The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Wyoming Report

October 15, 2009

Board seeks funds for new Pineville Elementary School

By Mary Catherine Brooks

Wyoming County Schools officials will seek funding for a new Pineville Elementary School during the state School Building Authority’s next round of “Needs Project” funding, according to Frank Blackwell, county schools superintendent.

“Pineville Elementary School has been flooded twice now,” Blackwell said.

In 2001, the school was flooded with several feet of water and taken back to the studs for clean-up and restoration, costing about $7 million.

Again on May 9, the lower level had about three inches of water inside. Clean-up this time cost a quarter-of-a-million dollars, with a “lot of elbow grease by a lot of people,” Blackwell said.

“We want to move the school out of the flood plain,” emphasized James McGrady, assistant schools superintendent.

“This is for the health and safety of our students and staff,” Blackwell said.

The superintendent noted an architect is working to estimate the cost of a new building and officials hope to obtain the entire cost of the structure — about $12 million — from the West Virginia School Building Authority.

Preliminary sites have been discussed, he said, but no one site has been decided.

“We went over the needs of every school — all 14 of our schools — with our steering committee,” he said, “and they voted unanimously this was the priority.”

The committee is made up of about 50 county residents, with about 35 attending meetings regularly, Blackwell said.

Frank Mann, assistant superintendent, will write the application which is due to the School Building Authority by Nov. 1.

“We may not get funded,” Blackwell said, “but we’re going to try.”

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