FOSTER — Boone County Board of Education administrators last week offered residents, parents, teachers and officials a “21st Century Vision” for Ashford-Rumble and Nellis elementary schools.

The people whose lives would be altered by the potential change didn’t like the view the vision offered.

“We felt like we were supposed to be there for a coronation,” Ashford-Rumble parent Chad Toney said matter-of-factly.

That didn’t happen, however. Instead, dozens of residents, parents, teachers and officials from Ashford-Rumble and Nellis asked questions, offered objections and voiced concerns at a pair of community meetings last Monday and Tuesday.

Board members were expected to vote on the matter at their meeting last Thursday, but Superintendent Steve Pauley delayed the decision.

Pauley said he will ask West Virginia Department of Education officials for an extension to allow him and his staff to do additional research before a decision is made.

The original deadline was Dec. 31.

The school board’s next regularly scheduled meeting is Jan. 8.

Pauley and his staff devised a reconfiguration plan that would eliminate split-grade classrooms at the schools by turning Nellis into an early childhood facility (pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first and second) and Ashford-Rumble into an intermediate facility (third, fourth, fifth and sixth).

Split-grade classrooms don’t offer “ideal means for delivering instruction,” Pauley said.

This issue isn’t entirely about split-grade classrooms, however.

Another reason for the proposed reconfiguration is the rural schools’ declining enrollment.

Ashford-Rumble has 93 students for the 2007-2008 school year compared to 135 students in the 2002-2003 school year, according to county totals.

Ashford-Rumble was expected to have 143 students for the 2007-2008 school year, according to its 10-year Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan.

Nellis has 89 students for the 2007-2008 school year compared to 106 students in the 2002-2003 school year, according to county totals.

Nellis was expected to have 100 students for the 2007-2008 school year, according to its 10-year Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan.

Ashford-Rumble’s operating capacity is 195 students, which means its current program utilization is 47.69 percent. Nellis’ operating capacity is 182 students, which means its current program utilization is 52.35 percent.

The West Virginia Department of Education recommends schools’ current program utilization not fall under 50 percent.

“Both schools and communities are perfect for this transition,” Pauley said.

Assistant Superintendent Lisa Beck said the reconfiguration would allow teachers at each school to focus on the curriculum at their levels, with Nellis focusing on DIBELS benchmarks and Ashford-Rumble concentrating on WESTEST skills.

Neither school had enough students to have a pre-kindergarten class this year. Combining the schools’ expected enrollment likely would create the need for one next year, which is a benefit county officials touted.

As they outlined their reconfiguration plan, Pauley and other administrators referred to their mission statement: “Boone County Schools accepts the responsibility and the accountability to create conditions that produce both quality and equity in student results. We will provide rigorous, high quality educational experiences that ensure success for all students.”

Parents questioned whether that mission could be accomplished via reconfiguration.

“I don’t think this plan is going to help them,” Ashford-Rumble parent Cindy McCallister said. “These kids deserve better.”

“Our children will be the ones paying the consequences for your decisions,” Nellis parent Anita Perdue said.

Administrators claim the reconfiguration also would save the school system at least $240,000, which represents the cost of four teachers.

It is unclear whether any current teachers would lose their jobs as a result of reconfiguration.

Parents and teachers asked county officials to promise them the money saved would be used at their schools, but no guarantees were made.

Instead, both schools’ supporters were told that board members always look at each individual school and do their best to make sure its needs are met.

However, President Gary Woodrum said he thinks the reconfiguration would allow board members to provide the schools with more financial support than they currently do.

Toney questions the $240,000 estimate. He believes other costs — the possible need to hire one or two additional teachers or buy one or two additional buses, for example — could drastically reduce or completely offset those savings.

Ashford-Rumble parent Chris Arnold isn’t worried about the savings.

“I can’t put a price on my child’s education,” Arnold said. “Filling classrooms to the highest capacity will only cause problems.”

Nellis parent Michael Dangerfield agreed.

“Our kids are going to fall behind because they are going to go from smaller schools to bigger classes,” Dangerfield said.

Toney and other parents’ concerns include fewer participants in extra-curricular activities (athletic and academic), separation of siblings and flooding problems.

They believe the reconfiguration also would accelerate the communities’ loss of identity.

Longer bus rides was one of the most prominent concerns.

Steve Bradley, Boone County Schools’ executive director of transportation, assured parents bus drivers could rearrange their routes to make sure rides to and from school are no more than 35 minutes.

“All four drivers feel very comfortable we can do that,” he said.

McCallister, who is one of Boone County Schools’ substitute bus drivers, and other parents said there is no way it will work.

Nellis parent Terry Rutherford said parents with children at each school would have to split their volunteer time. They also would have to choose between their kids’ activities or juggle their time at each one.

Toney said he believes the county officials’ intentions were good.

“But all the facts weren’t in,” he said.

Parents also resented the fact that their schools would be the “guinea pig” for this plan.

Toney asked county officials to provide examples of schools in which this system has succeeded.

Assistant Superintendent John Hudson told Toney they couldn’t name a specific school system where this plan is working or has worked.

Some parents offered their own options.

According to one proposal, some Camp Creek students could supplement Nellis’ enrollment and some Short Creek students could supplement Ashford-Rumble’s enrollment.

That move, parents noted, would kill two birds with one stone because it also would alleviate overcrowding problems at Brookview and Sherman elementary schools, respectively.

“Lines can be changed; boundaries can be changed,” former Nellis teacher Lucille Jordan said. “It has been done and it still can be done.”

Nellis supporter Martha Tackett asked board members and county administrators to put themselves in parents’ shoes.

“If these were your children,” she asked, “what decision would you make?”

Nellis supporter Judy Kinder offered a simple solution.

“Have you even thought about taking the time to poll the kids and ask them if they want to switch schools?” Kinder asked. “Think about the children and how this is going to affect them.”

Contact Jacob Messer at

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or 369-1165 or 785-8951.