Multiple speakers at the Raleigh County Board of Education meeting urged the board not to close Mabscott Elementary, citing its role serving many foster and special-needs students and arguing the district’s reported reserves and budget make closure unnecessary.

Dozens of parents, teachers and students urged the Raleigh County Board of Education during public comment to remove Mapscott Elementary from a proposed closure list, saying the school provides essential Title I services, weekend food and after‑school care that nearby schools may not replicate.

At a public hearing, Raleigh County Schools officials outlined a $221.3 million FY27 budget, citing enrollment declines, charter-school impacts and rising costs that together increase carryover needs to $6.5 million and push projected staffing and operating pressures into next year.