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Sissonville Middle School Construction Project Still on Schedule: ; DuPont Middle Teacher Declines to Comment on Suspension Without Pay, Possible Transfer

Posted on: Saturday, 17 September 2005, 00:00 CDT

DAILY MAIL STAFF

Kanawha County school officials say they're still on schedule with the construction of the new, $12.5 million Sissonville Middle School.

School board members received an update on the middle school's construction at Wednesday night's meeting.

Chuck Wilson, facilities coordinator for Kanawha County Schools, said site preparations are progressing and the county has acquired almost all permits required.

"We'll be ready to go soon," he said.

One of the only things holding them up is a visit from historic preservation officials, who are examining the site for an early 1900s dairy farm that use to exist there.

"The historic preservation has some concerns about architectural structures that exist on the property," Wilson said.

Despite being on schedule, Wilson said he was concerned about getting started on construction because of impending weather conditions.

"We're getting closer and closer to winter and bad weather," he said.

In the meantime, architects also continue to work on the building design, Wilson said.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new middle school is scheduled for Sept. 27 at noon, with a reception at Sissonville High School to follow. The public is invited to attend.

On Wednesday night, school board members also voted 3-2 in favor of suspending DuPont Middle School teacher James Hanshaw without pay for 60 days.

Board members are requiring him to attend anger management classes and then reassigning him to another school after successful completion of the classes.

Hanshaw declined to comment about the board's decision Thursday morning. He said a representative from the West Virginia Education Association is handling his case and referred all questions to her.

DuPont Middle School principal Dave Miller told school board members that Hanshaw, 58, had a history of violence toward students, and that he failed to complete previous rounds of anger management classes for other incidents.

Board members Barbara Welch, Bill Raglin and Jim Crawford voted to keep Hanshaw as a teacher, while Becky Jordon and Pete Thaw voted against the measure.

Welch was concerned about losing Hanshaw as a teacher, given his 20-plus years of experience in Kanawha County Schools.

"I'm concerned that a group of students could be the demise of a person with this many years," she said. "I'm not justifying what he did, but I'm just concerned. I'm just concerned."

Also, at Wednesday night's meeting:

The public is also invited to attend a meeting to discuss West Side school consolidation next week. The meeting is scheduled for Sept. 20 at 6 p.m., at the county school board's central office on Elizabeth Street.

Board members plan to discuss a new proposal that calls for Chandler, Robins, Glenwood and Watts elementary schools to be consolidated into two preschool through fifth grade schools.

One school is to be built at the Cabell Alternative School site, located on the corner of Florida Street and Kanawha Boulevard. The proposal also calls for Grandview Elementary School to be renovated for use.

Contact writer Jessica Karmasek at jessica@dailymail.com or 348- 1796.

Source: Charleston Daily Mail

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