| A final Education Performance Audit completed in July, 2013 and issued by the West Virginia Board of Education has given "full approval status" to the Calhoun school system.
Calhoun-Middle High School and Arnoldsburg Elementary School has been granted conditional accreditation and Pleasant Hill Elementary School has been granted full accreditation, according to the report.
Calhoun Superintendent of Schools Roger Propst said,
"We're coming out of the hole, but we're still below West Virginia averages," discussing the loss of long-time teachers and seeking teachers certified in specialized fields.
West Virginia has received a waiver from No Child Left Behind, now operating on an improvement model to reflect progress and achievement.
Propst said Calhoun has not being designated among 129 Focus or Priority schools targeted by the state, which indicates the local school system is improving.
Calhoun Schools increased its focus on student achievement and has implement numerous action steps, improving its state ranking in achievement from 55th place to 46th place of 55 WV counties.
"Calhoun Schools boasts the 10th highest graduation rate in the state for 2011-2012," Propst said, and has made major improvements in school attendance.
CALHOUN SCHOOL'S 2013 OEPA REPORT:
Calhoun County Schools has increased its focus on student achievement and taken several action steps toward reaching this goal, the
state ranking of Calhoun County Schools
District's achievement increased from 55th to 46th in West Virginia.
The district attendance rate has remained above
the state requirement of 90 percent for the last
five reporting years, following pro-active measures by the system to improve attendance.
Several issues found in the initial audit of Calhoun County Schools remained prevalent, low student achievement, and more than a casual financial deficit for 2012, and professional certification issues. While there has been some progress in improving student achievement, particularly at the middle/high school level, the county's financial deficit has worsened.
Based on interviews with the superintendent and board members, the Calhoun County Board of Education was working with each other in a respectful manner with the common goal of providing the best education opportunities for the students of Calhoun County...in particular, low student achievement and the district's deficit
financial condition.
The Office of Education Performance Audits concludes that the Calhoun County Board of Education and the Superintendent have the leadership capacity and the commitment to bring about needed improvements in student academic performance and make the necessary decisions to restore financial solvency to the county.
The Office of Education Performance Audits recommends that the West Virginia Board of Education continue the Full Approval status of the Calhoun County
School District.
However, due to Calhoun County's escalating financial deficit,
the Office of Education Performance Audits will continue to monitor the financial
conditions through annual financial statements for improvement.
Calhoun Schools Office of Education Performance audit
Calhoun/Middle High School audit
Pleasant Hill Elementary School audit
Arnoldsburg Elementary School audit
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