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Trust in Brooke Board Is Crucial

Public education in Brooke County is a mess. That is a strong word, but the diagnosis is reinforced by what has happened during county board of education meetings during the past few months.

Unless this gets cleared up quickly, the backlash may harm students in Brooke County schools. It has been suggested that lack of public confidence in the system may prompt many voters to reject renewal of a crucial property tax levy.

A vote on that is scheduled for next month. School board members need to act quickly to avoid what could be a fiscal catastrophe for the district.

That may be difficult, because that board itself seems to be splintered.

During their meeting this week, some board members argued over various issues. As we reported, one matter on which they were united was in ordering an investigation of “serious allegations” regarding school Superintendent Toni Shute.

But on other matters, a lack of trust among some board members was made apparent.

At one point during the meeting, board member Stacy Hooper complained that she still had not received copies of meeting minutes involving discussion of large pay raises granted last year to some school administrators.

Then, however, Hooper herself came under fire from board member Brian Ferguson. He complained she had violated the state freedom of information law by emailing messages about the board to only three of its members. Hooper denied that — but still, votes on potential board policy changes that were to have been voted on during the meeting were delayed, at Ferguson’s insistence.

One move toward transparency taken unanimously by the board may not be implemented in time to help restore confidence. As board President Ted Pauls pointed out this week, the board will participate in the state auditor’s office’s West Virginia Checkbook initiative. It is an online portal providing detailed information on how local and state governments spend money.

Unfortunately, it takes time for those reports to be fed into the Checkbook system, and it appears that has not happened yet.

Board members are running out of time. What can they do to restore the confidence of the many Brooke County residents — some of them school employees — who have expressed their displeasure during recent months?

That is a good — and pressing — question. Board members need to find and agree on a realistic answer to it.

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