School Superintendent Williams Explains the Proposed Abolishing of Positions at PCHS

Concerned about the numerous posts on social media criticizing the abolishment of open and unfilled positions at Pocahontas County High School (PCHS,) Superintendent Dr. Leatha Williams has written a long letter explaining the reasons this benefits the students and staff. When we receive a digital copy of that open letter, it will be posted on our website -alleghenymountainradio.org- with this story.

On Friday, January 16^th, we interviewed Dr. Williams, and she summarized her reasoning for these positions being abolished.

“So today what I would like to do is just give a mid-year update,” said Williams. “I know that there have been some significant postings on social media platforms, especially Facebook, discussing and looking at recent changes that are being made to staffing at the high school.”

“When I got here in July, it was not an appropriate time to look at reorganization and restructuring of staffing at the school. Since I have been here for several months, I have spoken to multiple high school teachers and administrators, and talked about the schedule and talked about reorganizing it to move from a seven period-a-day schedule to a block schedule.”

“We are now currently at the point in the school year where we have to start scheduling for the next year, and in order to do that, I have to look at positions we have available, positions that are filled, and positions that are vacant. So, in starting that evaluation process, I looked at the high school schedule, I’ve looked at establishing some different programs in our CTE pathway for our students. And, part of that is looking at vacancies that haven’t been filled. So, we have several vacancies at the high school that have not been filled -meaning there is no one in those jobs.”

“We want to create new things at the high school and address concerns, such as the concern that was brought to us at the January 6^th board meeting, which is we don’t have a high school counselor. We want our kids to be prepared for college, and we want them to have the appropriate assistance. In order to do that, since no one is applying for the Counselor’s position, I have evaluated that position. I am gong to abolish it on the January 20^th board meeting, and establish a Graduation Coach. Since I’ve gotten here, I have also moved Missy Hill (-Doss) by mutual agreement or by posting (as a Counselor to the high school) -she actually applied for the job So, we do have a Counselor there who meets the guidelines in state code. But, to add additional services and help for her, a Graduation Coach can do that.”

“I have also looked at other vacancies at the high school, which include the Business Pathway in CTE, the social Studies position in CTE, in our core content area, and our ELA. I’ve also looked at class sizes; we have multiple sections in all of these classes that have between two and seven students. In preparing for our kids, we want to start doing micro credentialing and we want to start doing programs that can offer them an Associates Degree till they are career-ready. Among those programs are the Practical Nursing Pathway, Medical Assistant, looking at phlebotomy, and earlier in the school year our board voted to start a JROTC Program.”

“To be fiscally responsible in a time where we are seeing counties that are not, I have to look for positions that we can repurpose into these new positions. That’s why on the agenda you are seeing positions that are being abolished. I want to be clear, no one is losing their job.  There is no one in these jobs. Hopefully, we are going to attract new people to our county, or have people move into these positions where we can better serve our students and meet their needs.”

“So moving forward, after we have the January 20^th board meeting, I would hope that as we move through personnel season, we will have these positions re-posted into new positions that create new and better opportunities for our students in Pocahontas County Schools.”

“So, that is the reason we are abolishing some positions. We need those positions to re-purpose them. The reason that we couldn’t do that earlier in the year is that you don’t change the schedule in the middle of the year. when you are developing a new schedule, you start looking at staffing and how you can best support that. Thank you very much.”

Thank you for explaining this Dr. Williams.

Below is the full open letter written by Dr. Williams:

Dear Community Members, School Staff, and Families,

As a child growing up in Neola, West Virginia, I am very familiar with small-town life. In many ways, small towns offer some of the very best our country has to offer. They are unique in that everyone knows your name, and there is always a friendly face willing to help when needed. I am also aware that in small towns, the school system is the heart of community activity—the soul of engagement—and often the topic of dinner-table conversations and social media discussions.

The world has changed significantly since the pandemic, particularly with the rapid growth of social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and others. These platforms are often used as sources of news and as outlets for individuals to share thoughts and opinions on a wide range of topics. Much of what is read, however, reflects personal perceptions that may or may not be rooted in facts or a full understanding of processes and laws.

I am writing to provide a mid-year update and to ensure that we are all working together toward the shared goal of developing a strong school system that remains free from state control. We have been working diligently to address both the Special Circumstance Review and the Special Education Monitoring requirements, mandated by the West Virginia of Education in the takeover. The first phase of this work focused on increasing staff awareness of identified issues. The next phase involved countywide training to address those issues and establish appropriate policies and procedures. These initial stages, while important, are the easier parts of the process because they involve the intake of information.

The most challenging stage is implementation. This phase requires us to change practices and explore new ways of thinking to ensure our school system is both high-functioning and high-performing. As part of this process, I am closely reviewing our operations to ensure that all schools are following required policies, procedures, and processes in accordance with State Code. There will be times when I must make clear and decisive decisions as superintendent to ensure the health, safety, and effectiveness of our school system.

Recently, I addressed spending processes within our schools. We were not consistently following state guidance related to procedures and accounting. These concerns were presented to the Pocahontas County Board of Education during a special meeting on January 9. I am also currently evaluating vacant positions across the county. Some positions have remained unfilled for the entire school year—and in certain cases, for two or more years because there were no certified teachers to hire. As a result, long-term substitutes or uncertified educators have been placed in these roles. While I am grateful for every retired teacher and substitute who supports our schools, this situation means that students may not be receiving instruction from a highly qualified, certified teacher in that subject area. Additionally, using substitutes in long-term roles creates daily staffing shortages, resulting in classrooms being covered by other staff members. This reality requires me, as superintendent, to examine our programs and job postings and ask, “What can we do better to serve our students?” That is exactly the work I am doing.

I have also been reviewing opportunities that are currently unavailable to our students, particularly in terms of course offerings. For example, we do not have a full-time high school counselor due to a lack of applicants. Rather than continuing to post a position we cannot fill, I have abolished that position and replaced it with a full-time graduation coach. This change will help alleviate the workload of our part-time counselor while providing students with strong support in planning their futures and navigating college applications.

Looking ahead, I hope to implement additional opportunities next year, including a Practical Nursing Pathway, a Medical Assisting Pathway within our Career and Technical Education programs, and a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program. Some of these offerings will allow students to graduate with an associate degree and directly enter high-need fields within our community. This means our high school will produce career-ready graduates who do not have to leave the community to pursue higher education. I believe this is an exciting step forward for our students, our schools, and our community.

To make these opportunities possible, I must carefully review school schedules, staffing, and finances. I began this process by examining positions that are currently vacant or have been vacant for multiple years. These unfilled positions will be abolished for the 2026–2027 school year. No one has lost a job as a result of these changes. By repurposing these positions, we are creating the financial flexibility needed to expand programs while maintaining responsible stewardship of our finances. This approach will ultimately strengthen our school system and broaden opportunities for our students.

In closing, I encourage our community to stay engaged by attending or watching Board of Education meetings (https://boe.pocahontas.k12.wv.us/page/board-of-education-links) where I regularly provide updates on our progress. I also urge everyone to remember that secondhand information shared on social media is not always accurate. My door is always open, and you are welcome to stop by my office at any time. My email address is lgwillia@k12.wv.us and my office number is 304-799-4505. I will respond to you as appropriately and timely as I can.  As I continue getting to know the community, I would welcome the opportunity to talk with you about our school system and the work we are doing together.

There is no greater resource in Pocahontas County than our children.  The children we serve are our priority in all regards.  As my team and I manage our school system, in all ways, our constant focus will always be on how to meet student needs and to help each child succeed.  The sacred service to children is a constant commitment and focus of the school system in collaboration with our supportive communities.  We are STRONGER TOGETHER!