Poca Feb 3, Meeting

 

The following is a summary of the Pocahontas County Schools Board of Education meeting held on February 3, 2026. The meeting primarily focused on a comprehensive update regarding the district's "State of Emergency" and special circumstance review.

Superintendent’s Presentation: State of Emergency Update

Superintendent Dr. Williams provided a detailed presentation on the progress made since July 1, 2025, to address critical systemic failures identified by the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) [01:59].

• Pocahontas County High School (PCHS) Review: The school was found non-compliant in five key areas: comprehensive counseling, grading and scheduling, leadership, positive environment, and special education [07:15].

• Grading and Scheduling Crisis: Previously, student schedules were not ready by the start of the school year, and transcripts contained inconsistencies [11:20]. Most critically, evidence suggested that grades were being changed due to parent pressure rather than calculation errors, which is illegal under state code [13:14].

• Safety and Security: Major breaches were identified, including students having access to door codes and unauthorized access to computers containing sensitive student data [16:39].

• Special Education (SPED): The district faced a "significant crisis" in SPED. Initial reviews showed that 89% of IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) were non-compliant, meaning only about 11% of students were receiving their legally required services [40:23].

Progress and Corrective Actions

Dr. Williams highlighted the shift from "random acts of improvement" to a coordinated team approach under the theme "Stronger Together" [05:06].

• IEP Compliance: Philip Anderson, the Director of Special Education, reported that the number of non-compliant (red) IEPs has dropped from over 200 in November to zero today [01:01:42].

• Attendance: Chronic absenteeism at the high school has improved significantly, dropping from 48% to 35% [28:58].

• Systemic Reorganization: The central office was realigned to define roles and responsibilities, and a new paper trail for grade changes and transcript reviews was established [24:35].

• Facilities: Extensive work was done to repaint classrooms, remodel bathrooms, and update camera systems across the district [25:23].

Personnel and Board Actions

• Personnel Agenda: The Board approved several substitute teachers and coaches but denied a transfer request for a special education teacher to move to a CTE business position, citing the high need for SPED staff at the high school [01:35:04].

• Athletic Guidance: New superintendent guidelines were introduced to standardize the ratio of "dollar coaches" to paid coaches to ensure equity across sports programs [01:36:54].

• School Calendar: The Board discussed making up two missed school days and agreed to survey staff at each school to choose between various makeup scenarios (utilizing dates in March, April, or June) [01:42:57].

Upcoming Milestones

The district is preparing for a pivotal vote by the West Virginia Board of Education on February 11, 2026, which will determine if the district is released from its current state of emergency status [03:57].