CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The State School Building Authority has awarded Monongalia County Schools nearly $17 million for a new Suncrest Middle School.
Monongalia County Schools received $16,982,966 to construct the proposed new Suncrest Middle School. The project will receive $11,400,437 in this cycle and another $5,582,529 in Fiscal Year 2026.
“We applied for $17 million for a new Suncrest Middle School, and they came through with $17 million,” Monongalia County Schools Superintendent Eddie Campbell said.
Campbell said work on the new school design will get underway after the Christmas break.
“We’ll solicit those architectural services, do interviews, and we’ll make a selection as to what architectural firm we would like to design our next school,” Campbell said.
The existing building is nearly 100 years old and has been added onto five times. A new Suncrest Middle School is a priority in the 2020-2030 Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan.
The SBA funding requires a match that Campbell said they are prepared to provide.
“We were able to put up a 50-50 match in order to be able to get that grant award,” Campbell said. “So, the other $17 million will come out of the county capital budget.”
Construction may begin in the next six to nine months, but Campbell said many things would have to fall into place to meet that time frame.
“Sometimes these run their course between the selection of an architect, design, and putting the project out for bid for contracting services and engineering services and all that stuff,” Campbell said.
The Monongalia County Board of Education approved the purchase of 17 acres near the WVU Research Park for the location of the new Suncrest Middle School campus.
“Right across the street from the Suncrest Town Centre, next to Mon General Hospital—that’s going to be the site,” Campbell said.
The Marion County Board of Education received $2,774,945 to construct safe school entrances at nine county schools.