Parents allege policy-driven injustice, not financial necessity, as October 28 vote nears
Coalton, West Virginia — October 2025 — In the heart of Randolph County, the people of Coalton are fighting to save what they call the soul of their community — Coalton Elementary School — from a closure they describe as senseless and avoidable.
The Randolph County Board of Education plans to shutter Coalton Elementary on October 28, 2025, citing “budget shortfalls.” Parents say the justification collapses under its own math. According to WV Department of Education records, the district retains roughly 8.5 central-office administrators averaging $80 k each, while closing Coalton would net under $150 k in real savings — less than 1 percent of the budget.
“We’ve shown the numbers. Coalton isn’t closing because it’s failing—it’s closing because the state’s funding formula doesn’t fit communities like ours. The Public School Support Program was designed for big districts, not small towns. Coalton has actually gained students, yet the Board still claims we’re losing dollars. That’s not budgeting—it’s bureaucracy.” said **Jay King**, spokesperson for the Coalton Elementary Community Group.
The community’s “Coalton Bridge Budget” proposes redirecting 5 % of central-office overhead, sharing teachers among small schools, and converting the building for after-school programs and community use. The plan buys 12–24 months for lawmakers to fix the state’s flawed funding formula — with no new taxes.
Families warn of dire consequences: students facing 60- to 75-minute bus rides over mountain roads, loss of local meal programs, and the disappearance of the town’s only public gathering place.
A legal injunction citing violations of WV Code § 18-5-13a and Policy 6204 is being prepared to stop the vote.
“We’re not asking for charity,” said local parent “Jay King”. “We’re asking for fairness and common sense.”
Media Contact:
Jay King
Coalton Elementary Community Group
coaltonparent@gmail.com
Elkins, West Virginia 26241
Summary
In Coalton, West Virginia, parents and residents are uniting to stop the October 28, 2025, closure of Coalton Elementary School — a decision they call policy-driven, not financially necessary. The Randolph County Board of Education cites “budget shortfalls,” but community leaders argue the numbers tell a different story.
State data shows the district employs about 8.5 central-office administrators earning an average of $80,000 each, while closing Coalton would save less than $150,000 — barely one percent of the district’s budget. “Coalton is not closing because it is failing—it’s closing because the state’s funding formula does not fit rural communities,” said Jay King, spokesperson for the Coalton Elementary Community Group. “It’s bureaucracy, not budgeting.”
The group’s “Coalton Bridge Budget” offers an alternative: reallocating 5% of administrative spending, sharing teachers among small schools, and repurposing the building for community use and after-school programs.
This plan could sustain Coalton for up to two years while lawmakers reform West Virginia’s outdated Public School Support Program (PSSP), which critics say penalizes small towns. Families warn that closure would force students onto hour-long mountain bus rides, eliminate meal programs, and erase the town’s central community space. A legal injunction citing WV Code §18-5-13a and Policy 6204 aims to halt the vote. “We’re not asking for charity,” King said. “We are asking for fairness and common sense.”
