“The plan is a road map for us to follow,” Hudson said. “It is required by the West Virginia Sate Board of Education and the West Virginia School Building Authority (SBA).”
The plan has no recommendations for closing any schools.
“I want to go on record that I am against any closing of any school and oppose any configuration of grades, unless it is to keep schools from closing,” said board member Joe S. Taglient, Jr.
Other board members echoed Taglient’s comments.
“I am against the same things…no school closings,” said board member Danny L. Cantley.
Planning Advocates, Inc. developed the plan after facilitating meetings with the broad-based school and community committee. The committee was comprised of citizens and staff from all geographic areas of the three high school attendance zones in Boone County.
Some of the data that influenced the committee’s final decisions included a stable to slight increase in student enrollment during the next 10 years.
The data summary also included recent and planned upgrades and renovations to some schools; combined physical education and food service spaces at some elementary schools; inequity of student/teacher ratios and per pupil expenditures among elementary schools; desire to operate primarily with the grade grouping PK-5, 6-8 and 9-12; improvement of the physical condition of schools, which will be maintained; the desire to meet economy of scale requirements of the SBA to the degree possible; and improving school transportation efficiency and meeting bus ride timelines to the degree possible.
The plan did suggest the combining of Wharton Elementary and Van Elementary students within an expanded Van Elementary School.
It also suggested monitoring the total student population along Corridor G and evaluates the potential need for an additional school within the southern portion of that area.
Middle school recommendations included converting Sherman Jr. High School to a state-of-the-art, 6-8, middle school by renovating and expanding the current facility to accommodate the increased population. It also suggested converting the current Scott High School facility into a state-of-the-art Madison Middle School and constructing a new Scott High School.
Other high school recommendations included renovating and expanding Sherman High School and upgrade, as needed the Van 6-12 school facility, while evaluating its long-term use.
The plan also calls for renovating and expanding the current Boone County Career Center and enhance the partnership between Boone County Schools and Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College.
There were other recommendations made in the plan that included establishing a representative community committee to determine the disposition of all school buildings, which are taken out of service as instructional facilities.
To accomplish the plan, the Boone County Board of Education must receive sufficient funding, the summary reported stated.
“The plan is likely not workable without the passage of a countywide bond, and significant additional contributions from the state SBA and other state and federal sources,” it said. “Full implementation of the plan will allow Boone County Schools to reach its optimum potential in achieving a more cost-effective delivery method for its county-wide education program.”
In the 2009-2010 school year, Boone County Schools had 4,672 students located in 15 schools, plus the Boone Career Center. The current operational cost for the county school district is approximately $51 million per year.
The board will have a special meeting at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 10, in the conference room at the operations complex in Foster, to act on personnel action and to discuss topics pertaining to facilities, personnel, finance and board policy.
The next regular meeting of the board will beat 7 p.m., Aug. 17, at the same site in Foster.
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