Kanawha County Schools

🎓 It’s graduation season!

The Class of 2026 is ready to walk across the stage, and we can’t wait to celebrate our high school graduates.
Check out the time and dates for every graduation ceremony in the picture below.

💻 🔗 Check out the time and dates for every graduation ceremony in the picture below.

WV Video Productions will be livestreaming every ceremony, so family and friends who can’t be there in person can still watch the big moment.

The livestream link is in the comments.

Class of 2026...You have put in the work, and we’re so proud of you! 🎓

about 24 hours ago, Kanawha County Schools

All KCS graduation ceremonies are at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center. The following ceremonies will be held at 1:00 pm: Sissonville High School, May 21st - South Charleston High School, May 22nd - Nitro High School, May 26th - Herbert Hoover High School, May 27th. The following ceremonies will be held at 7:00 pm: St. Albans High School, May 21st - Riverside High School, May 22nd - George Washington High School, May 26th - Capital High School, May 27th.

☀️🍔 KCS Summer Meals available for children ages 2–18 through the WVDE and USDA Summer Food Service Program for Children.

This summer, in partnership with the WVDE and USDA Summer Food Program for Children, 10 sites across Kanawha County will offer breakfast and/or lunch during specific dates and times. Families do not need to register for those open meal sites...children can come during the posted meal time.

🔵 Meals are for children ages 2-18

KCS will also offer a separate meal box pickup program at two USDA-approved locations. Registration is required for meal box pickup, and the meal box form is now live. The registration link will be in the comments of this post, and is available on our website.

Full schedules, locations, meal times, and meal box registration details are available on the KCS website.

1 day ago, Kanawha County Schools

KCS Summer Meals available for free at 10 sites. Breakfast and lunch offered. More info available on the kanawha county schools website.

🚀 AI, coding, cybersecurity, and....Minecraft?

The West Virginia Department of Education, in partnership with Prodigy Learning and Microsoft, is offering the AI Ready Skills Credential Program to middle and high schools across West Virginia at no cost.

The program gives students a chance to build foundational skills in artificial intelligence, coding, and cybersecurity while working through Minecraft Education worlds and earning credentials that show what they know.

This opportunity also includes free access to Coding in Minecraft and Cyber in Minecraft, along with professional development options for teachers.

KCS is sharing this information to help make sure our families, students, and educators are aware of this statewide opportunity.

🔗 To learn more or sign up, click on the link in the comments.

3 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

AI Ready Skills Credential Program available for free to all middle school and high school kids in WV.

👏💫 A board meeting full of good moments and well-deserved recognition.

Last night, we had the chance to celebrate some incredible people across Kanawha County Schools, including our 2026 Teacher of the Year, Service Person of the Year, Counselor of the Year, Principal of the Year and Educator of the Year.

We also recognized our elementary Teachers of the Third Nine Weeks and 12 outstanding eighth grade students who earned the 2026 Golden Horseshoe.

From classrooms and counseling offices to school leadership, service roles and student achievement, these moments are a great reminder of the people who make KCS special. ❤️💙💚

🤗 Congratulations to all who were honored. We are proud to celebrate you!

6 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

2026 KCS Teacher of the Year, Stephanie Elkins, is laughing in response to something Dr. Potter said while recognizing Stephanie. Dr. Potter is standing to Stephanie's right and is speaking into a mic on the podium.

2026 KCS Principal of the Year, Shandon Tweedy, is walking back to her seat in the board room holding her principal of the year award.

2026 KCS Counselor of the Year, Emily Patterson, is walking up to the front of the board room to receive her award.

2026 KCS Educator of the Year, Cassie Allara, is holding her plaque and looking thankful as she steps up to the podium to say a few words after winning the award.

Dr. Potter standing behind a podium in the board room, shaking the hand of a student who won the 2026 Golden Horseshoe award. Four students who have already received their award are standing behind Dr. Potter.

Five eighth grade students standing in front of the kcs board room holding their certificates for earning the 2026 Golden Horseshoe award.

Dr. Potter standing behind a podium reaching out to shake a teachers hand as the teacher is walking up to receive her award. Asst. Superintendent, Amanda Mays, is standing to the side of Dr. Potter and is smiling.

A teacher is laughing while walking up to receive her award. Dr. Potter is standing behind a podium and holding out the certificate and smiling. Beside Dr. Potter, Asst. Superintendent of Elementary Amanda Mays is laughing as well.

A group picture of elementary teachers who were honored for the third nine weeks. They are standing in the front of the kcs board room.

Congratulations to Jon Duffy, KCS Executive Director of Counseling & Testing, on receiving Mission West Virginia’s Power of One: Pathway Award!

Jon works hard every day to connect students with the resources they need to feel encouraged, cared for, and ready for success in school and in life.

We are grateful for Jon’s heart for students and proud to see his work recognized. 👏

➡️ Learn more about Jon and the Pathway Award in the story on our website. The link is in the comments.

7 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

Jon Duffy holding his award, a blue Blinko Glass vase, and posing for a picture with Mission WV Executive Director Kelley Thompson.

Cedar Grove Elementary students added color and creativity to this year’s Teddy Bear Fair! 🧸🎨

As part of the annual community event at Vandalia Health CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital, schools were invited to take part in a coloring display contest...and Cedar Grove Elementary won!

Their artwork was displayed during the event, and the Teddy Bear Fair committee celebrated the students’ creativity and effort with a pizza party for the entire school.

👏 Way to go, Cedar Grove Elementary!

7 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

The Teddy Bear Fair coloring contest display created by Cedar Grove Elementary students. There are several coloring pages of a teddy bear and Women and Childrens Hospital hanging up, along with a hospital built with legos and a teddy bear cutout standing beside the hospital. The background of the display is blue construction paper with cloud cutouts, a sun, and a cutout of a helicopter that is colored black.

Big kids. Little kids. One Black Eagle family. 🧡🖤

South Charleston High School’s Legacy Day brought SCHS seniors and kindergarten students from the feeder area together on the football field for a morning full of high fives, fist bumps, hugs, games, and a whole lot of smiles.

The seniors started on one end. The kindergarteners started on the other. They met in the middle for a sweet reminder of where the journey begins and where it can lead.

The kindergarteners left with new shirts, new memories, and a glimpse of what they’re working toward.

The seniors left with a chance to encourage the next generation, and remember when they were the little ones dreaming big.

A pretty great day to be a Black Eagle.

8 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

Young students running across a football field.

SCHS principal is wearing sunglasses and smiling, a young elementary student is laughing while covering her mouth.

A high school student is down on one knee giving a fist bump to a young elementary student.

A young student is smiling on the football field.

The SCHS principal is standing in front of schs seniors and pointing in the direction he wants them to leave the football field.

A young student looking at the camera and smiling while grabbing a popsicle.

Young students sitting in a circle on the football field while a high school student is running around the circle. They are playing duck duck goose.

High school students and elementary students meeting at midfield on the football field.

High school students and elementary students sitting in the bleachers for a large group photo. The seniors are in the first few rows and the elementary students are in the rows behind them.

🐾 Cougars ➡️ 🦬 Herd

Capital High School seniors signed academic letters of intent to continue their education at Marshall University next year.

CHS and Marshall University held a special signing event at the school, giving students the chance to celebrate this milestone with Marshall representatives, family, friends, and classmates by their side.

It was such a cool moment...not just because of where these students are headed, but because of everything it represents: hard work, support, opportunity, and the start of their next journey.

Congratulations to these Capital Cougars! 💙💚

13 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

A Marshall University representative sitting at a table on stage with a Capital High School student. The table has a Capital High School tablecloth on it. Behind the table is a Capital High School Photo Wall. There are marshall and capital themed balloons on either side of the photo wall.

A parent taking a picture of her student signing the letter of intent.

🔔 LOCATION CHANGE: KCS Public Hearing – FY27 Budget

Kanawha County Schools is committed to being open and transparent about how public dollars are used to support our students, schools, and staff.

Each year, KCS holds a public budget hearing to review the proposed budget, explain key funding pieces, and give families, staff, and community members an opportunity to learn more about the process.

Please note: The location for this meeting has changed.

📍 NEW LOCATION:
KCS Central Office
200 Elizabeth Street, Charleston

📅 KCS Public Hearing, FY27 Budget
🗓 Monday, May 11, 2026
⏰ 4:00 p.m.

This meeting is open to the public, and you are invited to attend.

13 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

Burning questions keeping you up at night? What does the district spend annually to operate a school bus? Do middle schools really use that much toilet paper? How man cartons of milk does an elementary school go through in a week and at what cost? Find out the answers to these questions and more. KCS Public Budget Hearing is on May 11, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. at 200 Elizabeth Street, Charleston, WV.

KCS students understood the assignment. 🎨

The Kanawha County Schools Art Show is packed with incredible artwork from students in Kindergarten through 12th grade, and these pieces are impressive.

Paintings, drawings, ceramics, sculptures, mixed media
So much creativity, talent, and personality in one place.

👏To every student artist with work on display: we are amazed by what you created.

The show is open at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center until 6 p.m. tonight and opens again Thursday at 9 a.m.
Awards begin Thursday at 6 p.m. with primary schools, followed by secondary students.

15 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

A painting of a woman looking at a butterfly through a magnifying lens and a young girl reaching for the butterfly.

The Demogorgon from season 1 of the TV show Stranger Things made out of pottery.

A colorful drawing on display called, Color Wheelz, on display at the KCS Art Show.

Pottery made to look like a McDonalds happy meal box, and pottery pieces that look like McDonalds hamburger, cookies, bbq sauce, apple pie, chicken nuggets, apples, and the hamburgler.

A large cutout of the state of West Virginia, with different West Virginia icons painted on smaller pieces of paper. Randy Moss in a Vikings uniform, the mothman, Steve Slaton, a Cardinal are just a few of the WV icons featured on this piece.

A glass butterfly mosaic that won 2nd place at the KCS art show.

Several different pieces of art hanging on a wire frame at the KCS Art Show.

A wooden cutout of the state of West Virginia. The New River Gorge Bridge and the surrounding mountains are engraved into the wood.

Teamwork ✅
Confidence ✅
Leadership that keeps getting stronger ✅

That’s what South Charleston High School students have been building this year through the Dow Leadership Institute.

Throughout the program, students worked with Dow mentors, took on creative challenges, practiced communication and problem-solving, explored career skills, and pushed themselves in new ways.

Watching students build confidence and grow into young leaders has been incredible.

Thank you to Dow for partnering with KCS and investing in our students.

Great work, SCHS! 👏

16 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

Four SCHS students are standing behind a table smiling and clapping. On the table in front of them is the model bridge they designed. The bridge is sitting on top of two Chic-Fil-A boxes that are slightly spread out. On top of the bridge is a weight that is testing the strength of the student's bridge. The bridge was able to hold the weight.

An SCHS student is holding Monopoly money with a smirk on his face as he tries to decide if he is going to accept an offer from the model bridge supply store.

A classroom at Dow. Students are sitting at groups at different tables as Dow employees talk to them.

One student is sitting at the end of a table, and three others are sitting to his left on the longer side of the table. They are trying to figure out what their next step is to build their bridge.

An SCHS student is concentrating on his model bridge as he adds a few more pieces to the structure.

An SCHS student is standing at a table while she is working on her model bridge. Another student, to her left, is holding a different part of the bridge with his right hand. Two students are sitting across the table from them and looking on.

A student is using a ruler to measure his hand to find a certain distance. Another student is standing beside him and looking on.

A student is squatting down behind a table while working on her model bridge.

A Dow employee is shaking the hand of an SCHS student who won a prize during a DLI session.

A large group photo of the SCHS students in the program along with Dow employees who serve has mentors for the program.

💈 A fresh haircut can do more than change how you look. It can help you walk into a room feeling a little more ready.

Carver Beauty Academy students were proud to be part of Kanawha County American Job Center's 4th Annual Prepped & Polished event. Students offered haircuts and styles Monday for community members preparing for the On-the-Spot Hiring Event...which is taking place today.

💇‍♀️ For our students, it was also a meaningful chance to put their skills to work outside the classroom while being part of something focused on helping others take their next step.

16 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

A Carver Beauty Academy student is separating a woman's hair for her haircut.. The woman receiving the haircut who is seated and wearing a black barber cape.

A Carver Beauty Academy is holding a piece of a woman's hair in one hand and scissors in the other hand and is getting ready to make a cut. The woman receiving the haircut is sitting down wearing a black barber cape, and the student is standing beside her.

A Carver Beauty Academy Student is holding a woman's hair in her left and and scissors in the other hand. The woman receiving the haircut is seated and wearing a black barber cape. The student is standing behind the woman and getting ready to trim a small piece of hair with the scissors. The woman's hair is separated into different sections for the haircut with pink clips.

A Carver Beauty Academy Student standing behind a woman getting her hair styled. The student is holding a curling iron as she prepares to curl the woman's hair. The woman is seated in a chair and is wearing a barber cape. The cape is black with images of barber scissors.

A Carver Beauty Academy Student using scissors to cut a woman's hair. The woman is seated in a chair in front of the student. The woman has two hair clips holding her hair in place for the haircut.

🫟 A little paint. A little vision. A whole lot of creative energy. 👟

Andrew Jackson Middle School 6th grader, Parker, took his custom shoe business, ReCraft Kicks, to the SparkWV stage and earned 2nd place in the Small Business track.

Parker transforms gently used shoes into one-of-a-kind designs using art, airbrushing, and hand-painting.
With a heart for helping students have shoes that feel fresh, personal, and affordable.

From more than 70 business ideas across West Virginia to the finals stage in Morgantown, Parker showed what can happen when creativity gets moving.

Way to go, Parker!

17 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

Parker is presenting on stage during the competition. He is holding a microphone. Behind him, his presentation is on a large screen. The slide that is showing says Problem and Opportunity.

Parker is standing in front of a Spark West Virginia photo backdrop. He is holding an oversized prize check. The check is made out to his company ReCraft Kicks and is worth one-thousand dollars.

Parker, holding his 2nd place plaque. The plaque is a wooden cutout of the state of West Virginia. It says Small Business 2nd on it. Parker is standing with WV Secretary of State Kris Warner.

Kanawha County Schools is committed to being open and transparent about how public dollars are used to support our students, schools, and staff.

Each year, KCS holds a public budget hearing to review the proposed budget, explain key funding pieces, and give families, staff, and community members an opportunity to ask questions, share comments, and learn more about the process.

School funding includes many different sources, and some dollars come with specific rules for how they can be used. That’s why the public hearing is an important opportunity to hear the details directly and better understand the budget.

Meeting Details:

📅 KCS Public Hearing, FY27 Budget
🗓 Monday, May 11, 2026
⏰ 4:00 p.m.
📍 157 2nd Avenue, South Charleston (Edison Staff Development Center)
💻 Livestream: https://kcs.kana.k12.wv.us/o/kcs/page/kcs-live-stream

This meeting is open to the public. We welcome you to attend, listen, ask questions, and learn more.

20 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

Busting School Budget Myths. Myth: If the budget increases, the school/district must be spending more freely. Fact: Budget increases are often tied to specific funding sources with strict rules on how the money can be used. Want to learn more? KCS FY 27 Public Budget Hearing is May 11 at 4:00 p.m. at 157 2nd Avenue South Charleston, WV.

Spring learning, KCS Virtual style. 🌸

Students in the KCS Virtual Program recently got together for a hands-on lesson with pinto beans, wheatgrass and pencil-top flowers.
A fun reminder that virtual school doesn’t have to mean doing school completely on your own.

🛜 KCS Virtual students learn in a flexible online setting, but they also have optional chances throughout the year to meet up for lessons, field trips and other activities with classmates and teachers.

For some students, a different learning style or schedule makes all the difference. KCS Virtual gives families that option while keeping students connected to Kanawha County Schools. 🌱

21 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

A student sitting at a table and smiling at the camera. The student is holding a bottle of glue in her right hand and a small piece of yellow paper in her left hand. The yellow paper has been folded in half. In front of the student are two pieces of pink paper, green scissor, and an unsharpened pencil.

A student sitting at a table doing an art project. There is a bottle of glue by his left arm. He is holding a small piece of yellow paper to a pencil.

A student and an adult sitting at a table beside each other doing a craft. The adult is cutting a small piece of yellow paper while the student watches her. Sitting on top of the table under the adults arms is an example of a flower top pencil.

A student sitting at a table. The student is holding a yellow piece of paper in his left hand and green scissors in his other hand. The student has small lines in the yellow paper for his craft.

A student sitting at a table. There are pinto beans in front of him on a paper towel. Beside the beans is a worksheet with four boxes on it. The title of the worksheet is Seed Dissection. Each box has an arrow pointing to a different part of an enlarged picture of a pinto bean.

🎶 Can your friends do this?
🧞‍♂️ Do your friends do that?

5th graders from Piedmont Elementary School took their school to a whole new world.
Students took the stage at WVSU's Davis Fine Arts Theater today for "Aladdin for Kids" and they made some magic! ✨

Lines memorized. Songs on point. Costumes that fit the part.
This performance was a diamond in the rough...students told the story in a way their classmates could feel, and the reaction at the end said it all.

Phenomenal cosmic power… itty bitty living space. 💫

22 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

Students on stage during their performance of Aladdin. Students are dressed in early middle eastern outfits consistent with what the characters in the original Aladdin movie wore. Behind the students is a large screen that serves as the play's backdrop. On the screen is a picture of Agrabah, the fictional city in which Aladdin takes place.

Four surprises. Four rooms full of applause. Four people who make a difference every single day. ❤️

We had the chance to celebrate our 2025–2026 Employees of the Year in the best way possible, by catching them completely off guard at school-wide assemblies.

Congratulations to:
🔵 Emily Patterson, Counselor of the Year — Overbrook Elementary
🔴 Kenneth Lacy, Service Personnel of the Year — St. Albans High School
🟢 Stephanie Elkins, Teacher of the Year — Kanawha City Elementary
🟢 Shandon Tweedy, Principal of the Year — Horace Mann Middle

Each one was genuinely surprised… and just as genuinely grateful. That’s who they are...showing up every day and never asking for the spotlight.

This week, we made sure they got it. And it was well deserved. 👏

23 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

KCS Service Person of the Year, Kenneth Lacy, is walking to the front of the school auditorium. He is emotional.

KCS Teacher of the Year, Stephanie Elkins, smiling in the school's cafeteria after seeing a poster, not pictured, that says she is the teacher of the year.

KCS Principal of the Year, Shandon Tweedy, putting her hand to her face and smiling after realizing she is the KCS principal of the year.

KCS Counselor of the Year, Emily Patterson, is smiling as confetti rains down as she is announced as the KCS counselor of the year. People are applauding in the background.

Kenneth Lacy standing at the front of the school's auditorium while the SAHS VP, Tank, reads a short bio of Kenneth.

KCS Teacher of the year, Stephanie Elkins, posing for a picture with her 5th grade class.

Horace Mann VP, Mrs. Harris, is speaking at the podium in the school's gymnasium to congratulate Ms. Tweedy. Ms. Tweedy is sitting on a chair in front of the podium. On the left side of the podium are the KCS assistant superintendents and superintendent.

KCS Counselor of the Year, Emily Patterson standing in the doorway of the school's cafeteria and smiling as the school principal says kind things about Emily. There is blue confetti covering the floor.

KCS students stepped outside the classroom and into their communities.

Last Friday, students across the county put their plans into action.
Cleaning up, giving back, and showing what student leadership looks like in real life.

From school grounds to city parks and community spaces, our students got to work. Some spent time with residents in nursing homes, others volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House, and some supported the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association.

To see a list of all the projects students took on, click the "KCS Students Lead County-Wide Service" article in the comments.

We are proud of the way they’re representing their schools and their communities. ❤️

24 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

A nursing home resident, sitting at a table, is holding up her finished painting project and laughing. A student is sitting beside her and looking at her and smiling.

Students working in the flower bed in front of their school. Students are using shovels and other garden tools to get the area ready for new flowers to be planted.

South Charleston high school students and staff, along with KCS superintendent Dr. Paula Potter, pose for a picture at the Ronald McDonald House after donating supplies there.

A student carrying two clear trash bags that are full of leaves and other debris.

One student is kneeling down in a flower bed under a tree digging a hole to plant flowers in. Two students, one bent over and the other standing, are beside him as he digs.

A group of students and nursing home residents are sitting around a table doing a painting project.

A student and a nursing home resident are sitting at a table doing a painting project. The student is in the middle of talking to the nursing home resident.

A group of students and their teacher smiling for a picture before starting their service project. There is a metal cart in front of the students that is holding different boxes and bags.

Two students are standing up talking to each other while doing a community service project. Behind them other students are digging in the dirt.

Group picture of students standing under a picnic shelter at a park in St. Albans.

🚀 From St. Albans High School…to space.

That’s the kind of full-circle moment Red Dragons got to see when SAHS alum Sharon Hagle came back to where it all started.

Sharon has traveled to space, twice, and now runs SpaceKids® Global.
A nonprofit dedicated to inspiring students to pursue careers in
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) to ensure equal representation in the space industry.

✨The best part of the presentation wasn’t her resume...it was the reminder that you don’t have to leave where you’re from to go do something meaningful. 💫🌎

24 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

Students watching a video of Sharon getting ready for her space flight on a large projection screen in the school's auditorium.

Sharon Hagle, wearing her Blue Origin space suit, is standing at the front of the SAHS auditorium talking to the student body. Behind her is a projector that is playing her presentation.

Students in the auditorium watching a video on a large projection screen of Sharon's space shuttle take off. You can see fire coming out of the bottom of the space craft as it launches.

A projector screen showing a video about Sharon's non-profit, Space Kids Global. A student in the video is making an excited face.

The SAHS student body sitting in the school auditorium watching a short video (not pictured) of Sharon's flight to space.

Sharon Hagle, wearing her Blue Origin space suit, is standing at the front of the SAHS auditorium talking to the student body.

🏛️✨ A Day at the Museum

History was alive today at Central Elementary.
3rd grade students turned their classrooms into a Wax Museum,
bringing some of history’s most important figures to life.

After researching their person, writing a biography, and memorizing it, students dressed the part and stepped into character.
Visitors could press a small red button on each student’s hand… and just like that,

🟢 Theodore Roosevelt
🟢 Harriet Tubman
🟢 Milton Hershey
🟢 Amelia Earhart
🟢 & many more

shared their stories.

It’s the kind of lesson that sticks...learning history, building confidence, and practicing public speaking, all while having a blast.
This museum was full of life! 🏛️✨

27 days ago, Kanawha County Schools

A student, dressed as Thomas Jefferson, sitting in his chair during the wax museum. He is looking off to his right and smiling.

A student standing at her desk giving her presentation about Harriet Tubman. She is wearing a had covering and floor length quilted dress.

A student, smiling, dressed as Martin Luther King Jr.

A student dressed as Teddy Roosevelt in his military uniform. The student also has on a fake mustache to mimc Roosevelt's mustache. Beside the student is a teddy bear.

A classroom filled with students and visitors during the wax museum.

A student wearing a space suit and space helmet.

A student dressed as Amelia Earhart is smiling for a picture. She has on a leather aviation cap, aviation goggles, and his wearing a long white scarf.

A student dressed as Katherine Johnson is standing with her hand on her desk giving her presentation. Behind her is a book about Katherine Johnson.

A student dresses as Henry Ford, speaking during his presentation.

A student dressed as Milton Hershey standing up at his desk speaking to a woman listening to his presentation.