BELLE, W.Va.– A community will rally together to try and keep their local elementary school open.
Belle Elementary School is a part of the Kanawha County Schools Board of Education proposed list of schools to close due to population dropping. The Board has already voted to close East Bank Middle and McKinley Middle and consolidate them with other schools.
Belle’s Mayor David Fletcher says the community is not behind the closing.
“Well, you know, we’re definitely not in favor of it,” Fletcher said. “And the reason we’re not in favor of it is you know really is due to the fact that we believe that the school is safe.”
Fletcher also said that the school has been around for a long time, and they would hate to see it go.
“Reputation of the school, it’s been there since, we think late 50’s, early 60’s,” Fletcher said.
The main reason that the board is proposing closing schools is because a decline in population which results in enrollment rates dropping as well, however Fletcher doesn’t think that’s the case.
“We haven’t really lowered school bonds, so there pretty much still getting the same amount of funds for school funding for all of the schools, including Belle Elementary School,” Fletcher said.
If the Board votes to close Belle and three other elementary’s, their plan is to build an entirely new school for them near DuPont. However, Fletcher and the residents in Belle will be pushing that the school stay where it’s at.
“I’m not saying that that’s not a purposeful spot for a school, but we are going to ask that Belle Elementary school not be a part of that,” Fletcher said.
He also said that he thinks it’s important for the community for the school to stay open.
The Board will hold a hearing for Belle Elementary on Tuesday, October 15 at p.m. at Riverside High School, where they will hear speakers and then vote.