic support.

Attendance Recovery Task Force

The district has operationalized a task force to reduce chronic absenteeism by a minimum of 5% initially. Interventions include:

• Home Visits: Conducted for students with the highest absence rates.
• Attendance Incentives: Positive reinforcement programs to reward consistent presence.
• Barrier Mitigation: Identifying and addressing remote transportation barriers that prevent students from reaching campus.

Personalized Education Plans (PEPs)

Per WVBE Policy 2510, the district is mandated to achieve 100% PEP completion for grades 9–12 by mid-January. These plans require an annual review involving the student, parent, and staff to ensure every student’s path is aligned with their post-secondary goals.

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7. Strategic Implementation Roadmap: The Path to February 2026

The February 2026 deadline is the definitive moment for Pocahontas County Schools. This roadmap provides the West Virginia Board of Education with the markers of success necessary to lift the State of Emergency.

Timeline of Accountability

Milestone/Goal	Completion Date	Responsible Party
All IEPs Audited	Completed (Oct 2025)	Office of Special Education
100% PEP Completion	Jan 15, 2026	School Leadership & Staff
PCHS Financial Cleanup	Feb 1, 2026	Chief School Business Officer & PCHS Principal
WVEIS Access Review	Feb 15, 2026	Director of Personnel and Technology
State Emergency Review	Feb 2026	WV Board of Education

Final Directive

As county leadership prepares for the February 2026 report to the WVBE, the focus must shift to the sustainability of these reforms. Success depends on proving that these protocols—from daily deposits of Turkey Trot funds to granular transcript audits—are no longer just written policies, but the irreversible standard operating procedure for the district. The restoration of local autonomy is contingent upon this proof of systemic stability.