Cabell County Board to Accept Internal Letters for Next Superintendent; Executive Session Held

The Cabell County Board of Education held a special meeting to consider the appointment of a superintendent to begin July 1, 2026, and announced it will solicit letters of interest from current Cabell County Schools employees through Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at 5 p.m. The presiding official said letters may be emailed to joshua.poly@k12.wv.us.

During a staff briefing, Ms. Hornbuckle Myers outlined the legal framework for selecting a county superintendent. "You may select the person without posting notice of the vacancy, without conducting a formal search," she said, adding that a superintendent is considered a public officer and that state code prescribes a minimum one-year and maximum four-year appointment term. She summarized other statutory requirements, including residency in Cabell County or a contiguous West Virginia county before assuming the office, required licensure endorsements for the superintendent role, a physician certification for tuberculosis skin testing, and an official bond under West Virginia Code 6-2-1 in the range of $10,000 to $50,000.

The presiding official moved the board into executive session citing statutory authority related to appointment, employment and compensation of a public officer; the motion passed on a voice vote with no opposition recorded. The board later returned to open session after a motion by Ms. Neely, seconded by Mr. Abbas, and reported "we had a very good discussion in executive session," then announced the internal solicitation for candidates.

No formal appointment was made during the meeting. The decision as stated by the board limits the solicitation to current Cabell County Schools employees; the board said it strongly prefers an internal candidate but did not state whether outside applicants will be considered later. Compensation for the appointment must be fixed by the board on or before June 1 of the appointment year, the staff briefing noted, and the president of the county board must certify the appointment to the state superintendent of schools after selection.

Board business following the superintendent item included a brief confirmation that there were no current legal updates and a staff note that the LSIC meeting date will be set in the coming days. Ms. Neely moved to adjourn and Ms. Smalley seconded; the board adjourned at 4:29 p.m.

The board provided these procedural details publicly but discussed candidate details in executive session, which is consistent with the legal provisions described by staff.