ELKVIEW, W.Va. — It could be next school year before Herbert Hoover High School students move in to portable classrooms on the Elkview Middle School campus, according to Kanawha County School Facilities Director Chuck Wilson.
“We’re probably going to get done somewhere close to the end of school, so if they don’t get in there at the end of this year, they will certainly be in there and comfortable by the start of the next year,” Wilson told MetroNews Tuesday.
Hoover has been sharing space at Elkview on a split schedule since the start of the school year. The Hoover building was destroyed in the June 2016 flood.
Nearly 50 classroom units are being installed on the Elkview parking lot.
Crews were scheduled to finish work on the portables by the end of April, but Wilson said the completion date is being pushed back due to the workload.
“We’re dealing with utility companies, a lot of outside entities that we really have no control over their timetables. It’s just there’s a lot of work to be done,” Wilson said.
It’s been a long process for crews working to get the portables up for flooded schools in the Elk River community. On Monday, students at Bridge and Clendenin Elementary schools moved into portables on the Bridge campus. Clendenin kids have been sharing space at Bridge since the flood destroyed the Clendenin building.
It’s been a “relief” for students and staff on that campus, Wilson said.
“They’ve been in incredible circumstances. It’s been tough, but now this gives them a little bit of room to spread out,” he said.
The work at Elkview is taking longer because the high school needs more space for certain courses, Wilson said.
“Everything from chemistry labs, technology, so it’s running a little bit longer than what was projected. Each day we come across issues and resolve them and move forward,” he said.
The Hoover and Clendenin buildings will be demolished in the coming months. Sites to build the new schools are being discussed. The Kanawha County Board of Education will need to approve the two locations before construction can start.