Written by Ainsley Hall and published in The Journal on September 9, 2025, link to article HERE.
MARTINSBURG — Berkeley County Schools invited the public to participate in the Educational Futures Conference on Sept. 3 at the Holiday Inn.
Teachers, parents, students and community members came together to talk about their ideas for the future of education in Berkeley County and what they hope to see going forward.
The event began with Superintendent Ryan Saxe welcoming guests. Approximately 150 people represented every aspect of the community working together to make a better future for students.
“We’re here to begin with what I would like to phrase as a journey — a planning process that will help shape the future of our school facilities as well as our educational priorities for years to come,” Saxe said.
This event acted as the official kickoff for the schools’ Comprehensive Education Facilities Plan (CEFP), which is designed to make sure the community’s ideas are used to make Berkeley County Schools better. Saxe asked guests to focus on how the schools should look in the next 50 years and how they can prepare to reach students’ needs.
Scott Leopold, director of planning at HPM, which was commissioned by the school system, led the discussion. He has been involved in planning for school districts all over the country, helping communities progress. He started by sharing a presentation about what they hope to accomplish through this event. The main goal was to “get the creative juices flowing” and brainstorm ideas that would be given to the CEFP committee.
Leopold explained that as the school of choice continues to grow, Berkeley County Schools must start thinking about marketing and finding ways to bring new students to Berkeley County. He also talked about workforce readiness and the importance of CTE programs.
James Rumsey Technical Institute is a great educational opportunity for students, but with limited space and high demand, many students don’t get to take advantage of it.
“There are limits on enrollment at James Rumsey Technical Institute,” Leopold said. “Each high school has a limit of three seats per program and its juniors and seniors only. There is much more demand for these programs than we do have spots. Then there are no opportunities for freshmen and sophomores to participate in that program.”
After his presentation, everyone split up into groups and began brainstorming. They focused on five different scenarios which included the tech integrated district, the community centered district, future of options, the agile infrastructure model and finally answering the question of whether Berkeley County should aim to build a fifth high school or an additional Career and Technical Education (CTE) or Advance Career Center. After going through every topic, groups shared what they came up with.
Several groups talked about how AI can be used in the classroom to tutor students. It will be essential to make sure staff know how to use it to enhance students’ education without becoming reliant on its use. They also talked about getting better and more reliable internet servers as the demand for online learning grows.
As for creating a more community centered school district, some ways to accomplish this would be to offer more mobile health services or to find ways to open the school up after hours for adult programs. They also suggested offering childcare options for school staff within the schools.
Groups agreed that future education will involve more CTE programs. Many said a new CTE center would be preferred over a high school, allowing the schools to reuse an existing commercial structure, reduce high school population throughout the day and offer more opportunities. STEM Labs for every school were also suggested, so long as they stay relevant as technology continues to develop.
All the ideas presented will be collected as a written up for the CEFP to use in future planning meetings. Berkeley County Schools looks forward to an exciting future and hopes to continue to work with community members and stakeholders throughout the planning process.