TUNNELTON — Fewer than a dozen people attended the first of five informational meetings Monday on possible school closings in Preston County.
Meetings are also set at Fellowsville Elementary tonight, Rowlesburg School Wednesday, Terra Alta/East Preston Thursday and Central Preston Middle on Oct. 23. All meetings begin at 6 p.m.
These are not public hearings — those are scheduled later this month. They are informal meetings to allow the board’s central office staff to gather information from the public and for the public to receive information on what is being recommended and why.
The Preston County Board of Education is considering the closure of Fellowsville and Rowlesburg schools.
Most of those who attended Monday were school employees. Bus driver Morrel Bolyard Jr. asked how much longer students’ bus rides would be, if the consolidation occurs. He also wondered whether Fellowsville school would be available for youth basketball games, 4-H and other after school activities?
Superintendent Steve Wotring said that, if the schools close, the board will decide whether to keep the school buildings or sell them at public auction. There has been no discussion at this point on community use of the buildings.
“If it were to close, it would be sad,” Bolyard said. “There are a lot of basketball games being played there and just a lot of after school activities.”
Assistant Superintendent Ange Varner fielded the question about bus routes. Varner noted information on proposed changes in bus routes are part of the documentation on the proposed closure available for review at affected schools and the central office.
“We looked at a lot of the runs and how we could reorganize them,” without having to transfer students from one bus to another, Varner said. That reorganization is being looked at county wide, she noted.
The state requires that on all newly created bus routes, preschool and elementary students spend no more than 30 minutes on the bus one way, middle schoolers 45 minutes one way and high school students an hour one way. It allows a 15-minute waiver, Wotring noted.
“That will affect the younger children’s time on the bus, and we have a problem with it now,” Bolyard said. He said one 4-year-old spends an hour on his bus now. Wotring said he will look into that situation.
Veronica Corbin, also a school employee, asked how many school service personnel jobs might be lost? Wotring said potentially six service positions could be saved or put elsewhere.
If closure occurs, school faculty senates and service personnel will vote on whether to allow employees at the schools being closed to have first option on jobs at the receiving schools, Wotring said.
Richard Swecker, who is not a school employee, read from the late Bill Williams’ history of Kingwood. He noted that in the 1950s Preston had 10 high schools, but by 1991 only one.
“We need more high schools, not less,” Swecker said.
Board Member Robert “Mac” McCrum was at the meeting but did not speak. Wotring said he would share the comments with the board.
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Story by Kathy Plum