Jason Pauley Appointed as Executive Director at West Virginia Academy

We are excited to announce several exciting developments at West Virginia Academy.

A New Chapter of Visionary Leadership

Jason Pauley has accepted the position as the new Executive Director at West Virginia Academy. Mr. Pauley has an abundance of executive experience as a former Assistant Principal at University High School in Morgantown, the assistant director of Special Education for Berkeley County School District, and, more recently, as the director of West Virginia Academy's high school dual enrollment program. Mr. Pauley also boasts several degrees and certifications in education, special education, and administration and he teaches as an adjunct professor at West Virginia University. We greatly appreciate that Holly Honeycutt and SuJi Kwon will continue in their existing roles as COO/Associate Director and CEO/Finance Director, respectively, and we know they will make a great team working with Jason. As Jason stated to the board, "I have worked in the top ranked high school in West Virginia, but my goal is to make West Virginia Academy one of the best schools in the country and I believe continuing our current trajectory is going to get us there." Jason will continue to administer the successful dual enrollment program for the academy's high school students in coordination with WVU Access. Please join us in celebrating Jason Pauley's appointment as the new Executive Director at West Virginia Academy!

Continuing Academic Excellence

Heidi Treu notified the WVA board last month that she would not pursue another three-year term as the Executive Director at West Virginia Academy. The governing board approved her request to move to a part-time role as the Director of Curriculum and Development at the end of her term in June. Heidi's new role allows her to direct more of her energy toward greater excellence in the classroom as well as grant writing while also dedicating more time for her family. Heidi was one of the founding governing board members of West Virginia Academy and she was the principal author of the application that was approved to establish the academy as West Virginia's first-ever public charter school. During her three-year tenure as Executive Director and CEO, Heidi Treu orchestrated the successful initial startup of the academy and designed and lead academic programs that consistently outperformed the best school districts in West Virginia. She also raised over $5.2M in competitive awards, grants, and donations to fund ongoing operations and provide substantial seed funding for additional growth and the school's new facility. Heidi will continue to support West Virginia Academy in these key areas of excellence going forward as she supports the new Executive Director.

SBA Funding Awarded

WVA received a substantial award last week from the WV School Building Authority and those funds will support the construction of its new facility in the cheat lake area of Morgantown. The SBA funding along with previously-awarded growth funding from federal grants and a prize from the Yass Foundation have given the academy strong financial footing to complete the construction process. The new facility will be completed in multiple phases and the land preparation and preliminary testing for the first phase are already underway.

Charter Renewed

WVA's charter contract with the Professional Charter School Board (PCSB) was renewed effective today for a new five-year term. James Paul, the Executive Director of the PSCB, issued a report in the spring indicating that WVA had met substantially all of its goals over the first two academic years and, as such, was eligible for an early renewal of its charter. The updated charter runs from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2030.