ELKINS — A host of teachers from Elkins Middle School attended this week’s Randolph County Board of Education meeting show their concern about a potential structural change at the school.

EMS teacher and team coordinator Amy Lambert, along with Greg Haddix, a counselor at the school, spoke to the BOE and Superintendent Dr. Shawn Dilly about a potential decision to eliminate team and collaborative structure at the school.

Eliminating the team structure at EMS, as well as block scheduling at Elkins High School, could possibly help the county meet some of the budget requirements for the 2025-2026 school year, Dilly said when presenting a breakdown of where cuts might have to be made during a recent BOE meeting.

Lambert said she wanted to offer some perspective on the “proposed dismantlement of the team structure at Elkins Middle School.”

“Team structures tend to have better academic performances and outcomes than departmentalized structures,” Lambert said. “… When students are in team structure, they have a better adult advocacy group.  The team structure provides students with consistency. The team structure also provides assistance to meet students’ social and emotional needs. It allows for a better formation of relationships, both between the student and his or her teachers, and their peers.”

Lambert added that team structure has been advocated by many educational institutions and researchers over the years. 

“Is it worth the small costs of savings?” asked Lambert, who requested all those attending the meeting in support of the team structure at EMS to please stand. More than 10 teachers from the school stood to show support.

Haddix said the team structure at EMS has many benefits to its students, adding students thrive in more personalized communities and have an enhanced sense of belonging.

“I think it’s important for our school to stay in the same team concept that it’s in, because it benefits both students and staff,” he said. “It boosts the morale of students and enables all of us to address the problems students have to deal with going through middle school, which is a really challenging time for them.”

Dilly said making the changes at both EMS and Elkins High School is something he doesn’t want to do, but that it may be necessary.

“Is this what I want to do? Absolutely not,” he said. “But when I’m asked to provide a budget that is balanced, this is something we have to look at.

“This is something we are debating heavily the merits of, but when we are looking at where we can reduce staff to accomplish the financial goals that we have, this is one of the few areas left, and I think it comes at a pretty high cost besides the financial decision that comes along with it,” Dilly said. “Until the nation itself puts a bigger priority on public education, we are going to continue to see these tougher decisions.” 

The next Board of Education meeting will be Feb. 4 at 5 p.m.