WELCH, W.Va. — The superintendent of McDowell County Schools is still smiling after the state Board of Education relinquished control of the local school system to the McDowell County School Board last week.
Superintendent Nelson Spencer said the school system has worked since 2001 to clear up problems — such as classroom underachievement and rundown facilities — that led to state oversight.
“I would say the biggest difference is our teachers and principals in those schools actually focusing on the right things — on the instructional strategies in that classroom to where they engage all students,” Spencer said.
The county has a number of brand new buildings, and where they haven’t built new, the historic schools have been modernized.
“We’ve done some major upgrades,” said Spencer. “Our maintenance department has done an excellent job of upgrading the older buildings. The ones that were structurally sound we kept and modernized.”
One thing that hasn’t changed in 12 years is the struggle against poverty. The county continues to be among the poorest in the state, and a high number of the students come from indigent homes.
That is seen as a big factor in why the county’s high school students scored low in math and reading proficiency last year. Overall, more than half the county’s 10 schools failed to meet state and federal progress standards.
Spencer said socioeconomic obstacles can’t deter their mission.
“We have expectations of our students just like anywhere else,” he said. “We understand those issues, but we won’t use that as an excuse.”
