SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va. — The proposal to close two small Nicholas County elementary schools will be up for a decision in the Nov. 10 meeting of the Nicholas County Board of Education.
Several residents pleaded with county school officials Monday night to keep both Birch River and Zela elementary schools open.
“These kids need this school,” Zela supporter Amy Young said. “It’s bad enough time-wise already. If a child misses a bus do you really think a parent is going to make a two hour trip to get their kid to school? I don’t think so.”
Nicholas County School Superintendent Scott Cochran said the proposal to close both schools and send the students to the new Summersville PK-8 school under construction at Glade Creek is his proposal. He said it’s based on three main reasons.
“They are two small elementary schools with our lowest enrollment. We’re looking at the two schools with the lowest building utilization and we’re looking at two schools that we’re spending the most per pupil expenditure on students annually as compared to other schools,” Cochran told the crowd gathered at Nicholas County High School.
Zela and Birch River both now have fewer than 100 students. Cochran said the entire county’s student enrollment has decreased by 789 students since 2016, a 20.7 decrease over the last decade. Cochran said the county has lost $2 million in state funding in recent years because of the dropping enrollment.
“The reason is I’m proposing this is trying to get Nicholas County Board of Ed in a responsible place for years come. Is it easy? No, no, it is not,” Cochran said.
As mentioned above, speakers at Monday night’s public hearing expressed concern about travel times. Zela Principal Andrew Thomas said some students could be on the bus 90 minutes a day each way.
“That could mean of upwards of 15 hours a week, approximately 60 hours a month and at least 450 hours over a school year on a bus! Over the six years they would attend elementary school at the new school, guess how many days? One-hundred 12 and a half days on a bus,” Thomas said.
Thomas also pointed to numbers that show Zela students are improving in academic achievement.
“It’s the biggest riser in the entire area, moving up 85 points statewide this year. That is a school showing progress and potential, give us two or three more years we’ll show you what kind of school we can become,” Thomas said.
Beckley attorney Steve New said at Monday’s public hearing that he’s been retained and plans a lawsuit to try and stop the closure of Zela.
“If I can get a judge in Kanawha County to sign an injunction order then you might be closing Zela in about three years from now and only after the Supreme Court has ruled on whether your closure is appropriate,” New said.
Cochran said sending the students to a brand new school will allow them to benefit from improved facilities and resources as well as expanded curriculum opportunties. He said he also has the responsibility to keep the district fiscally sound.
“The pace at which we keep losing students countywide is astronomical, statewide as well,” Cochran said.
Nicholas County Schools has been under state control since 2025 so the decision to close the schools is up to state School Superintendent Michele Blatt which will be announced at the Nov. 10 meeting. The five-member Nicholas County Board of Education doesn’t have the authority under state control to vote on the issue.