BUCKHANNON — Control of the Upshur County schools system could be returned to the county Board of Education in February, state officials announced.

In an update during the Upshur BOE’s Sept. 11 meeting, West Virginia Department of Education Assistant Superintendent Jeff Kelley informed BOE members that they were on the right track for him to possibly recommend to the State Board a slow return of autonomy for Upshur County in February 2026.

The West Virginia Board of Education seized control of the Upshur schools system in June 2023 after an investigation revealed board officials had inappropriately spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding for improper uses.

Kelley began his report by praising recent educational-based improvements the Upshur Board had made. He highlighted efforts such as transitioning students back from the county’s elementary alternative education program, an improvement in student performance for grades K through eight and in overall test scores, putting emphasis on “maintaining urgency to finish the school year strong,” work on summer programs for science and reading and more.

“I was extremely impressed with the academic output of the teachers and the students here in this county,” Kelley told board members.

Kelley also highlighted the honor bestowed on Brandon Kelley, a custodian from Washington District Elementary School, who was selected as the 2026 School Service Personnel of the Year for the state of West Virginia.

Kelley told the board members, and teachers in the audience at the meeting, that they should celebrate the progress they’ve made, before addressing where the Upshur County Board of Education stood with the State Board.

“The question that I will almost always get with these updates is where are we in our status in this county, and when will autonomy be returned to this board,” Kelly said. “Our next update to the State Board will be in February, I believe. That will be the next opportunity for me to not only report out to the Board but to make a recommendation, if I feel that is pertinent at that time.”

Kelley called all the work done by the Upshur County BOE “fantastic.” He said the State Board received the last update and the most recent test scores as well, and that the State Board was “very happy and very pleased.”

Kelley said it would be his hope to arrive before the State Board in February feeling like Upshur County was in a situation where he could make a recommendation to “step back autonomy.” He explained that the return of control to the Upshur County BOE would not be immediate, but a gradual process.

“What I mean by that is, traditionally what has happened is, we’ve had counties receive complete autonomy back where they have control of everything. I do not anticipate that will be the practice moving forward,” Kelley said.

“I imagine that the practice would be that we will step back control to counties when they start to do well, and show us that they have the capacity to function and put kids first. I think we’re well on our way on that front (in Upshur County).”