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Board approves routine items; candidate Ronnie Wade urges transparency, cites levy and spending increases
Summary
The board unanimously approved minutes, personnel recommendations and payment of bills. During public comment, resident and board candidate Ronnie Wade urged spending transparency and shared estimates that district spending rose sharply between 2022 and 2025 and offered a levy burden breakdown; his numerical claims were presented as personal estimates and were not independently verified at the meeting.
The Wetzel County Board of Education unanimously approved routine business, including minutes from Feb. 24, 2026; personnel recommendations; and payment of bills for February 2026. Motions were moved and seconded (minutes: moved by Mrs. Nice; personnel: moved by Mr. Castello; payment of bills: moved by Mr. Castello) and carried without opposition.
During the public-comment period, resident Ronnie Wade, who identified himself as running for a seat on the school board, urged greater transparency on district spending and provided figures he said were his estimates. "In 2022, the levy passed by 54% of the votes," Wade said, then described what he called increases in spending and an estimated distribution of levy contributions among oil and gas, businesses and residents. He said district spending rose from about $49 million (2022) to $68.4 million (2025) and called for clearer public explanation of where money is being spent.
Board members did not take formal action in response to Wade's figures at the meeting; the comment period is time-limited and the board president cut the speaker off when the three-minute allotment expired. The transcript shows Wade prefaced many of his numerical claims as estimates rather than audited figures.
What the board approved: the minutes from the Feb. 24 meeting; personnel recommendations including resignations and three leaves of absence (Christine Herrick, Natasha Still, FA Heasley); and the payment of bills for February. Each item was moved, seconded and approved unanimously by voice vote.
What remains: Wade requested clearer public accounting of levy-funded spending. The board did not schedule an immediate follow-up in this meeting record; members earlier discussed scheduling a special budget session on April 29 to review the budget with Mr. Duke.
