CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia School Building Authority has started discussions that may impact the futures of Meadow Bridge High School in Fayette County and Greenbrier West High School in Greenbrier County.
SBA Executive Director Mark Manchin said the conversations follow a recent move by the state Board of Education that asked the Fayette County School Board to put off plans to consolidate Meadow Bridge with two other schools in Fayette County.
Manchin said Meadow Bridge is only 14 miles away from Greenbrier West and the school in Charmco recently received a $21 million upgrade.
“Greenbrier County ran a bond and part of that bond included major upgrades to Greenbrier West, in fact, we gave 10-million, they put 11-million in. It’s a gorgeous school. It’s a comprehensive high school.”
Manchin said the comprehensive high school aspect could also help Meadow Bridge where students enrolled in technical education courses have to travel 30 miles one way to Oak Hill for those classes.
The SBA has in recent years given more attention to blurring county lines.
“No longer are we going to say this county or that county,” Manchin said. “We (have funded) Gilmer and Lewis (Leading Creek Elementary) and now we’re talking to Mason and Putnam and other counties about when a remote school is closer to another county. We are encouraging counties to bring us those projects,” he said.
Manchin added he anticipates the SBA will fund another multi-county project next spring.