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Public commenter at Randolph County Schools board alleges legal lapses in Harman school closure process
Summary
At the board’s regular meeting, public commenter Phil Prine alleged the Harman school closure process violated West Virginia statutes and district policy, urged an investigation, and asked the board to work with a local education entity to keep the Harman building dedicated to schooling.
Phil Prine told the Randolph County Schools board that the Harman school closure process raised “issues of transparency, legal compliance, and proper governance” and urged the board to investigate alleged lapses.
“Firstly, I'm here to express concerns about the Harman school closure process, which raises issues of transparency, legal compliance, and proper governance in West Virginia public education,” Prine said during the public‑comment period, citing West Virginia statutes 18‑5‑13‑A and 18‑2E‑5D and district policy 4336. He also referenced West Virginia code 18A‑4‑8F in describing staff‑rights concerns.
Prine accused administrators of relying on incorrect information, limiting community input and, in some instances, risking student safety. He asked the board to cooperate with the new local entity he named — the Harman Education Association — to keep the building devoted to education and to restore community trust through clearer procedures and lawful practice.
The board later voted to enter an executive session under the personnel citation 6‑9A‑4B2A; when the board reconvened it stated that no decisions were made in executive session. The board did not announce any formal investigative motion or timetable during the meeting.
The speaker’s allegations cited specific state code and a district policy; at the meeting no administrator offered a public factual rebuttal or detailed timeline of next steps to address the claims. Prine’s remarks concluded with a call for corrective action and renewed commitment to transparency and lawful procedures.
What happened next: the board held an executive session on personnel during the meeting but recorded no public decisions; no formal follow‑up action was announced on the record. If the district opens any formal inquiry or posts additional documentation, those items would supply the concrete next steps recommended by the commenter.
