ELKINS – The Randolph County Board of Education was already looking at making tough decisions about cutting employees in order to balance the budget, but now, because of uncertainty over federal and state grant funding, the school system is also having to RIF other staffers – at least temporarily.

During Tuesday night’s BOE meeting, Superintendent Dr. Shawn Dilly said officials are “hopeful” that the funding in question will be announced, and that some of the RIF letters that have already been sent out can be “rescinded.”

Dilly discussed factors that will influence what decisions will be made to balance the budget for fiscal year 2026, including the possible reduction of 32 positions county wide. Dilly stressed that the uncertainty surrounding federal and state grant-funded programs is a major problem.

“We are actively pursuing information surrounding the outcomes of those different grants and different funding streams,” Dilly told the Board. “We are hopeful to have something soon, we are being told certain things, but I can’t get anyone to authorize anything in writing. And I am not comfortable moving forward without anything in writing.”

Dilly said that if action isn’t taken during the RIF (Reduction in Force) process to cut some of the school system’s positions that are funded by federal and state grants, the BOE won’t be able go back and make changes.

“If we don’t take action now, and that position is returned to us, we don’t have the ability to fire that position beyond the ‘personnel season,'” Dilly said. “I think that’s what people don’t often understand about the school system – this is our one chance to act. And with us not understanding if or when we will get federal dollars, or some of these state grants, we have to unfortunately assume the worst right now and take action that will allow us to ensure that.

“But we are hopeful that within the next few weeks we will get some confirmation about those funding sources so that we can rescind those as quickly as possible, because we have started sending out notices (RIF letters) to some of our staff at this point.”

Employees who receive a RIF letter can request a hearing and can speak to Board of Education members during RIF personnel meetings. There will be two meetings, one for service personnel and one for professional personnel. No dates have been released for those meetings, which took place on March 11 and March 12 last year.

Dilly said there are currently seven state grant professionals employed by the Randolph County school system, and 32 federal grant professionals. There are also 10 service employees who are employed thanks to federal funding.

“There are quite a few folks who are impacted by these uncertainties right now,” Dilly said. “It’s not anything anyone could have anticipated up to recent events at the federal level and uncertainties at the state level of what there will be outcomes on.

“Even pressing the state for guarantees at the state level, I was basically told, until the legislative session is over, they are not comfortable putting anything in writing, which is making it more difficult to make decisions about how we have to move forward.

“It is really causing a lot of difficulty on behalf of our staff,” he said. “It’s a situation I wish we could avoid, but until we have certainties, we have to make decisions to recommend placing people on RIF to transfer.”

Dilly said that some of the federal and state grant positions currently filled in the county cannot be eliminated because they are required by federal law.

“Special Ed teachers,” he said. “If federal funds dry up, by federal law we still have to have those teachers providing services. So we would have to find a way to pay them.”

The next regular Randolph County Board of Education meeting is scheduled for March 18 at 5:30 p.m.