CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In as many days, the Kanawha County Board of Education has voted to close two elementary schools, deciding so for Grandview Elementary.
The board voted unanimously 5-0 Wednesday evening to close down the school at the end of the 2023-24 school year and consolidate it with Mary C. Snow West Side and Edgewood schools.
The same result happened for Marmet Elementary on Tuesday. Marmet will now be consolidated with Chesapeake Elementary.
Kanawha County Schools Superintendent Tom Williams reiterated the tough decision facing the board, one they didn’t want to have to make.
“It’s not something we take lightly but we have to make sure we can pay our bills and our budget is balanced,” Williams said. “We really can no longer afford to maintain 65 schools.”
Williams brought up the main reason for school closures again Wednesday, mentioning the massive decline in enrollment over the last 10 years which has put a huge dent in aid received from the state. A loss of approximately 4,400 students of Kanawha County Schools in the last decade has directly translated to loss in funding, according to Williams.
“We have to look at the school system as a whole and what’s best for the entire system,” Williams said on the school closures.
Around 100 members of Grandview Elementary showed up for the public hearing held at the West Side Middle School auditorium Wednesday. Teachers, parents, and even Grandview Elementary students spoke to board members, all saying positive things about the school and pleading for their doors to stay open.
Around 15 people spoke including Grandview teacher Krista Trabert. She, like many others brought forth an issue they see of too big of class sizes.
“Will the classes be maxed out to the highest capacity of a class size before another teacher will be added?” she asked the board members.
Melissa Spencer is also a teacher at the school. She is a mother of four and has one of her kids, a son, enrolled at Grandview mainly because of the smaller classroom sizes. She refers to Grandview as a family-like atmosphere, and calls it a “hidden gem.”
“My son would not be where he is today if it weren’t for Grandview Elementary,” Spencer said.
Some parents had the same concerns. One claimed that both of the schools that would be accepting the students from Grandview already have larger class sizes.
“It’s gonna be worse for our kids,” she said. “Worse for kids that need extra attention, extra help.”
With the attention and help possibly being taken away, another parent brought forth her concern with the proper treatment being there for special needs students. She said she experienced the consolidation that involved Glenwood Elementary and fears for kids that need special treatment if they are moved into a bigger school with more students
“It is not a good transition for our kids, especially our kids with special needs. They do not get what they need in the classroom at a bigger school at all.” the woman said.
Emotions were running high towards the end of the of the public hearing as those in the auditorium realized the vote was not gonna go in their favor.
Edgewood Principal Christina Bridgette and Mary C. Snow West Side Principal Destiny Spencer also spoke during the hearing and offered words of encouragement to the parents and students of Grandview.
Last up, the Kanawha County Board of Education will decide on a potential closure of Weimer Elementary and consolidation into two other schools. The public hearing and vote is taking place at St. Albans High School Thursday evening beginning at 6 p.m.