Pocahontas County Schools Released From the WV BOE’s “State of Emergency”
At the February 17th Pocahontas County Board of Education meeting, Dr. Leatha Williams announced that the county schools were officially released from the State of Emergency they had been placed under by the West Virginia Board of Education and Department of Education in early 2025. She delivered the following statement about this:
“To our viewers, to our staff, February 12th marks the beginning of a powerful new chapter for Pocahontas County Schools, as many of you have heard, we have officially been released from our State of Emergency,” said Dr. Williams. “That is no small achievement. While the high school and central office received the state of emergency for 6 months prior to my arrival, the entire county for the last 6 months was put on a state of emergency. Interdiction for school systems often last three to seven years. What we have accomplished in a short time is extraordinary. This milestone belongs to every teacher, every service personnel member, every administrator, every staff member, every community member, and every individual who poured their time, their talents and their heart into this work. I am incredibly proud of you. Our dedication, our resilience and our belief in our students made this possible.”
“So, make no mistake, this is not an ending, it is a beginning for us. Now we move forward with clarity, confidence and purpose. We recommit ourselves to our theme – ‘stronger together.’ We will continue to calibrate our work or our vision and sharpen our focus as we move from intervention to excellence, with a bold goal of becoming the number one school system in the State of West Virginia. Our geography is not a barrier; it is a blessing. It has preserved our wholesome way of life rooted in values, relationships and community. It creates a small family-like atmosphere where every student is known and every child is cherished. This is not just special, it is powerful. Those qualities are not limitations; they are a competitive advantage against the other counties in the State of West Virginia. They are a formula for greatness, a formula for success.”
“I am deeply honored to serve as your Superintendent as we begin the climb to the top together. Thank you for everyone for your hard work. Thankyou to these board members for your support, for your vision and your belief in our school system and our students. Your efforts have made all the difference. Thank you for believing in our mission, thank you for believing in each other. We are stronger together, and the best is yet to come for Pocahontas County Schools.”
Be sure to listen to part 2 of this meeting story where we discuss some controversial remarks made, as well as other important items discussed and approved at the meeting.
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