WVBOE Gives Boone County Four Days to Cut Budget or Risk State Takeover

West Virginia Board of Education members are giving Boone County’s school board until July 18 to make drastic cuts to their budget. 

State board members voted 6 to 1 Thursday to take over Boone County schools if the local school board does not take action to reduce its budget by Monday. Former Delegate Tom Campbell was the only nay vote.

Boone County’s Board of Education submitted a budget to the state at the end of May for the 2017 fiscal year that began July 1.

That budget, according to state Department of Education officials, was not balanced and state Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Martirano directed the county to make additional budget cuts, including reductions to teacher salaries and benefits.

Without that cut, Martirano said the county will only be able to fund its schools through April 2017.

Before the vote, several members of the board stressed to teachers and administrators who attended the meeting that they did not want to take over the system and hoped the board would act.

One county board member in attendance refused to comment about the state board’s decision.