SOPHIA, W.Va. — A new school year also brings a new facility for some Raleigh County students.
Ridgeview Elementary School sits on a 14-acre property along Tank Hill Road near the beginning of the Coalfields Expressway. The name “Ridgeview” was selected last year by a panel of students and teachers.
“Given the location, the “view” names were the most popular,” said Raleigh County Assistant Superintendent of Schools Randy Adkins in a previous interview with MetroNews affiliate WJLS.
The new school is a consolidation of Lester, Crab Orchard and Sophia-Soak Creek Elementary Schools. All three schools closed at the conclusion of the 2017-2018 school year. The Raleigh County Board of Education hoped to open the new school on time (August 15) but a delay in the moving process from the old schools will result in a staggered start for students later this week.
“They were a little behind on unpacking all of the stuff they needed to from the closing schools,” said Raleigh County Schools Superintendent David Price. “So we delayed the opening a few days so they could be ready and get everything knocked out so when kids come it’s a smooth opening.”
Half of pre-kindergarten students and grades 3-5 will start school Thursday, August 23 and will not attend Friday, August 24. Kindergarten-2 and the other half of pre-kinderegarten will start on Friday, August 24. All students will return to the classroom together on Monday, August 27.
Price also said construction stayed on schedule for the most part, but a few setbacks were anticipated in the process.
“It’s construction and you always have some changes and some things that you have to fix as you move through it. This was no different but all of those things have been addressed. We’ll be touching up some things on the landscape and everything as we move forward throughout the year but it’s nothing that would delay school.”
The $17 million Ridgeview Elementary, which can hold 575 students at full capacity, will be equipped with the latest in safety and educational technology.
Among the features include solar panels to help power the building, an outdoor classroom for students to learn agricultural skills and interactive playground equipment. A first in Raleigh County will be the use of the HoverCam. According to their website, HoverCam is the “digital podium for the 21st century classroom”.
“It’s a very unique delivery system that combines computer as well as (an) overhead,” said Price. “Everything is state-of-the art.”
The school will also feature the latest in energy-efficient technology. Price sees saving energy and providing a lesson on conserving resources to students as a win-win.
“The technology around how the school was built with the geothermal heating and cooling, the ICF (insulating concrete form) walls which ensure energy efficiency. The building will be part of the curriculum. Students will actually be able to monitor utility usage and learn how to do that as part of their math and science curriculum.”
Ridgeview Elementary students will be known as the Timberwolves.