Counties May Have to Vote on School Closings

By Lawrence Messina

State and county school officials are still assessing a bill advanced Tuesday by the House Education Committee that would require county voters to approve plans to close or consolidate middle and elementary schools in most cases. Of course, this is something well have to look at closely and review the rationale behind it, said Liza Cordeiro, spokeswoman for the state Department of Education. The states association of county school boards has also not taken a position on House Bill 4040, which will soon go before the full House of Delegates for a vote. Association Executive Director Howard OCull said hes begun surveying members about the legislation. OCull said he also hopes lawmakers ask several looming questions about the bills implications. The bill would mandate county elections except when the closure or consolidation was part of a previously approved bond issue. Counties would also skip elections if the schools at issue average less than 13 students per grade level. The bill further exempts schools that must be rebuilt or repaired following fire, flooding or other disasters. OCull said 14 counties now lack an excess levy on property taxes to buttress school funding and continue to lose enrollment. Though the state has stepped in to help such counties with their funding, such counties have few options when strapped, he said. You sometimes address that by closing schools. Thats a hard decision, but one school boards sometimes face, OCull said. Youre ending up having people vote on school board closures without offering the boards any alternatives. He also noted that an election would add to a countys costs, unless the question was added to a primary or general election ballot. He did not know how many schools would fall under the bills provisions, though committee members were told Monday that five schools fall within the small-school exception. There is a tremendous allocation of resources to the very small schools, said House Education Chairman Tom Campbell. The bill recognizes that boards need the flexibility to be financially prudent. West Virginia has seen more than 300 public schools close since 1990, as its student-age population has dropped by more than 41,000 in that time. The state created the School Building Authority in 1989 to provide counties with funds to build or consolidate schools to meet an economy of scale, which defines the number of students and teachers to make a school run efficiently. There seems to be a growing consensus that consolidation affecting our younger students is not a good idea, said Campbell, D-Greenbrier. Counties across the state have been embroiled in disputes over plans to close and consolidate schools in the ensuing 15 years. Linda Martin of the group Challenge West Virginia, a leading proponent of small, community-based schools, praised the committee Monday for considering the legislation. While there may be rules and regulations for the public to be heard, time after time, in county after county, people gather by the hundreds and tell their school boards, Dont do this, Martin told lawmakers. They are routinely ignored.