State designate approves personnel actions after staff hearings at Upshur County Schools

Jeff Kelly, the West Virginia Department of Education official serving as the state superintendent’s designate, convened a sequence of personnel hearings concerning proposed reductions and transfers in UPSHUR COUNTY SCHOOLS and said the acting state superintendent approved the staffing actions after the sessions concluded.

The hearings — which included teachers, program coordinators and support staff — focused on the expected effects of eliminations or transfers and, in several cases, apparent inconsistencies in seniority or job classification. "The news about my proposed termination has been very difficult to process," choir director Lauren Hall said, reading a prepared statement that described rebuilding a diminished program, fundraising nearly $7,000 for chairs and stands, and advancing students to state‑level ensembles.

Why it matters: the hearings were conducted while the county remains under a Board of Education intervention declared under West Virginia Code 18‑2E‑5, which temporarily delegates operational authority to the state superintendent. That delegation means final determinations on the personnel actions rest with the state office, not the local board.

Staff testimony and key claims

Pre‑K coordination: Lorie Woods, the county’s pre‑K supervisor, told the panel…