By Esteban Fernandez
For Times West Virginian
Fairmont — Marion County School Superintendent Donna Heston will not return for the 2026-27 school year.
“My heart is in Marion County,” Heston said. “I would have been honored to finish my career in Marion County. Unfortunately, it does not appear that I will have the opportunity to do that.”
The Marion County Board of Education voted against renewing Heston’s contract at its regular Monday meeting. Unless the board changes course, Heston’s last day with Marion County Schools will be June 30. The board also deadlocked over starting a search for a new superintendent prior to the start of the 2026-27 school year. The board has until March 1 to settle on a course of action.
Board President George Boyles said the board will have to come together for a special session before the deadline.
Heston had hoped to renew a four-year contract, but agreed to accept an alternative one, two or three year contract if the board approved one.
“I think it is fair to say I’m disappointed,” Heston said. “We’ve worked so hard as a district and made some tough, tough decisions and beat several odds that were against Marion County. I am honored to have had the opportunity to serve and leave it in a better state than when I arrived in Marion County.”
The Board ended Heston’s contract despite giving her good marks at her yearly evaluation two weeks ago. Initially, Boyles said Heston sought a renewal of her existing four-year contract. However, Boyles said a four-year contract would not have been appropriate.
“I think there’s three years, it gets us where we can get some things done that are on the table,” he said. “Safe Schools Act is supposed to start here in March. We’ll have four schools in place by June and then the rest of them will come in over the summer.”
Boyles said the school district also has to consider the possibility of school consolidation. Enrollment fell but about 200 students from last year, he said. Boyles said while consolidation is something a lot of school systems have opted to do, it’s not necessarily the route the Marion County School Board is ready to take. Replacing the superintendent is an additional challenge on top of a longstanding one.
“It’ll be a challenge for anybody,” he said. “But I thought by offering her a contract, she could stay the course and at least get that started but the others didn’t feel that way.”
Boyles said the consolidation question is one the Board will have to address after June 30.
Board Member Donna Costello offered the motion to replace Heston. However, she declined to comment on the cause of her motion or her vote.
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