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Wild, Wonderful & Healthy WV

School Suspension: How Wild Wonderful & Healthy is Planning to Lower Rates

West Virginia Schools are facing an uptick in school suspension rates leading to some students to forfeit schooling altogether. Race and socioeconomic class seems to be playing a role in the increase of suspension rates.

According to federal data, reports indicate that black students in the Mountain State are twice as likely to get suspended than their white classmates compared to 20 years ago. National reports show that black students are likely to face punishment for loitering and disrespect opposed to their white classmates.

According to data reported by the education department, black students represented only 4 percent of West Virginia public school students last school year, but they received 10 percent of all out-of-school suspensions and 8 percent of all expulsions.

Data also suggest that students of lower income suffer more consequences and school punishment than their peers.

In 2020, state lawmakers requested the state education department to analyze data and create a statewide program to address how often disciplinary actions are used by local school officials.

The following year, West Virginia lawmakers passed a bill requiring the state Department of Education to analyze school discipline data, make a plan to address the issue and report back every two years.

These staggering reports indicate that students who are often suspended are disproportionately more likely to have poor grades, drop out of school, commit a crime or be incarcerated; this is often referred to as the school-to-prison pipeline.

Wild, Wonderful and Healthy Charleston West Side are taking measures to further understand this trend happening in the state and discussing ways to prevent students in Kanawha County from falling into the school-to-prison pipeline.

WWH encourages students of all ages to take advantage of the recently opened community center highlighting church involvement and sports. The community center is a safe space open to students to practice sports, games and do homework.

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A Program of:
The Center for Rural Health Development
75 Chase Drive
Hurricane, WV 25526
(304) 397-4071
Email Program Manager

 

West Virginia Schools are facing an uptick in school suspension rates leading to some students to forfeit schooling altogether. Race and socioeconomic class seems to be playing a role in the increase of suspension rates.

According to federal data, reports indicate that black students in the Mountain State are twice as likely to get suspended than their white classmates compared to 20 years ago. National reports show that black students are likely to face punishment for loitering and disrespect opposed to their white classmates.

According to data reported by the education department, black students represented only 4 percent of West Virginia public school students last school year, but they received 10 percent of all out-of-school suspensions and 8 percent of all expulsions.

Data also suggest that students of lower income suffer more consequences and school punishment than their peers.

In 2020, state lawmakers requested the state education department to analyze data and create a statewide program to address how often disciplinary actions are used by local school officials.

The following year, West Virginia lawmakers passed a bill requiring the state Department of Education to analyze school discipline data, make a plan to address the issue and report back every two years.

These staggering reports indicate that students who are often suspended are disproportionately more likely to have poor grades, drop out of school, commit a crime or be incarcerated; this is often referred to as the school-to-prison pipeline.

Wild, Wonderful and Healthy Charleston West Side are taking measures to further understand this trend happening in the state and discussing ways to prevent students in Kanawha County from falling into the school-to-prison pipeline.

WWH encourages students of all ages to take advantage of the recently opened community center highlighting church involvement and sports. The community center is a safe space open to students to practice sports, games and do homework.

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Welcome to Wild, Wonderful & Healthy Smithers and Montgomery

What is Wild, Wonderful & Healthy WV?

No matter what your respective role is—to mitigate the opioid crisis, to ensure our children are ready for school and adults are ready to work, or to support economic growth—it all begins with healthy West Virginians.. Alone, no one person will have all the answers, but the direction we must go is clear, and together we can achieve our vision of a healthy West Virginia. Click here to learn more about the Wild, Wonderful & Healthy WV program as a whole.

 

Smithers and Montgomery Vision

Our Vision for Smithers and Montgomery is to build active and healthy communities that strengthen our economy.

 

CORE Support Team

A small group of individuals from the partner organizations are responsible for organizing the community health planning process and moving it forward. The current CORE Support Team consists of the following members:

  • Anne Cavalier, Mayor of Smithers
  • Greg Ingram, Mayor of Montgomery
  • Noel Mitchell - WVU Extension, Fayette County
  • James Bennett, Fayette County Health Department
  • Orlando Craighead - Kanawha Coalition for Community Health Improvement
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Smithers and Montgomery Community Calendar:

February 2025

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
2
3
  • 1 on 1 Computer Help - by appointment only
  • Smithers Building Commission meeting
4
  • Chair Yoga
  • Finance Review - City of Montgomery
  • Court Hearings - City of Montgomery
5
  • Story Hour - Ages 3 to 6
6
  • Lego/Knex
  • Spin Class
  • Book Club - Montgomery Public Library
  • Open Art Studio - Gallery on 4'th
7
  • Adult Coloring
8
9
10
  • 1 on 1 Computer Help - by appointment only
  • Smithers Fire Department Board of Directors meeting
  • Smithers City Council meeting
11
  • Chair Yoga
  • Smithers Sanitary Board meeting
  • Montgomery City Council meeting
12
  • Story Hour - Ages 3 to 6
13
  • Lego/Knex
  • Spin Class
  • Upper Kanawha Valley Strategic Initiative Council Meeting
14
  • Adult Coloring
15
16
17
  • 1 on 1 Computer Help - by appointment only
18
  • Chair Yoga
19
  • Story Hour - Ages 3 to 6
  • City Beautification Strategic meeting
20
  • Lego/Knex
  • Spin Class
21
  • Adult Coloring
22
23
24
  • 1 on 1 Computer Help - by appointment only
25
  • Chair Yoga
  • Park Board meeting
26
  • Story Hour - Ages 3 to 6
27
  • Lego/Knex
  • Spin Class
28
  • Adult Coloring
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Smithers and Montgomery Insights:

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What is Wild, Wonderful & Healthy WV?

No matter what your respective role is – to mitigate the opioid crisis, to ensure our children are ready for school and adults are ready to work, or to support economic growth – it all begins with healthy West Virginians. No one of us alone will have all the answers, but the direction we must go is clear, and together we can achieve our vision of a healthy West Virginia. Click here to learn more about the Wild, Wonderful & Healthy WV program as a whole.

Summers County's Vision

Wild, Wonderful & Healthy Summers County is an organization working hard in our community to support safe and affordable housing, strengthen our recreational opportunities, and support the economic development of our local small businesses.

Priority Focuses

Inadequate Housing.
Small Business Development.
Recreational Opportunities for Youth.
Community Green Spaces.

While Summers County has a myriad of health issues on which we could focus our work, over the next year the Community Health Improvement (CHI) Committee will focus on a lack of safe and affordable housing for low and moderate-income residents. The lack of safe and affordable housing in the county and city of Hinton and the abandoned and dilapidated structures have a detrimental effect on property values, public safety and health, fire safety, and economic development.

To accomplish this goal, we have defined three measurable objectives that will guide our work and be completed by June 30, 2023: 

Objective #1: Increase the number of safe, affordable, and well-managed houses for low and moderate-income renters by 30 properties. 

Objective #2: Improve community safety and the environment by demolishing 15 blighted buildings.

Objective #3: Ensure that city code and county ordinances promote and sustain safe, affordable, and well-managed housing. 

Read more in-depth about our priority issues and our objectives here.

Accomplishments

Despite delays resulting from the impact of the COVID pandemic, we were able to accomplish
the following:
• Identified over 45 properties for demolition as of October 2020
• Over 65 dilapidated properties demolished as of December 2024
• Identified vacant property for construction of green space that City of Hinton has
purchased. Worked with WVU Extension’s Community Engagement Lab to develop plan
for the space. Raised $43,000 to construct green space.
• Team members selected to serve on the county’s Dilapidated Buildings Committee.
• At the request of the Hinton City Council, agreed to repurpose a small vacant lot as a
green space; which opened in December 2022.
• City has hired a code enforcer to ensure that properties in Hinton are maintained at the
standards required by city ordinances.
• City has contracted to create a list of available rental housing.
• City is addressing housing issue, including absent property owners, in their 5-year plan.

We have much more planned - so stay tuned!

CORE Support Team

A small group of individuals from the partner organizations are responsible for organizing the community health planning process and moving it forward. The current CORE Support Team consists of the following members:

 

  • Patti Crawford - Retired, WV School of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Janima Bond - Burke & Herebert Bank
  • Kristal Straub, FMRS Health Systems
  • Mike Yancey - REACHH-Family Resource Center/Child Advocacy Center
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