PHILIPPI, W.Va. — The Barbour County board of education voted 5-0 Monday evening in favor of a consolidation plan that has the county’s middle schools closing down.
The county will now be closing Belington Middle School, Kasson Middle School, and Philippi Middle School and moving the students to Philip Barbour High School, where there is extra space. The vote also approves the closure of Junior Elementary School and will send students to Belington Elementary School.
Student enrollment in the county has been down 20 years since 2016, which has forced the district to operate with less and less state money each year.
“If our population continues to decline and our student enrollment continues to drop, down the road, we may have to look at other options in Barbour County,” said Richard Daugherty, director/coordinator of support services for the school system. “We’ve got to be able to staff buildings, and we’ve got to be able to pay for them.”
Despite the consistent drop in enrollment, many Barbour County residents fought for their local schools up until Monday’s vote was taken.
Resident Amy Phillips has a grandchild in school system. She recalled a time when her son was sent to the high school building while his elementary school was being worked on.
“When my son was in third grade, you guys sent him to Philip Barbour while they were re-doing the school. The language and the questions that that kid had in third grade was just beyond belief,” Phillips said.
Mariah Hamrick has children in the system as well, and she says she’s concerned when they have to mix with high schoolers once they enter middle school.
“I don’t want to see my children suffer. Our small school is the best chance and now they’re going to be combined with many, many other children, where not much attention is going to be given to an individual child,” she said.
Hamrick says she isn’t confident young middle schoolers will be safe in the high school building.
“I worry for my children’s safety once they get to this level. The impressions that they’re going to pick up on of ages that are not of their own and it will happen so easily. You can’t promise me their protection. You can’t. You cannot make a promise on that,” Hamrick said.
Barbour County is now asking the state School Building Authority for north of $6 million to fund an HVAC upgrade, a gym, and a band area upgrade at Philip Barbour High School.
The funds would be part of the SBA’s annual “Needs” grants.