CHARLESTON — Del. Elias Coop-Gonzalez (R-Randolph) is encouraging community discussions about using West Virginia’s charter school program to preserve Harman School in Randolph County, citing legislation passed earlier this year that extends the application window for schools seeking conversion.
“Earlier this year, I wrote a bill to help save the Harman School in Randolph County, and it passed,” Coop-Gonzalez said. “Last December, I authored a detailed article about how to save the school while simultaneously avoiding the financial problems the county is facing.”
Coop-Gonzalez explained that the effort to keep Harman School open centered around West Virginia’s public charter school program. However, by the time local discussions about closing the school began last year, the charter application deadline had already passed.
Recognizing the timing issue, Coop-Gonzalez said he worked with the West Virginia Professional Charter School Board to change the law to give schools more flexibility to apply for conversion. When the legislative session began in January, he introduced House Bill 3139, which passed the House of Delegates and was later combined with House Bill 2167. The final legislation allows public schools seeking to convert to charter schools to submit their applications as late as April before the start of the next school year—extending the original deadline by eight months.
“Today, we find ourselves in a similar situation as last year, except that the fate of the Harman School has been determined—but only for now,” Coop-Gonzalez said. “If the community in Harman wants to take over the building, receive funds directly from the state, and manage the school on their own, they now can.”
While he acknowledged that the extended deadline offers new hope, Coop-Gonzalez cautioned that time remains limited. He said he plans to work with fellow legislators, the Randolph County Board of Education, the state charter school board, and local residents to pursue options to save the school.
“I understand that some people have ideological objections to charter schools, but this is not the time to place those above the well-being of the community,” Coop-Gonzalez said. “The kids deserve a good education, and they are more likely to benefit from staying where they are than from being moved far away from where they live. Let’s come together and produce a solution. The children need us.”
The Harman School, a small K-12 institution serving students in a rural area of Randolph County, has faced financial and enrollment pressures in recent years. Coop-Gonzalez said the new law not only gives Harman a second chance but could also serve as a model for saving other struggling schools across West Virginia.
