In my last column, I planned to write this week about ways that local citizens could support public schools with private money. However, the last column was written before our new Randolph County Superintendent Dr. Shawn Dilly spoke to the Elkins Rotary Club.

Getting more funding for local schools seems even more important now after Dr. Dilly has made it quite clear that financial support is needed for Randolph County Schools.

Dr. Dilly is not trying to hide the facts. Over the last eight years, enrollment has gone down 516 students, and 93 of those students left in the last year.

We have lost 39 teaching positions and a total of 70 school employees over the last eight years. Dr. Dilly went on to tell how the $38 million school budget is spent and why the funding is “spread too thin” to cover the needs in our schools.

It was concerning to read that $14,559 is the average expenditure per student in West Virginia, but that Randolph County spends $1,711 less per student with an average of $12,848.

West Virginians are accustomed to reading that our state ranks lower in comparison with other states, but people here like to believe that Randolph County is better than other parts of the state, and it is not so.

At the beginning of this new school year, Superintendent Dilly is focusing on the wellbeing of all our public schools and what is best for the future of each student. He has written a book titled, “Schools for this Century and Beyond” bringing a new perspective to the situation in our county.

To be “future-ready,” Dr. Dilly says students need basic competencies in the social and emotional intelligences. He is concerned about organizational wellness and effectiveness in the schools. This concept has to do with the “atmosphere and environment” within communities.

Dilly said, “We know that our morale is very low in our system.” However, he plans to bring positive changes.

Clearly the Randolph County school system is facing many challenges, and schools need more effective communication within local communities. Public schools are limited because they must follow state mandates to get school funding from the legislature.

Problems created by the legislature are among the many reasons why private citizens need to help the school board to find new private funding sources for our local schools, and we need to pass a new school levy.

Good public education is the most important indicator of a vibrant community that has hope for the future.

“Creating a brighter future” is our motto at Kump Education Center, and we plan to work with Dr. Dilly to make the future brighter for Randolph and surrounding counties.