Wood County BOE Approves School Closures and Consolidation | News, sports, work

Jackson High School Principal Jeffery Kisner speaks to the Wood County Board of Education Thursday evening during a public hearing held at the school. The board later voted to close and merge VanDevender Middle School with Jackson Middle School, and 45% of those students will attend Jackson in the 2025–2026 school year. (Photo: Douglass Huxley)

PARKERSBURG — After five public hearings, the Wood County Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday night to close and merge VanDevender High School with Jackson and Hamilton high schools, and Fairplains Elementary will close and merge with Martin Elementary.

The closure and merger will take place at the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year.

“It’s one of those unattractive things that we have to do to make sure that we have the right number of schools, that we have the right resources to give all of our students a good education, and sometimes we have to do undesirable things like closing schools.” said board member Rick Olcott. “We want the public to understand that these changes are part of a comprehensive, ongoing process to right-size our facilities and resources to meet our changing student population.”

Superintendent Christie Willis said during the hearing that Wood County Schools has seen a decline of 1,929 students over the past decade. VanDevender, which had the most students enrolled in the 2017–2018 school year – 415 students, currently has only 248 students as of August 2024. As a result, the school only utilizes 34.1% of its 728 students. To address the underutilization problem, the consolidation plan calls for approximately 55% of VanDevender’s students to be combined in Hamilton and 45% in Jackson, she said. She said this brings total enrollment to 580 students in Hamilton (74% utilization) and 520 students in Jackson (71.4% utilization).

To support the combined middle schools, Willis said the district also plans to increase staffing in each core learning area, such as English, math and science. She said there would be six teachers in each classroom. She said it “teams” approach is designed to help students better connect with peers and teachers, especially during the critical first year of transition.

Aaron Campbell, an eighth-grader at VanDevender Middle School, spoke to the Wood County Board of Education Thursday evening during a public hearing held at Hamilton Middle School about the proposed closure and merger of VanDevender and Hamilton Middle School. Campbell expressed concerns that his classmates would have a hard time with the merger because it was a long way down the road for them and they might not be accepted into the new school. (Photo: Douglass Huxley)

“We are trying to increase the educational opportunities for these students as a result of the merger,” he added. Willis said. “That’s why we’re adding these teachers, so we can create the concept of teamwork, so teachers have students they can get to know, especially in the first year. (It’s) very important to get to know the students and make sure they feel welcome in the buildings.”

VanDevender staff and students have expressed concerns about the welcome they may receive at public hearings. Jamee Dalrymple, a school nurse at VanDevender, shared her personal experiences with discrimination.

“There are people who look at me from the side and look at me from top to bottom. I am a professional, a registered nurse and I am treated in a discriminatory manner.” Dalrymple said.

She said she fears new students may face similar challenges.

Aaron Campbell, an eighth-grader at VanDevender, said he has concerns about his younger peers who will have to move from the close-knit community “Vandy” community.

“I just don’t think they would feel at home at any other school,” Campbell said. “Part of it is that people look down on us and that’s a big part of what connects us.”

Jeffrey Kisner, Jackson’s principal, addressed these concerns, emphasizing staff commitment and efforts to support students during these challenging times.

“It doesn’t matter who walks through that door. We’re here to educate them and provide for them and try to love them as best as we can and just be there for them.” – said Kisner. “It doesn’t matter where you come from, the education, love and support you receive should be the same, no matter where we are, it doesn’t matter the building” – said Kisner. “I believe in the professionalism of the staff here and those who will come.”

Board member Judy Johnson shared her experiences with previous school consolidations, stating that increasing resources and building community led to successful changes.

“When Jefferson Elementary came together, it was a great experience.” Johnson said. “We learned from each other, built a strong community and provided our students with an even better education. I am confident that community leadership and engagement will make these changes positive as well.”

Willis said the district’s next step will be to submit the required documentation to the West Virginia State Board of Education by mid-November. She said the state board will consider the proposed closures and vote on them at its Dec. 11 meeting.

Willis said a community information meeting about the new Lübeck Elementary School will be held on Monday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m., in the school gymnasium. She said this is a chance for community members to learn about anticipated timelines and plans for the new school that will be built. She said community members will have the opportunity to sign up to speak and ask questions during the meeting.

Douglass Huxley can be reached at [email protected]