LOGAN COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – Logan County Schools Superintendent Jeff Huffman appeared before the West Virginia State Board of Education Wednesday to give an update on the school district’s improvement plans.

During the meeting, Huffman acknowledged the previous administration had “created a toxic environment and didn’t focus on education.” He told the board he has spoken to students, teachers and staff and that morale is improving.

“Our focus is on treating each other with respect. Treating one another with professionalism. Understanding we’re all equals. Understanding we’re all working as one team and that is Team Students,” Huffman said. “It’s not about anything other than doing what we need to do to support each other and to support student learning.”

The state took over the school system in October 2022 after finding 46 areas of non-compliance during a Special Circumstance Review. The decision placed the county school system’s day-to-day operations and the county board operations under the authority of the WVBE and State Superintendent of Schools David Roach. Huffman was then appointed as interim county superintendent by Roach and has since received a four-year contract.

According to the WVBE, Huffman highlighted several areas of focus for the district’s improvement plans, some of which include:

• Evaluating and prioritizing which programs the county will use to reach strategic plan goals
• Focusing on the West Virginia College and Career Readiness Standards
• Making improvements that lead to conducive and productive school culture and climate
• Ensuring students enrolled in virtual school platforms receive Individual Education Plans (IEP) and interventions as needed
• Conducting all board meetings, discussions and business in open sessions
• Communicating processes, protocols, and procedures to the local board regarding chain of command regarding complaints and concerns
• Requiring contracts appearing on county board agendas to contain the associated services and costs outlined in the contract

“We are seeing change in Logan County. It’s the kind of change we needed to see,” said WVBE President L. Paul Hardesty. “We are letting Superintendent Huffman do his job, and we will continue to do everything we can for the students, teachers and staff in Logan County.”

More information on the WVBE intervention and improvement plans for Logan County Schools is available on the WVBE website.