Upshur County has a new superintendent of schools.
Christy Miller, a veteran teacher and administrator who is currently leading Taylor County’s school district, was named to her post Monday morning.
In Upshur, Miller will oversee the district through state and federal investigations into charges of alleged mishandling of federal dollars for COVID relief.
Over the past three years, Upshur County Schools has received $16 million in such monies, but a routine audit in December showed close to $150,000 going for non-related expenditures, such as restaurant outings and staff retreats.
With additional audits ongoing, West Virginia’s Department of Education seized control of the district and declared a state of emergency.
Two weeks ago, then-state Schools Superintendent David Roach announced his retirement following a state Board of Education meeting marked by questioning from its members, who wanted to know why he waited months to disclose the financial discrepancies.
The BOE also bristled that one of his deputy superintendents — Upshur’s superintendent at the time the alleged misspending was said to have occurred — also took part in follow-up consults with the county after Roach launched an in-house review.
Michele Blatt, who was named Roach’s replacement this past Friday, praised Miller, calling her “a visionary leader” who will see the district through the legal labyrinth.
“This is difficult for professional and service personnel, as well as students and families,” Blatt said.
“She will work to strengthen continuity and stability in the system while also addressing those critical areas of non-compliance,” the superintendent continued.
“I’ve known her to be the consummate professional who will always do what’s best for children.”
Miller, who began her career 36 years ago as a classroom teacher, also served the state Department of Education as executive director of its Office of School Improvement and Leadership.
Besides the importance of a core education for young people, she also appreciates the social impact of West Virginia’s 55 public school districts, she said.
Now, it’s a matter of restoring “reputation and pride,” she said Monday after the announcement of her hiring.
“There may be a business side to education,” she said in a previous profile by the state department, “but the real story is our students and all they overcome to walk across that stage at the end of their 12th grade year.”
Students who, ideally, will take all those classroom lessons and life lessons with them on new journeys, she said.
Uphsur’s new leader holds degrees in education from Fairmont State University and WVU.
She’s also the daughter of educators: Her mother was West Virginia’s State Teacher of the Year in 1983 and her father taught at Fairmont State.
Serving as Upshur’s deputy superintendent will be George “Russ” Collett, who had been named superintendent there prior to the Department of Education review.
Miller’s first day on the job is July 1.
Steve Wotring, who recently retired as the leader of Preston County Schools, will serve as Upshur’s interim superintendent until then.
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