State of emergency declared for Lincoln County schools

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The West Virginia Board of Education has declared a state of emergency for Lincoln County schools as the state reviews problems in finance and transportation, officials said.

The board directed state Superintendent Clayton Burch to appoint people to coordinate school improvement efforts with the county superintendent, the Department of Education said in a news release Thursday.

If progress isn’t made, the board can intervene in the school system’s operations, the release said.

The department in a recent review found problems including inadequate purchasing procedures, excessive overtime, inadequate records for bus repairs and maintenance, and a bus maintenance schedule that may have resulted in buses breaking down, the release said.

“We are pleased with the progress of Lincoln County Superintendent Jeff Kelley,” board Vice President Tom Campbell said. “His efforts are ongoing, and this action is in support of those efforts to address the county’s deficiencies.”

Kelley became superintendent July 1.

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