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Kanawha County Schools

Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia
★★★★★ Not yet rated by parents
👨‍🎓 23,085 students 📋 4,229 students with IEPs 🗣️ 0 parent reports ☎️ (304)348-7770
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These are parent-submitted experiences about Kanawha County Schools as an institution, posted directly by parents. iep.tips is a neutral platform and does not verify these accounts — they are families' own statements and opinions, not verified facts or legal advice, and not a review of any individual employee. See something false or abusive? Use the Report link. Read our disclaimer.

No parent reports for Kanawha County Schools yet.

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🛟 How to fight for your child's IEP — and who to call

If Kanawha County Schools isn't giving your child the services they're legally owed, you have a clear, federally-protected path. Under IDEA these steps are the same everywhere — work them in order and put everything in writing.

Step 1

Request an IEP meeting — in writing

Email your child's case manager and the district's Director of Exceptional/Special Education. State the problem and the services you're requesting, and ask for a formal IEP-team meeting. Keep a copy of everything. District office: (304)348-7770.

Step 2

File a state complaint

If the district violated an IDEA rule in the last year, file a signed written complaint with your state's special-education dispute-resolution office (below). The state must investigate and issue a decision — usually within 60 days.

Step 3

Ask for mediation

Request free, voluntary mediation through the state — a neutral, trained mediator helps you and the district reach a written agreement. It's faster and less adversarial than a hearing.

Step 4

File for a due-process hearing

For serious disputes over identification, evaluation, placement, or FAPE, file for a due-process hearing — a formal legal proceeding. Consider getting an advocate or attorney first (see Protection & Advocacy below).

⚖️ Where to file & get free help in West Virginia

West Virginia Department of Education — Special-Education Dispute Resolution
File a state complaint (IDEA), request mediation, or a due-process hearing
· 🔗 visit site

File a written state complaint within 1 year of the violation, request free mediation, or file for a due-process hearing. Start here if the district is out of compliance.

Disability Rights of West Virginia
Protection & Advocacy — free legal help for special-education & disability rights
☎️ 304-346-0847 · 🔗 visit site

Your state's federally-funded disability rights agency. Free information, advice, and sometimes legal representation for IEP and special-education disputes.

📚 Know-your-rights resources

Your legal footing: Under IDEA every eligible child is entitled to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) and an IEP built to their needs. Section 504/ADA also bar disability discrimination.

• Parent Training & Information Center (PTI): free coaching for your state — find your center »

• CADRE (national dispute-resolution center): cadreworks.org »

• U.S. Dept. of Education OSEP (administers IDEA) & Office for Civil Rights for 504/ADA complaints.

Tip: bring a written list of requests to every meeting, ask for the district's response in writing, and never sign an IEP you don't agree with — you can consent to parts and dispute the rest.

💪 Not just your child? Use strength in numbers.

If other Kanawha County Schools families are hitting the same wall, it's a district problem — and numbers change the outcome. Send this page to your social-media contacts and Facebook parent groups, and ask other parents at drop-off and pickup: is this happening to you too? Gather the stories here so the pattern is documented. Once you can prove a bigger issue: wear matching-color shirts for solidarity, protest peacefully, pack school-board meetings, reach out to government officials, give interviews, and send press releases to the local newsrooms below to bring the media in.

See the full step-by-step » Organize an event »

📣 Take action for Kanawha County Schools

Systemic problems get fixed when they become public. Below is local press near this district and the officials responsible for Kanawha County.

📰 Local newsrooms

Show within
WCHS-TV (ABC)
ABC affiliate — TV
1 mi
· 🔗 site
WVPB-TV (PBS)
PBS — TV
1 mi
State Journal
Local newspaper
1 mi
Charleston Gazette-Mail
Daily newspaper
1 mi
· 🔗 site
Logan Banner
Local newspaper
40 mi
Register-Herald
Local newspaper
44 mi
WSAZ-TV (NBC)
NBC affiliate — TV
45 mi
· 🔗 site
WOWK-TV (CBS)
CBS affiliate — TV
45 mi
· 🔗 site
Herald-Dispatch
Local newspaper
45 mi
Wayne County News
Local newspaper
45 mi
Point Pleasant Register
Local newspaper
45 mi
The Herald-Dispatch (Huntington)
Daily newspaper
45 mi
· 🔗 site
Gallipolis Daily Tribune
Local newspaper
47 mi
Wirt County Journal
Local newspaper
51 mi
The Big Sandy News
Local newspaper
57 mi
Williamson Daily News
Local newspaper
57 mi
Ironton Tribune
Local newspaper
58 mi
The Daily Independent
Local newspaper
59 mi
WTAP-TV (NBC)
NBC affiliate — TV
64 mi
· 🔗 site
Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Local newspaper
64 mi
The Athens Messenger
Local newspaper
72 mi
WVNS-TV (CBS)
CBS affiliate — TV
74 mi
· 🔗 site
Mountain Messenger
Local newspaper
74 mi
West Virginia Daily News
Local newspaper
74 mi
The Paintsville Herald
Local newspaper
74 mi
WVVA (NBC)
NBC affiliate — TV
76 mi
· 🔗 site
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Local newspaper
76 mi
Portsmouth Daily Times
Local newspaper
78 mi
WDTV (CBS)
CBS affiliate — TV
78 mi
· 🔗 site
Weston Democrat
Local newspaper
78 mi
Floyd County Chronicle & Times
Local newspaper
80 mi
Clinch Valley News
Local newspaper
85 mi
Richlands News-Press
Local newspaper
87 mi
WVFX (FOX)
FOX affiliate — TV
94 mi
· 🔗 site
WBOY-TV (NBC)
NBC affiliate — TV
94 mi
· 🔗 site
Exponent-Telegram
Local newspaper
94 mi
Virginian Review
Local newspaper
96 mi
Southwest Times
Local newspaper
100 mi

🏛️ Officials for Kanawha County

Office of the Governor of West Virginia Earl Ray Tomblin
Governor · WV
Office of the Governor of West Virginia Patrick Morrisey
Governor · WV
· 🔗 site
West Virginia Department of Education
State education agency — special-education oversight · WV
· 🔗 site
U.S. Dept. of Education — Office for Civil Rights
Disability discrimination complaints (504/ADA) · National
✉️ OCR@ed.gov · ☎️ 1-800-421-3481 · 🔗 site
U.S. Dept. of Education — OSEP
Federal special-education oversight (IDEA) · National
✉️ OSEP@ed.gov · ☎️ 1-800-872-5327 · 🔗 site