HAMLIN, W.Va. — The West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) approved school closures and consolidations in Hampshire and Lincoln counties during its monthly meeting in Charleston Wednesday.
In Lincoln County, it is closures based on ongoing issues with structural problems in the schools. The board approved the closure and consolidation of Duval pre-K – 8 and Midway Elementary in Lincoln County.
Students from Duval have been reassigned to other locations due to structural concerns that closed the facility in July 2021, a release stated.
The county is pursuing West Virginia School Building Authority (SBA) funding for the potential consolidation. While that process plays out, Superintendent Jeff Kelley has told the board they are focusing on safety.
He told the board Wednesday that county officials have developed three tiers on addressing the structural issues.
“What can we fix with our school-based folks, what can we fix with our county-based folks and where do we have to seek help outside of those two entities,” Kelley said.
In late October, the state school board heard more details about the structural issues in a report. Members of the state Board of Education approved the latest Special Circumstance Review of the school system conducted from Aug. 30-Sept. 3.
The team spent the past several months focusing on the county’s facilities and reported on 14 district-wide findings and 19 district-wide corrective actions. Those findings included problems with HVAC units.
Kelley was asked during the meeting about Lincoln’s plans if the projects are not approved by the SBA and he responded, “With the reduction of about 2.4 percent of our student population per year, we can look at scenarios where we can those kids into Midway and Hamlin facilities. That’s not ideal.”
The closures of the schools are contingent on SBA funding being awarded, which funding recommendations will be made at the Dec. 13 quarterly meeting.
In other meeting news, Hampshire County will close John J. Cornwell ahead of schedule due to accelerated enrollment decreases, safety concerns and required educational needs. The school is one of five elementary schools earmarked to close after the county passed a school construction bond in 2020, which will result in the construction of three new consolidated schools.
Students will be reassigned from the closed school to Romney or Slanesville elementary schools in the interim, a release said.