HAMLIN, W.Va. –Nearly all grant-funded social worker positions in the Lincoln County School System have been removed, a school system spokesperson said.
Nine of the 10 positions were eliminated following a 4-0 vote Tuesday evening by the Lincoln County Board of Education. The social worker positions were initially created and funded through grants received by Lincoln County Schools.
This is much to the displeasure of a few people who spoke at the Board of Education meeting Tuesday.
“Our social workers do fulfill the basic needs of our students, and that’s the easiest part of their day,” one woman said. “Our teachers, parents and even students have begged to keep our social workers, not because we want them, but because we need them.”
According to the board, keeping on all 10 social workers would’ve cost the school system $675,000. Now, there is only one social worker for the entire Lincoln County Schools system.
Communications Director Chris Williams said they had to cut out a majority of the social worker positions due to a decrease in funding.
The school spokesperson said that this action, which doesn’t take effect until the fall, does not impact Lincoln County Schools’ “Communities In Schools” program.
Williams said they will be using the program to fill the voids where needed.
“We really appreciate and care about all of our students in Lincoln County Schools and our leadership is going to the best it can to mitigate what happened,” Williams said.