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Schools may close Thursday, Friday in Randolph County

ELKINS — This week’s potential walkout of teachers and state employees would prompt county officials to cancel classes and review the school calendar.

Randolph County Superintendent of Schools Gabriel J. “Gabe” Devono said Sunday evening that he has been following the statewide concerns closely in recent weeks, and has received regular updates from state and local education representatives.

“If they do walk out Thursday and Friday, we will call school off and have no school at all — the big thing for that is the safety of our kids,” Devono said in a phone interview Sunday evening, following the announcement this weekend of plans for a two-day work stoppage as state employees and teachers rally for higher pay and better benefits.

Devono noted he couldn’t open school and have hundreds of students in a building without enough staff on hand to supervise the students.

If the two-day walkout occurs, those two instructional days will need to be added into the school calendar somewhere, he added.

“Whatever these kids miss, we have to make up,” he said, noting there may be an impact to how early the summer break begins. There also could be an impact to the high school boys and girls basketball sectional tournaments.

Devono said he plans to meet with the state superintendent this week, and he also will meet with principals and his staff to go over plans for dealing with the potential walkout.

He noted the state superintendent’s office already sent county leaders legal guidance on the issue.

Representatives from the West Virginia Education Association, state American Federation of Teachers and the West Virginia School Service Personnel Association took part in a rally Saturday in Charleston, asking state leaders to make changes to the state’s public employees insurance fund and increase wages. Teachers and state employees in the local areas as well as throughout the state have hosted gatherings and held signs asking for support in recent weeks.

“What’s nice is our WVEA and AFT representatives have really kept us informed, and I totally appreciate that,” Devono added.

Randolph County Board of Education President Donna Auvil was in Charleston Friday and Saturday for a meeting of the West Virginia School Board Association, and said the group passed a resolution. A copy of the resolution shows that it urged “immediate passage of legislation addressing these critically important issues” facing teachers and service personnel, who “have not received a legislatively passed pay increase for six years.”

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