| By Dianne Weaver
The Fayette County school system has been taken-over by the state, the latest in a series of take-overs that followed the failure of counties to support school consolidation.
"This is an extraordinary circumstance that must be resolved," said state auditors. The system lost accreditation in 2007.
The State Board of Education voted 8-1 for the measure, with officials saying the system is "weak and thin" and largely inefficient and ineffective.
Thomas Ramey, Jr, executive director of Challenge WV said, "Taking over on the heels of a bond election, which was overwhelmingly against closing schools, is a definite and unfortunate blow to the democratic process."
"People in communities deserve to be heard and not have their votes disregarded," he said.
Ramey said recent legislative findings clearly show the connection between closing and consolidating into larger schools has increased dropout rates.
"Hopefully state education officials have learned from their failed wholesale consolidation movement," said Ramey.
Auditors wrote, "The board is deeply divided and at an impasse over what course needs to be taken to improve schools...This is an extraordinary circumstance that must be resolved."
State officials said students showed weak test scores, with some of the worst math scores in the state, while county school buildings are described as sub-standard and not suited to serving the county's students and staff.
In October, a $49 million bond issue failed by a wide margin. It would have built a consolidated Fayette Plateau High School and moved students from four existing high schools: Mount Hope, Oak Hill, Fayetteville and Midland Trail. About 1,300 students are involved.
The four closed high schools would have been renovated into middle and elementary schools. Six schools, Nuttall Middle, Collins Middle, Ansted Middle, Mount Hope Elementary, Gatewood Elementary and Fayetteville Elementary, would have closed under the plan.
Fayette County Board of Education President David Arritt believes the consolidation issue, the county supporting six high schools, has irked state officials for years.
Arritt is in favor of smaller community schools, where he says drugs and discipline are not the problems, and children perform better.
With the state board's decision, state Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine will have control of finances, personnel, the school calendar and curriculum.
Paine also has the authority to conduct hearings on school closure, consolidation matters and to remove principals from low-performing schools.
Dwight Dials will take over in Fayette County. Dials was a state-appointed superintendent in the bitter Mingo County consolidation case, where hundreds of students will now face long bus rides.
The state is currently controlling Mingo, Grant, Preston, Lincoln and McDowell county systems.
Despite years of state take-over, most counties have shown little if any improvement in academic performance.
"Treating the democratic process in such a disparaging manner is unforgivable," Ramey concluded.
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