OAK HILL, W.Va. — Fayette County School Superintendent Serena Starcher says she’s cautiously optimistic the move of 400 students from Collins Middle School in Oak Hill to two other schools can be completed by the end of the week.
“My goal is that we could move students into those buildings on Thursday. I’m not sure that we’ll make my goal of Thursday, it could be Friday before we can move kids successfully and transition them well into those buildings,” Starcher told MetroNews Tuesday.
The school system received an engineer’s report this week that said the main building at Collins, which houses 7th and 8th graders, is not structurally sound.
“(The firm could not guarantee) the overall safety of the students in that main building,” Starcher said.
The building that houses the school’s 5th and 6th graders is structurally sound and those students will stay on the campus but 7th graders are moving to Fayetteville High School and 8th graders to Oak Hill High School. Superintendent Starcher will discuss the changes with parents at meeting set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Oak Hill High.
Starcher said transportation issues are being worked out.
“No student should really be on the bus more than 10 additional minutes,” she said. “I know some people frown upon 10 minutes but I’m not anticipating any more than 10 minutes in the morning or evening.”
Starcher said at some point Fayette County residents are going to have to discuss the long term future of Collins Middle School. The estimated cost of a new building is $27 million. Starcher said that’s a discussion for another day, right now her top priority is the transition of 400 teachers and their students into new buildings.
“We have to do the next best thing and that is to relocate students and throughout that relocation do our absolute best and be sure that they transition successfully into the other facilities,” she said.
A group of parents is expected to attend the state Board of Education meeting Wednesday in Charleston to discuss the developments.