CHARLESTON — Two Upshur County residents spoke against closing Rock Cave Elementary School before the West Virginia State Board of Education unanimously approved the closure and consolidation of the school.

During the State Board’s meeting last week, more 25 people came forward as delegations to speak against the closures of schools in six counties, as well as discuss the state’s school vaccination requirements and other topics. Two individuals came forward to speak on behalf of keeping open Rock Cave Elementary School in Upshur County.

One of the first to address the State Board was Abigail Jefferies, who said she had received responses from multiple legislators who stated their “plans to address the school funding formula this (legislative) session.” Jefferies said this plan could lead to additional funding being distributed to all counties, adding that time will allow for a levy to pass in Upshur County.

“Upshur County has traditionally supported students with a levy and have been outspoken in reasons for not doing so in the last election cycle,” Jefferies said. “That is because of the misappropriation of funds by a past superintendent and the lack of transparency that has occurred since.”

Jefferies said the community was confident that a levy would pass again once the Upshur County Board of Education had regained control from the State Board.

The state intervened to take control of the Upshur County Schools system in 2023 after an investigation revealed that board officials had inappropriately used hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding for personal uses.

In September, West Virginia Department of Education Assistant Superintendent Jeff Kelley informed Upshur County Board 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.

Jeffries implored the State Board to not be “heavy-handed” with closing down schools, in both Upshur County and around the state, stating that doing so will “cause detriment both known and unknown, not only to the communities but also to the state’s growth.”

The next Upshur County resident to speak was Rock Cave Elementary special education teacher Amber Anderson, who stated that the consolidation proposal “directly affects” the place that shaped her family and her career.

“This school is not just where I work, it is where my family has grown and where my dedication as an educator has taken root,” Anderson said. “Rock Cave is not just a school, it is a family, a safe haven and the heart of our community. First of all, I must ask, what price could ever justify risking a student’s future or tearing out the heart of a community?”

Anderson said the educators at Rock Cave Elementary know their students’ strengths, challenges, dreams and what helps them thrive. She explained that, in her position as the school’s special education teacher, she serves eight students, while French Creek Elementary has 25 special education students. With the schools combined, there would be “over 30 students with IEP (Individualized Education Programs), many with high needs.”

Anderson also spoke on the “actual cost” of closing Rock Cave Elementary, including the reassigning or loss of the school’s staff and longer bus routes for students.

On Dec. 10, the West Virginia State Board of Education unanimously approved the closure and consolidation of Rock Cave Elementary School, after the plan received approval from State Superintendent of Schools Michele Blatt in November.

With the State Board’s vote, Rock Cave Elementary will be closed by the end of the 2025-2026 school year ,with students being transferred to French Creek Elementary, effective the 2026-2027 school year.