The Jefferson County Board of Education (BOE) will hold a public hearing on the 2026-2027 proposed budget on Tuesday, May 26. Read the Full Story >>
Education
2026 School Board Candidates Respond To Questions From The Observer
The Observer sent questions to all seven of the candidates running for the Jefferson County Board of Education (candidate Ranale Jones appears on the ballot but she has withdrawn from the election). The candidate images and responses are shown in the order the names will appear on the ballot (a sample ballot image is included Read the Full Story >>
School Levy Supports Teacher Pay & Key School Programs
Jefferson County voters will decide on a $25 million/year excess levy to fund the schools. Read the Full Story >>
Shepherd University Trims Services and Adjusts Academic Priorities
Shepherd University's Board of Governors voted to accept the academic prioritzation recommendations presented by the Provost. Read the Full Story >>
School Attendance Matters For Academic Skills
Jefferson County Schools has designated September as “attendance awareness month” — an early emphasis intended to establish strong attendance patterns. Read the Full Story >>
New Superintendent For Jefferson County Schools
William "Chuck" Bishop steps into the role of Superintendent for Jefferson County Schools on July 1. The Board of Education voted on May 24 to hire Dr. Bishop from a pool of 17 applicants to replace the outgoing superintendent, Bondy Gibson-Learn, who resigned on short notice earlier this year. Bishop earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Virginia Tech and his Master's and Doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Virginia and has thirty years of experience in K-12 education. The Observer spoke with Dr. Bishop as he was preparing to start his new role. Read the Full Story >>
Building a Learning Community
In the dog days of the pandemic I often wandered over to my neighbor’s yard. As we had for the past two decades, we’d explore new gems growing in her gardens while pondering the problems of the world. She’s a retired social worker, long-time resident, and youth volunteer in the community, and I’ve always valued her wisdom and enjoyed our talks. Read the Full Story >>
Summer Construction at Shepherd University
When students return to Shepherd University in the fall, they will notice some changes to the east campus. Over the next few months, two former dormitories on the East Loop — Kenamond Hall and Turner Hall — will disappear. Read the Full Story >>
Byrd Center Summer Fun
The Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education will host its third Summer Fundraiser on Saturday, June 10 from 6 to 8 pm (rain or shine) on the grounds of historic Patterson’s Mill in Martinsburg. The event will support the Center’s civics education initiatives, including its intern program, and celebrate its twentieth anniversary as a non-profit organization on the campus of Shepherd University. Read the Full Story >>
No More State Funds for Ranson Construction
Joyce White, Deputy Superintendent of Operations for Jefferson County Schools (JCS), spoke to the Board of Education at its regular meeting on April 24 to give a brief update on the new Ranson Elementary School project. “The contractor has equipment on site” was the report, pointing out the visible confirmation that the construction phase of the project is finally underway. The update on the school system’s request for additional state funding was equally to the point — “no additional funding.” Read the Full Story >>
Schools Search For New Superintendent — Input From County Residents Invited
The Jefferson County Board of Education has scheduled seven public sessions to collect input from Jefferson County residents about the search for a new Superintendent. Read the Full Story >>
Confusion on Plans for Water & Sewer at New Shepherdstown Elementary School
Jefferson County Board of Education has many questions about plans to provide water and sewer utilities to the new Shepherdstown elementary school site. Read the Full Story >>
Local School Receives Award
C.W. Shipley, the public elementary school in Harpers Ferry, was recently recognized by the Blue Ribbon School Program as an Exemplary High-Performing School. Only 297 schools nationwide (including two others in West Virginia) received this recognition in 2022. Read the Full Story >>
Appalachian Heritage Writer-In-Residence Program Hosts Week-Long Program with Author Barbara Kingsolver
The 2022 Appalachian Heritage Writer-In-Residence events on Shepherd University campus (Sept. 23-30), featuring author Barbara Kingsolver, are open to the public. Read the Full Story >>
Jefferson County Public Schools Focuses On Teacher & Staff Recruitment and Retention
Over the summer, Jefferson County Schools (JCS) had 320 open positions to fill for the 2022-23 school year — approximately one quarter of the full-time employee count across the entire school system. Read the Full Story >>