HUNTINGTON Ƶ The Cabell County Board of Education will have a special meeting at 4:30 p.m. Monday to review its list of recommendations for the transfer or reduction-in-force (RIF) of personnel.
At that time, the personnel recommended to be cut or transferred will have an opportunity to have a hearing in front of the board relating to their position. There is also a delegations item on the agenda for public comment.
According to the list posted on the Cabell County Schools , 79 professional and 59 service personnel will be recommended for the transfer list for the 2025-26 school year, and 84 professional and 67 service personnel will be recommended to be cut.
All of the countyƵs career literacy teachers appear on the transfer and RIF lists for professional personnel.
Superintendent Tim Hardesty said he cannot clarify if or why the county would be attempting to do away with the career literacy programs before MondayƵs hearing, when the board has a chance to officially review those positions. But none of those employees were placed on the lists for reasons related to their job performance, he said.
Hardesty confirmed that more transfer and RIF notices were given out this year compared to previous years.
Last year, 59 professional and 32 service personnel were recommended to be transferred, while 60 professional and 14 service personnel received RIF notices.
The transfer and RIF notices given out during the 2024-25 school year were also higher compared to previous years leading back to 2018, according to data provided last year by Ƶhley Stephens, director of communications and family connections.
Hardesty said the increase could be attributed to the fact that several positions were added during the COVID-19 pandemic when the county was receiving federal dollars to combat learning loss. Since those funds ran out in September, the county must adjust accordingly.
Hardesty also pointed out Cabell County continues to lose enrollment, meaning itƵs losing state aid for positions. HeƵs reiterated data during several board meetings this year that show enrollment has decreased every school year since 2014-15.
Over the past decade, the county has lost more than 2,000 students in headcount enrollment, or about 15%. Between this year and next year alone, Hardesty said the county is expecting to lose around 258 students in funding.
Treasurer Drew Rottgen also told the board in January the district is currently about 133 professional and about 140 service positions over the state aid formula allowance. He roughly estimated this would cost the district about $15.6 million per year through local funds.
ƵWe would certainly like to be able to keep them all because we hired them for a reason, and the reason for any changes or cuts that weƵre making is not because of the employee. ItƵs not against them, and I hope they donƵt take that personally,Ƶ Hardesty said of the personnel on the RIF and transfer lists.
The board will also review a list of recommended terminations for extracurricular contracts. While a similar list was up for review , many of the contracts being considered for terminations were previously tutoring positions.
This year, a host of after-school activities for students are on the list, including theater programs, BETA clubs, robotics, FFA, speech and debate forensics for both high schools, archery and other activities.
Hardesty said, again, a lot of extracurricular positions were added when the county had additional pandemic dollars. While an extracurricular position may be eliminated for a staff member, he said that would not jeopardize their original teaching position unless they are already on the transfer or RIF lists.
Stephens said some of the positions on the list may also appear because those staff are already on the RIF or transfer lists and may no longer be at that school to provide those extracurriculars.
Although there are moving parts, she said the county anticipates many of the programs could continue.
The board goes through the process of reviewing recommended cuts and transfers every year, per state code.
Hardesty said the process starts by looking at the needs of the countyƵs schools, typically in the winter. He said the district looks at potential enrollment for the following year for pre-K through sixth grade classrooms, since those are funded by the state according to student-to-teacher ratios.
For high school, Hardesty said the district looks at course requests and offerings to determine projected needs. He then meets with principals and creates a list of position changes before letters are sent out to staff.
Personnel are placed on the transfer list, as opposed to being cut, based on seniority.
Hardesty said, as personnel retire, resign or move out of the county, or positions are created, more vacancies could open up for personnel on the list, and many of them will have the opportunity to move into a different role. He said he is expecting job openings to be posted on May 1.
Last year, by May 8, 35 professional and six service personnel remained on the preferred recall list after staff were rehired, their RIF/transfer was reversed, or they chose to leave Cabell County Schools.
ƵWe try our absolute best to get those employees back,Ƶ Deputy Superintendent Justin Boggs told The Herald-Dispatch following a meeting in May 2024. ƵWe want to get everybody back that we can.Ƶ
