The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

March 17, 2009

Schools chief presents case to SBA

Authority asked to help pay for Fayette projects

By Matthew Hill

Fayette County Schools Superintendent Chris Perkins said he expects the state School Building Authority to reach a decision around April 1 regarding his presentation Tuesday of a “needs project application” that would involve the consolidation of several Fayette County high schools and improvements to other schools.

Perkins asked the SBA to help pay for a $74 million plan that “will modernize Fayette County’s schools.”

The centerpiece of the plan is a new, centrally located high school for grades nine through 12. The new school would combine Fayetteville, Midland Trail, Mount Hope and Oak Hill high schools.

“Equally important and exciting is the fact that the project will enhance many of our school facilities with an $18 million renovation program that would make improvements to our schools countywide,” Perkins said. “The newest facilities we have would be utilized and upgraded to address facility needs.”

The four affected high schools would be “reconfigured and renovated,” he noted, “while Meadow Bridge Elementary, Meadow Bridge High, Valley Elementary and Valley High School would remain in their current grade configurations but would receive facility improvements and upgrades.”

Perkins hopes the plan will enhance educational opportunities for all county students. In particular, he referred to curricular improvements, honors classes, advanced placement courses, areas of need with at-risk students and students who might consider a future in the area of career and technical education.

The plan would also increase the number of students who have access to athletics, band, choir and art classes, Perkins added. “A broader range of general classes will be offered, giving students in every career track better opportunities for succeeding in the competitive job market.”

To move forward, the project must first be approved by the SBA. “Then, it will be up to the citizens of Fayette County to invest in their county and their children’s future by passing a bond to fund the balance of the project,” Perkins said.

“As an educational community, how could we not embrace a proposal that would move our school system to the forefront in becoming an educational leader, particularly when research clearly shows that a sound public educational system is the most important investment a community can make in its future?”

— E-mail: mhill@register-herald.com

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