Superintendent resigns; former superintendent returns as interim

What happened

Superintendent John Henry announced his resignation at the September 28, 2026 meeting, effective at the end of the day on October 1. At an emergency meeting on October 1 the board appointed Deirdre Cline, the superintendent who retired in June 2024, as interim superintendent from 4 p.m. that day until a permanent superintendent takes office. On October 5 the board approved her contract 5-0. On October 15 WVDE officials explained the legal process for hiring a permanent superintendent.

Why it matters to families

The district changed leaders in the middle of a state-of-emergency corrective plan. State law leaves the hiring process to the board, so the board's choices on timeline, posting and public input are worth watching. If the state intervenes, the state board would have a say in the appointment.

The evidence

September 28 recording (about 01:33:34): resignation effective end of day October 1, 2026, added to the personnel list. October 1 emergency meeting recording (about 00:34:42): motion to appoint the interim superintendent. October 5 recording (about 01:12:32): interim superintendent contract approved 5-0. October 15 recording: WVDE briefing on superintendent selection. Names are checked against published sources: the WV Department of Education and WVVA spell the interim superintendent Deirdre Cline, and WVVA and Lootpress name the outgoing superintendent John Henry.

The source