After weeks of speculation, Tyler County Superintendent Shane Highley addressed the reasons he was given behind the non-renewal of his contract during Monday night’s Tyler County Board of Education meeting held at AIB school.

Highley outlined three key issues that he believes contributed to the board’s decision not to renew his contract.

With the superintendent issue behind him, Highley recently announced he will become the new principal at Valley High School in Wetzel County beginning with the 2025-26 school year.

At the Board meeting he said the first of the three reasons cited was his decision not to use the state instituted Frontline database to hire new employees for Tyler County Schools. He referenced an incident in July when a slate of new hires was rejected because he had not used Frontline. Highley defended his decision, stating that the quality of applications received through Frontline did not meet the hiring standards set by Tyler County Schools or the state of West Virginia and was not what was best for kids. He also stated he was the one who said we are not going to use Frontline because it was not personable, everything was online and did not give the hiring committee the opportunity to get to know the different personalities of those seeking employment. Highley stated there were many counties not using Frontline. Once the decision not to hire the slate of applicants was made because he did not use the system, the county then started using Frontline. And once they started using Frontline they got the same amount of applicants and the same exact applicants.

“However, make note that none of this was in my evaluation and if it was that important it probably should have been in the evaluation,” stated Highley.

The second reason involved an interaction with a person at a high school sporting event. Highley said the incident stemmed from a dispute over a recent volleyball team classification issue, during which he stood up to defend Tyler County athletes. “I’m a fiery guy — I will always stand up for our kids and what I think is right,” Highley said. “And if I had to do it again, I’d do it again.”

He added if that means he has to stand up for the kids when they have been wronged then he’ll do it every time.

The third and final reason given by the board involved the use of the color blue in Tyler Consolidated High School’s uniforms and décor. The official school colors are black and silver, but in recent years, blue has been incorporated without formal approval from the board. He said it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it became a big deal and he decided to get rid of it.

Highley’s remarks provided some clarity after weeks of community speculation about the board’s decision. The Tyler County Board of Education has not yet commented publicly on Highley’s statements.

In another development at the Tyler County Board of Education meeting, Kelly Myers, the WVEA representative for Tyler County, requested to be included on the search committee and in the interview process for hiring a new superintendent to replace Shane Higley.

Myers cited low morale among Tyler County Schools employees as the driving factor behind her request. Myers explained the staff is concerned and worried about their own job security following the recent drama surrounding the superintendent’s termination. She emphasized that the uncertainty has created a tense atmosphere in school buildings across the county.

Board members acknowledged the request and agreed to place it on the agenda for the next meeting, where it will be discussed and voted upon. If approved, Myers would play a direct role in shaping the leadership transition at Tyler County Schools but hold no vote in the decision.