Charleston, W.Va., Board Pessimistic About School Plan

Sep. 22–Only once in 16 years has the state School Building Authority ever funded a two-school plan from one county.

As Kanawha County school officials begin work on such a proposal — to replace four consolidated West Side elementary schools with two new ones — some school board members already don’t think it has much of a chance.

“We’ve defeated ourselves,” said board President Jim Crawford. “But I’m going to support it because that’s what the community wants.”

Following a meandering Tuesday night meeting, the board unanimously voted to submit the dual-school plan to the building authority. The decision came at the urging of West Side parents and politicians who crowded the board’s meeting room.

By the Oct. 3 deadline, the county will ask for money to build two new schools — one on the West Side hill and the other in the flat area between Washington Street West and the Kanawha River.

Before, board members planned to request funding for one new primary school at the controversial Cabell Alternative School site at Florida Street and Kanawha Boulevard.

They also expected to turn Grandview Elementary into a primary school, while redistricting other students to less populated schools in the county.

The board contends that Chandler, Glenwood, J.E. Robins and Watts elementary schools are all too old and in too much disrepair to fix.

Despite Tuesday’s decision, it’s not clear where the schools will be built. Or whether the building agency will even give the proposal a glance knowing what’s coming their way.

“There’s only been one project that had two buildings in it that was funded,” said Clacy Williams, director of the building authority. “It was in Harrison County in 1989, our first year. That was before we had comprehensive plans in place, and we were working from an emergency plan submitted by the county.”

In the last 16 years, state school districts have since compiled 10-year facilities plans that map out how counties plan to respond to projected growth or population decline. Most of the strategies deal with the latter, and include consolidations, which counties perceive as the best way to get dollars to build public schools.

“Even though there’s a history of the SBA not doing two-school projects, what was done in Wood County shows that they don’t always keep the same rule of thumb,” said board member Becky Jordon. “We also have a governor that’s more hands-on with his departments, and advocates for smaller schools, so I’m really positive that we can get this money.”

Last year, the building authority granted $15 million to Wood County on the basis that it pass a $35 million bond issue. No school consolidations were included in the project, which will upgrade Parkersburg South High, Parkersburg High and Williamstown High schools.

Wood County Superintendent Bill Niday said that the renovations would modernize the schools and make room for freshman students. When the additions are complete, the county plans to change its K-6, 7-9, 10-12 grade configuration.

On Wednesday, board member Pete Thaw said he was enthused about getting two new schools on the West Side. It’s unfair for the building authority to treat the county like other districts in the state, he said.

Because of the West Side’s urban setting, many argued on Tuesday that there’s no way not to build two schools. City Councilman Mark Sadd pointed out that 40 percent of the city’s population lives on the West Side, which makes up 15 percent of the county.

“The governor always talks about keeping schools, and how important it is, but the SBA is going the other way,” Thaw said. “I’d far rather take a shot at funding for two than put one big school in that terrible [Florida Street] lot.”

So while administrators write the plan, others wonder where the new schools will go. Aside from the Cabell Alternative site and Grandview expansion, at least three others have been tossed around.

The city of Charleston owns land in Cato Park that some are eyeing. Another possibility is several acres behind Watts Elementary, which the owner reportedly offered to sell.

A final option is open land near the Edgewood pool, which most students from Robins and Watts could walk to. Former board member John Luoni thinks this is the most logical.

“Cato Park is a good option, too, but I think building a school near the pool makes the most sense,” he said. “Eighty-percent of the kids who attend those schools can still walk as they already do. But then again, it might be smarter to renovate Glenwood or expand Chandler.”

He said it’s best to concentrate on getting the money now, and worry about the rest later, even if only one school is funded.

Building a school at Florida Street has never been well received and won’t ever be well received by West Side residents, Luoni said. Since leaving the board a few months ago, the lifelong West Side resident has devoted himself to the new school project.

Luoni added that he is disappointed by the “defeatist attitude” of some of the board members.

“I don’t know why there’s so much negativity about getting funding,” he said. “We all know there’s a funding gap between what the SBA gives and what it takes to build a new school. It’s typical.

“What we’re trying to do here is put together a project that the whole West Side can support. I just don’t understand why they don’t seem to have any enthusiasm. We didn’t have this attitude when we were trying to build St. Albans High or Sissonville Middle, so why isn’t the board and administration treating it the same?”

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