Chandler Academy, Career Plus program facing staff cuts

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — Staff cuts for both the Chandler Academy and the Career Plus program are being proposed.

The Career Plus Program is offered at the Carver Career and Technical Education Center and the Ben Franklin Career Center to at-risk students. Students in the Career Plus program can take core subject classes in a smaller classroom setting at the career centers.

A spokesperson for Kanawha County Schools said low enrollment is one reason staffing cuts are being considered. There are about 45 students total at Carver and Ben Franklin.

The spokesperson said they will move the Career Plus Intervention services back into high schools. There are currently four teachers for each Career Plus program.

KCS told Eyewitness News they will retain two teachers at each school through the 2024-2025 school year to transition out the current students in the program.

Codie McCallister is a former student of the Carver Career Plus program. He said he got more one-on-one learning experiences through the Career Plus program than he would have in a traditional high school.

"I was actually able to sit down with somebody, and they showed me how to write out multiplication," McCallister recalled. "That's the first time somebody actually sat me down and taught me how to do multiplication and just writing on paper instead of just handing me a calculator like most teachers would try to do."

McCallister said he also discovered his writing abilities while in the program.

"I didn't know I had that much potential," McCallister said. "At Carver Career Plus they want to see the students thrive and unlock their true potential of what they have. At regular high school I don't think would've ever gotten that."

As for the Chandler Academy, a KCS spokesperson said the academy averages 50 students in person daily, with an average attendance of 60%.

Due to student and funding loss, Kanawha County School administrators have proposed staff cuts including an assistant principal, a counselor and seven teachers. KCS said they would add a behavior specialist and keep special education staffing the same.

"Some days it takes two counselors, a principal and a vice principal to deal with a situation, and it has to be dealt with then," Chandler Academy teacher Patty Waldeck said. "We are here to help our students become productive citizens and so their tomorrows can be better than their todays."

A KCS spokesperson told Eyewitness News that ideally no staffing cuts would need to be made, but KCS has lost more than 530 students this school year.

KCS said most, if not all, employees affected by Reduction In Force and Transfer are typically offered other jobs within the district. Every employee will have the opportunity to a hearing in front of the school board.

Staffing will not be final until the board votes on the staffing decision later on in the spring.