ROANE COUNTY, W.Va. –Two Roane County schools are once again at risk of closure, with students possibly being consolidated into nearby schools.
The Roane County Board of Education has proposed closing Walton Elementary/Middle School and Geary Elementary School. The proposal also calls for consolidating kindergarten through fifth-grade students into Spencer Elementary School, sixth through eighth-grade students into Spencer Middle School, and pre-K students from both schools into the space currently occupied by the Office of Student Support Services at Roane County High School.
In November 2024, the board voted against closing the schools
County Superintendent Michelle Stellato, during the board’s third public comment hearing Wednesday evening, cited the issues the county is currently facing, which have led officials to reconsider the closures.
She stated that the county is facing declining student enrollment and financial challenges. She also noted that the state Board of Education declared a state of emergency for the county board due to its failure to approve a closure and consolidation plan, as well as a $2.5 million deficit.
Stellato said these are difficult decisions, but they must be made.
“We have to face this reality with courage and wisdom, and I’ve said every night, and I’ll keep saying every night, we’re not going to quit thinking is there another way, is there another way to do this,” she said.
During the hearing, parents and residents posed questions to the board. The main concerns raised included student travel times and bus routes, what would happen to the school buildings if they were closed, whether students would receive an adequate education if they had to travel farther, and other related issues.
If the schools were closed, students from Geary would have to travel about 29 minutes to reach Spencer, while students from Walton would have a 24-minute trip.
One parent, Chad Perkins, said he feared the decision could affect other schools down the road and urged the board to vote no.
“The only thing we can do is push back by voting no, if enough small counties reject consolidation plans, the state will be forced to change the aid funding formula and it will delay, what I fear is the eventual takeover of local county schools,” Perkins said.
Several teachers from Spencer Elementary spoke at the hearing, including first-grade teacher Rachel Stepp.
She said that if the schools close and the students are consolidated into Spencer, the community will warmly welcome them
“Should out students unite we believe the promise of what we can build together, our schools are not just brick and mortar buildings, they are defined by the people, the passion, and the traditions within them, and even as we mourn the potential loss of the institutions, we can look forward to contributing to the best of both of our communities,” Stepp said.
Two more special public hearings are scheduled for next week, on November 3 and 4; however, the board will officially vote at their regular meeting on November 6.