Student class president Cathrynne Tenney, who is also the student representative for the EHS Local School Improvement Council, asked the BOE to think carefully about their decisions. The RIF hearings will begin Monday.

“The transition to a period schedule would increase the complexities of student schedules from four classes per day to eight,” Tenney said. “This change would be particularly challenging for students who maintain part-time employment to support their families or save for college. The current block schedule allows students to effectively balance academic and work responsibilities.”

Tenney said students are worried about potential RIFs of EHS teachers.

“We are deeply concerned about the upcoming ‘personnel season’ and proposed staff cuts that have been outlined at several board meetings,” Tenney said. “These cuts would impact students’ safety and supervision, while increasing class sizes in secondary education where no class limits exist. Also, teachers face significantly increased workloads, with some potentially handling six different class preparations daily instead of the current three.”

Elkins High School freshman Max Eason voiced his concerns about potential cuts to the school’s teaching staff.

Aidan Lowther, a junior at EHS, said if the school eliminates block scheduling, which Dilly has told administrators will happen if the RIFs are approved by the BOE, students who work will have difficulty finding time to study because of an increased class load.

“Some students, like myself, work part-time jobs, and some even work full-time hours,” Lowther said. “Instead of worrying about homework for four classes now, it is proposed that we may have eight classes instead… So if we have eight classes to study for, how are we going to work? In the early morning hours or late hours of the night?

“All decisions have a trickle-down effect, some are positive and some are negative. I am not seeing any of the positives and, to get personaI, I’m losing several classes that I love, including Jazz Band and Forensics. If I as one individual is losing all of this, then imagine how much this is going to affect each student… I hope you reconsider the changes in teachers, classes and block schedules.”

Max Eason, a freshman, pointed out that losing teachers, classes and subjects will not only affect him, but all students at the school.

“The teacher cuts are unjust for not only the students and staff, but the general future of Randolph County,” Eason said. “I’d like to point out the anxiety that will rise with students who are going to lose their favorite teacher, class or subject…

The Inter-Mountain photo by Edgar Kelley Aidan Lowther, a junior at Elkins High School, spoke during the public comment section of Tuesday evenings Randolph County Board of Education meeting.

“Several people I know are getting cut and several of my favorite teachers are getting cut. If we eliminate counselors, nurses and PE (physical education) teachers, we are just not balancing the budget, we are stripping away central support that students rely on every day.”

Eason said students will also feel the effects of EHS moving from block scheduling to period scheduling.

“I am an honor student, I take honors classes,” he said. “This will be much harder on me next year if we go to period scheduling. I will have up to five honors classes. Not only am I going to have eight periods of homework, I also work a part-time job. To have all of that homework, play sports and work, won’t be realistic for me and several other students who are in this situation… We must vote to not accept these changes.”

Ellen Shepherd, a Special Education teacher at Third Ward Elementary and a parent of two students in the school system, was one of four teachers to speak Tuesday.

“When my 14-year-old, who is a freshman, was in kindergarten, the opportunities were almost double of what he has coming,” Shepherd said. ” I can only imagine what will be left for our students if we don’t change course.

“We continue to take from our high school students, because our hands are tied in elementary, there are class-size limits. Our high school students are the ones who showed up at the strike, they came and supported us. They showed up at every levy meeting, they showed up at every levy vote, and they showed up here and are missing their sports events for their high school memories to beg for an education. And you continue to take it away. I don’t understand. I don’t understand how you can look at these kids who are self-aware enough to know they deserve better.”

According to information circulating online that was shared by students and parents, staff cuts and period scheduling for the 2025-26 school year at EHS will result in seven lost positions.

Effects will allegedly include: Vo Tech Center schedule; reduced health classes; Statistics not offered; Calculus BC not offered; Computer Science limited; BCA not offered; Physics not offered; limited Chemistry; Jazz Band not offered; and Advanced General Music/Duel Credit Music Appreciation not offered. 

The BOE has not yet publicly released any details about what positions have been targeted in the RIF process.

Andrew Carroll, an EHS English teacher, said, “It’s a point of pride to see our students speak out and articulate themselves so well here today. I think we have to remember that none of us want to be in this position and I don’t envy the position you guys are in. It really stinks that you guys are left to play a really terrible hand…

“I think this is a really great time for some really well-placed civil disobedience, I think. Voting for an unbalanced budget and really pointing out the crisis we are in is an apt choice,” Carroll said. “I think when faced with really terrible choices, we do have the choice to refuse, and I will gladly bail you guys out of jail if anyone wants to pursue those charges there.”

Other teachers who spoke during the meeting were EHS Science teacher Emily Poss and Tygarts Valley Middle/High School Social Studies teacher Michelle Depp.

The RIF hearings for staffers who have received RIF letters will take place Monday, March 17 through Thursday, March 20 at the BOE office, beginning at 5 p.m. each evening.