ELKINS — With the clock ticking and time growing closer to when Randolph County Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Shawn Dilly will have to make some tough budget decisions, teachers and students continued to voice their concerns this week.

Three teachers, three students and one parent spoke at this week’s BOE meeting to voice their concerns about what the future may hold for both Randolph County School employees and students. Chrischele Siler, an English and Language Arts teacher at Elkins Middle School, was among the employees who spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting.

“I stand before you tonight in response to the proposed elimination of teams at the middle school, and the loss of six core teachers,” Siler said. “As we know, middle school is a crucial time in our children’s academic and social development. These proposed changes would undermine our ability to effectively support our students, and significantly harm their educational experience. Therefore, I respectively urge the board to reject these proposals when they are made.” 

Siler also spoke about the proposal to eliminate the team and collaborative structure at the school. Dilly previously said that eliminating the team structure could possibly help the county meet some of the budget requirements for the 2025-2026 school year.

After the Randolph County Board of Education voted in January to not close the Harman School, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Shawn Dilly warned county employees that potentially 32 positions could be eliminated in order to balance the budget.

“The team concept is deeply personal to me,” said Siler. “I attended Elkins Junior High School before the implementations of teams, and I can tell you that I had little to no connection to any of my teachers. Even when I was bullied, I never felt comfortable confronting them with any of my concerns. Our students today don’t face that same challenge. Each student on our team knows us as individuals and knows that we are genuinely invested in their success.”

Siler said that, during her 16 years of teaching, “I’ve built lasting and strong relationships with my students, relationships that have lasted long after they have left my classroom… I have former high school students that I still support – I go over things with them, I talk to them, I have one of them with me tonight. These relationships enhance our students’ school experience and contribute to their ongoing success, because they know they have real cheerleaders behind them.”

Siler then talked about the potential of the school losing six teachers to cuts.

“We are possibly going to lose six teachers, three social studies and three science,” Siler said. “I want to emphasize the long-term consequences of this decision. The impact will be far-reaching. Not only will it weaken the education of our students in these essential subjects, but will also affect math and English instructions. Science and social studies play a pivotal role in developing well-rounded, informed students. These subjects require students to think critically and solve problems.”

Siler closed by staying, “I ask you to consider the profound impact these changes will have on our students. The team approach fosters strong relationships and the subjects of science and social studies are indispensable to a well-rounded education. So I urge you to reject these proposals when they are brought to you and ensure that we continue to provide the best possible education for all of our students.”

Among the students who spoke at the meeting, Elkins Middle School student Miner Taylor said, “I think that we should keep all of the social studies programs at Elkins Middle School, because there are teachers there that help students grow and become better people in society,” he said. “I’m not going to give up on teachers who haven’t given up on me.”

The annual Reduction in Force (RIF) process is expected to begin the week of March 10. The next BOE meeting is scheduled for March 4 at 5:30 p.m.