Wood County BOE approves school closures and consolidations | News, sports, jobs

Jackson Middle School Principal Jeffery Kisner speaks to the Wood County Board of Education Thursday evening during a public hearing at the school. The board later voted to close and merge VanDevender Middle School with Jackson Middle School and 45% of those students will attend Jackson in the 2025-2026 school year. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

PARKERSBURG – After five public hearings, the Wood County Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday evening to close VanDevender Middle School and merge with Jackson and Hamilton Middle Schools and Fairplains Elementary will close and merge with Martin Elementary.

The closure and merger will take place at the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

“It’s one of those unattractive things that we have to do to make sure we have the right number of schools, we have the right resources to provide a good education to all our students, and sometimes we have to do undesirable things like closing schools,” board member Rick Olcott said. “We want the public to understand that these changes are part of a comprehensive, ongoing process to right-size our facilities and resources to fit the changing student population.”

Superintendent Christie Willis said during the hearings that Wood County schools have seen a decrease in student enrollment of 1,929 over the past decade. VanDevender, which had a peak enrollment of 415 students in the 2017-2018 school year, now has just 248 students as of August 2024. According to her, this has resulted in the school operating at just 34.1% of its capacity of 728 students. To address the underutilization, she said the consolidation plan calls for approximately 55% of VanDevender’s students to be consolidated into Hamilton and 45% into Jackson. She said this would bring combined enrollment to 580 students in Hamilton (74% utilization) and 520 students in Jackson (71.4% utilization).

To support the merged high schools, Willis said the district also plans to expand staffing levels in each core content area, such as English, math and science. She said they will each have six teachers per grade level. She said this “to collaborate” The approach is intended to help students better connect with their peers and teachers, especially in the crucial first year of transition.

VanDevender Middle School eighth-grader Aaron Campbell spoke to the Wood County Board of Education Thursday evening during a public hearing at Hamilton Middle School on the proposed closure and merger of VanDevender and Hamilton Middle Schools. Campbell said he was concerned that his classmates would have difficulty with the merger because it is a further step for them and they may not be accepted into their new school. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

“With the merger we are trying to increase educational opportunities for these students,” Willis said. “So we add those teachers so that we can have that team concept, so the teachers have students that they can get to know, especially that first year, (it’s) very important to get to know the students and make sure they feel good feel welcome in the buildings.”

VanDevender staff and students were concerned about the reception they might receive at the public hearings. Jamee Dalrymple, VanDevender’s school nurse, shared her personal experiences dealing with discrimination.

“I have people looking at me and looking me up and down. I am a professional, I am a registered nurse and I am being treated in a discriminatory way,” said Dalrymple.

She said she worries the new students will face similar challenges.

Aaron Campbell, an eighth-grader at VanDevender, said he worries about his younger peers who will have to move on from the close-knit band “Vandy” community.

“I just don’t think they would feel very at home at any other school,” Campbell said. “Part of that is people looking down on us, and that’s a big part of what brings us together.”

Jeffrey Kisner, Jackson’s principal, addressed these concerns and highlighted the staff’s dedication and efforts to support students during these challenging times.

“It doesn’t matter who walks through those doors. We are here to teach them and provide for them and try to love them as best we can and just be there for them.” Kisner said. “It doesn’t matter where you come from, the education, love and support you receive should be the same no matter where we are, no matter what building.” Kisner said. “I believe in the professionalism of the staff here and in the future.”

Board member Judy Johnson shared her experiences with previous school consolidations, saying the increased resources and community building led to successful transitions.

“When Jefferson Elementary consolidated, it was a great experience,” Johnson said. “We learned from each other, built a strong community and provided even better education for our students. I am confident that leadership and community involvement will also make these transitions positive.”

Willis said the next step is for the district to provide the required documentation to the West Virginia State Board of Education by mid-November. She said the state board will then consider and vote on the proposed closures at its Dec. 11 meeting.

Willis said there will be a community information meeting about the new Lubeck primary school on Monday, October 28 at 6pm in the school gymnasium. She said this is an opportunity for community members to learn more about the expected timelines and plans for the new school to be built. She said community members will have the opportunity to sign up to speak and ask questions at the meeting.

Douglass Huxley can be reached at [email protected]