ELKINS — The Randolph County Board of Education has set hearing dates in October for the proposed closure of two K-12 schools and three elementary schools.

The public hearings will give the community a chance to respond to the closures and consolidation plans proposed by Dr. Shawn Dilly, the school system’s superintendent. At the end of each of the three scheduled public hearings, the BOE will vote on whether to close the schools.

Randolph County Schools was placed in a State of Emergency by the West Virginia Department of Education in June. The school district will remain on probation for a total of six months, and faces the possibility of a state takeover if it cannot create a balanced budget or show progress by December.

A public hearing on the closing of Harman K-12 School and North Elementary School is scheduled for Oct. 8 at the Elkins High School theatre, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Those wishing to speak during the hearing must sign in between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. A final vote on closing the schools by the Randolph County Board of Education members will be at 8:30 p.m.

If the proposal is approved, students from the two closed schools would be merged into Jennings Randolph Elementary School, Elkins Middle School, and Elkins High School.

In January, the BOE voted 4-1 against closing Harman School. That plan, which was presented by Dilly, would have seen Harman K-12 School close and consolidate with Midland Elementary, Elkins Middle School and Elkins High School.

A public hearing on the closing of Pickens K-12 School is set for Oct. 14 at 5:30 p.m. in the EHS theatre.

Those wishing to speak must sign up between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. A final vote on the closings will be made by the BOE at 7:30 p.m.

If the proposal passes, students from Pickens will be merged into George Ward Elementary and Tygarts Valley Middle/High School.

One day after the Board of Education voted against Harman closing back in January, Dilly’s proposal to close Pickens K-12 was formally withdrawn and the public hearing on the proposal was canceled.

The third and final public hearing, on the closure of Coalton Elementary and Midland Elementary, is scheduled for Oct. 28 at 5:30 p.m. at the EHS theatre.

The final vote will be made by the BOE at 8:30 p.m.

If the BOE approves the proposal, students from Coalton and Midland will be transferred to Third Ward Elementary and Beverly Elementary.

The next Randolph County Board of Education meeting will be held at the Central Office and is scheduled for Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.