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ELKINS -- The annual Reduction in Force (RIF) process took place during a pair of meetings held at the Randolph County Board of Education's Central Office this week.
Randolph County Schools Superintendent Debra Schmidlen met with school officials across the county last month and disclosed what recommendations she made for this year's RIF process. Those recommendations were brought before the Board of Education during this week's personnel hearings on Monday and Tuesday.
Schmidlen gave an opening statement before the meetings, saying, "It is the responsibility of the superintendent to review the personnel and staffing needs of the county for the upcoming school year. Randolph County continues to see an overall decline in our student enrollment. Enrollment for funding decreased by 98 in the fiscal year 2024 to 3,561 eligible enrolled for the upcoming fiscal year budget. We are down 379 from five years ago and 659 from 10 years ago.
"The largest expenditure in our budget is personnel and we have numerous unfunded and expired grant funded positions. The Rationale for a reduction in force procedure is to maintain the county employment figures within the guidelines of the state funding formula… The West Virginia Board of Education in a letter dated Jan. 10, 2024, reminded Randolph County that we must have other funding sources to cover any jobs not cut."
In Schmidlen's opening statement, she said cuts to professional positions will save the county approximately $65,880.92 per employee. She added that service position cuts will save the county approximately $38,021.21 per employee, and that the grand total of savings is approximately $999,687.69.
Employees in the county who received a RIF letter back in February could request a hearing and speak to the BOE members during this week's meetings.
During the first night of the meetings/hearings on Monday, the BOE heard about and voted on service personnel RIFS in the county. Five employees received transfers and six employees' jobs were approved for termination.
Service personnel transfer recommendations that were approved by the BOE Monday included: Jaime Bragg (Custodian III – Pickens), Melody Greenway (Secretary II/Accountant II – Pickens), Desire Miller (LPN/Aide Itinerant – Coalton), Patricia Shumate (Secretary II/Accountant II – Tygarts Valley High School), and Suzanne Wymer (Aide II – Harman).
Service personnel jobs that were recommended for termination and approved by the board included: Steven Frevele (Custodian III – Elkins High School), Dana Bennett (Secretary II/Accountant II – Harman), Sashia Triplett (Aide – Elkins High School), Haley Oliphant (Secretary II/ Accountant II – Elkins Middle School), Stacie Coffman (Aide II – ETW/Itinerant), and Franklin Sacks (Truck Driver/General Maintenance/Carpenter I).
During the second meeting on Tuesday night, there were nine transfers and seven terminations among professional personnel. The only recommendation denied on either night was on Tuesday when the BOE denied the transfer of Tygarts Valley High-Middle School math teacher Samuel Everson.
Those receiving transfers were: Lindsay Blake (Grade 1 Teacher – Jennings Randolph Elementary School), Cassi Bonnett (English Teacher – Tygarts Valley High-Middle), Holly Davis (Science Teacher – Tygarts Valley High-Middle School), Natalie Josimovich (Art Teacher – Harman), Brittany McCray (Grade 1 Teacher – North School), Hannah Shiflett (Music Teacher – Midland Elementary), Sam Straughan (English Teacher – Elkins High School), Jennifer Vandevender (Grade 5 Teacher – Midland Elementary), and Caitlin Weese (Special Education Teacher (Beverly).
Professional personnel employees whose jobs were terminated included: Lindsay Fincham, (Art Teacher – Tygarts Valley HIgh School), Susan Guillembet (Math Teacher – Elkins High School), Hannah Hoffman (Special Education Teacher – Elkins Middle School, Tiffany Hymes (Grade 5 Teacher – George Ward Elementary School), Kylie Isenhart (Special Education Teacher – Tygarts Valley High School), Natasha See (Grade 4 Teacher – Beverly Elementary), and Rebecca Smith (Grade K/1 Teacher – Harman).
Randolph County Board of Education meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. The next Randolph County BOE regular meeting will be on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.