|
After five years of administration by the State Department of Education, Lincoln County students are falling through the crack.
"The system is hitting rock bottom," said Linda Martin, coordinator for Challenge WV, the state using abusive power over community schools.
When the state took-over Lincoln schools in 2005, they cited the county's abysmal college-going rate of 44% as one reason for their actions.
Since then, the rate has dropped to less than 40%, likely the worst in the state.
McDowell County, taken-over by the state in 2001, has the second worst college-going rate in the state, showing dismal progress.
Thomas Ramey, a Challenge WV fellow and Lincoln County small schools activist, told state officials, "There is not only a lack of improvement, it has gotten much worse."
Under state control, Lincoln officials say the system is being thrust into bankruptcy.
Ramey called for the resignation of state-appointed superintendent William Grizzell. Hundreds of Lincoln County residents have signed a petition calling for his removal.
"Mr. Grizzell is incapable of sparking the progress we need and he should be removed from his position or resign," said Ramey.
Grizzell is paid at least $90,000 for running the system. An auditor denied his use of a school vehicle for his private transportation, while county school officials complained that he is often absent from the county office.
After five years, three out of four Lincoln County schools did not meet Annual Yearly Progress (AYP), with one school having the lowest test scores in WV.
Challenge's Martin said, "If Lincoln's numbers warranted a takeover for being so bad, and now those numbers are even lower, who does Mr. Grizzell and the state answer to?"
"It is time for someone to be held accountable. It is time for new leadership," she said.
"Using their bloody hammer, the state has promised to reduce costs through consolidation and improve the quality of education for our kids. They have told us a lie in order to win the consolidation battle," Ramey said.
The state is building a consolidated high school at Hamlin that may be the most costly school built in the USA, per capita, estimated to cost at least $31 million, but factoring other expenses could be several million additional dollars.
"We need someone that cares about education, and not just multi-million dollar buildings and creating super-long bus rides for our children," he said.
Members of the elected Lincoln County Board of Education are ready to resume control of personnel matters, says board president Carol Smith.
Smith says the state now plans to employ a former assistant superintendent to work on the county's five-year plan at a cost of $300-per-day.
"We have consistently told them that their appointed superintendent has wrecked the finances of the county," said Smith. "We are going to be worse than bankrupt by the time he (state-appointed Superintendent William Grizzell) gets through," she said.
Smith says the school board has no intentions of taking back financial control, until the state takes care of the matter. "We certainly don't want the financial mess."
Grizzell told state media he came to Lincoln County to take care of the consolidation problem.
Smith has always contended the state used alleged shortcomings as "excuses" to consolidate the county's four high schools.
The Lincoln County school board, all five members, have petitioned the state to hire a financial consultant to help correct the problems.
| 
