State designee approves personnel reductions and transfers at Logan County Schools after seven hearings

Jeff Kelly, serving as the West Virginia state superintendent's designee, convened a special meeting to conduct seven personnel hearings for Logan County Schools and approved the proposed reductions and transfers at the meeting's conclusion.

County personnel official Miss Tyree told the hearing that the actions are not performance-related but are driven by declining enrollment and a need to reorganize staff. "All of these actions have nothing to do with the performance of the employee," she said, explaining that reductions reflect seniority rules and program reconfiguration across schools in the district.

One of the public hearings featured Kurt Messerino, a PE/health teacher at Mann Middle School, who said he has been in the district for 16 years and that he will have employment next year through a transfer. Messerino described safety concerns if the district eliminates a PE position, saying that consolidating students and reducing teacher coverage would create an unsafe environment. "I have a letter from every single resource officer in the county basically stating" that a single teacher in the gym with large groups raises safety concerns, Messerino said. He cited scheduling realities he said leave many students supervised by one adult at a time and referenced state class-size language during his remarks.

Tyree provided details for other affected staff: Charles Lester, described as a special needs aide at Logan Elementary School, is being recommended for reduction in force because his seniority date is later than other candidates and will be placed on preferred recall. Anthony Nelson was described as being transferred to split-time driver's-education positions (.5 at Mann and .5 at Logan) for the 2026–27 school year because enrollment does not support a full-time driver's-education teacher. Patricia Spence was identified as the least-senior art teacher at Chapel Hill Regional High School and therefore recommended for reduction in force and placement on preferred recall; a similarly framed recommendation was presented for Abigail Spence. County officials also explained that the number of TSS positions (therapeutic/specialized support staff) will fall from five to three across Mann, Logan and Chapelville; the affected TSS employee will be placed on preferred recall.

Several employees, including Lester, Nelson, the Spences and others, requested closed hearings; the board entered executive session to conduct those hearings and returned to the public meeting after each.

After the hearings, county staff confirmed to the designee that the recommendations were based on declining enrollment and reorganization needs. Jeff Kelly read the intervention statement on the record and stated his authority under West Virginia Code 18-2E-5. "I hereby approve the proposed personnel actions presented by superintendent White," Kelly said, concluding the meeting and adjourning at 7:02 p.m.

The approved personnel actions are administrative determinations made by the state superintendent's designee under the Board of Education intervention; county officials said affected employees will be placed on preferred recall where applicable. The designee's approval completes the county-level hearings process but, under the intervention, the county board itself retained no authority to alter these determinations at this meeting.