CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Board of Education plans to meet in executive session next month to further discuss the possibility of putting a school construction bond before voters in the November 2024 election.
The discussion is being fueled by a continued drop in student population in the state’s largest school district.
“We’ve lost approximately 4,000 students in the last 10 years,” Kanawha County School Superintendent Tom Williams told BOE members this week. “I don’t know if that will change but as a result, we need to look at, in order to stay fiscally responsible, I believe we need to look at possibly floating a bond to consolidate more schools.”
There are several ideas right now but no final decisions. Those are likely months away.
Williams said a $100 million bond could address a few elementary schools and maybe a new middle school. He said public comments received on the county’s 10-year comprehensive facilities plan a few years ago favored a consolidated elementary school in eastern Kanawha County. BOE member Ryan White said Monday he would favor improvements to Chesapeake Elementary which will take on Marmet Elementary students after the current school year.
White also said he favors combining two existing middle schools in the St. Albans attendance area.
“McKinley and Hayes are something we should do,” White said. “Both are small middle schools.”
Williams said the two schools are projected to have a combined enrollment of 556 students by 2032.
The board of education also made brief comments about possibly building a new middle school near downtown Charleston, renovations at Laidley Field and maybe combining some school bus garages.
White said the county may need two separate bond issues over a several year period.
“We would have to do a higher bond or we could just do this bond and then come back and do another bond in four or five years,” White said.
The board did instruct Williams to work on an RFP for possible bond counsel.
Kanawha County Schools will close Marmet, Grandview and Weimer elementary schools after this school year with those students heading to existing schools next year.