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Parents and residents press Upshur County Board for data, hearings as school-closure talks loom
Summary
At a Board of Education meeting, parents and community members urged the board to pause or better justify proposed elementary school closures, citing that staff learned of plans via social media and demanding enrollment, financial and student‑placement data; board staff said State law (W.Va. Code 18-5-13a) and Board policy 6200 govern the process and hearings.
The Upshur County Board of Education heard more than an hour of public comment Tuesday as parents and residents urged the board to provide clearer data and more transparent notice before pursuing elementary‑school closures.
Board staff opened delegation time by saying the closure and consolidation process "is guided by state statute, West Virginia code 18 5 13 a, and West Virginia Board of Education policy 6,200," and that hearings, legal advertisements and informational materials would be made available at affected schools and the board office at least 30 days before hearings.
That procedural framing did not satisfy several speakers. "Our school is closing from Facebook," said Kristi Gode, who identified herself as a student, parent and…
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