Beckley, WV (WOAY) – The Raleigh County Board of Education on Wednesday took the first formal step toward closing Cranberry-Prosperity and Mabscott elementary schools.
At a special meeting Wednesday morning, the board received impact statements, documents outlining the district’s case and logistics for each closure. Board members also set dates for public hearings ahead of a vote scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 10. If approved, both schools would close at the end of the current school year.
“It doesn’t say we voted to close the schools,” said Richard Snuffer, president of the Raleigh County Board of Education. “We just voted to start the process for information.”
Snuffer said the district’s latest enrollment report, presented to the board Tuesday night, is pushing the district in this direction.
“We’re down another 200 some students, OK? So every time you drop that enrollment, that’s less support you get from the state, less monies you have,” Snuffer said. “So we have to look at other ways to be able to, you know, reduce our expenses. And sadly, one of those ways to reduce expenses is the closures.”
Under the proposals, Cranberry-Prosperity students would attend Bradley, Maxwell Hill and Stanaford elementary schools. Mabscott students would go to Crescent and Hollywood elementary schools, and Hollywood’s Severe Disabilities program would move to Beckley Elementary.
Snuffer said several of the receiving schools have some of the highest test scores in the county.
“So these children are actually going to schools that I think will actually help them and maybe even accelerate your educational process,” he said.
He added that because of where the schools are located, the closures should not mean longer bus rides for students.
State Sen. Rollan Roberts, who represents West Virginia’s 9th Senate District, said he hates to see either school close.
“Unfortunately, I’m not surprised because I understand that we’ve gotten ourselves into a situation where we need to take care of some financial issues for long term security,” Roberts said. “And I don’t want the Raleigh County Board of Education being taken over by the state, I don’t want that at all.”
Roberts said families facing relocation have raised concerns about how their children will fit in at new schools. Snuffer said the schools will be ready to welcome them.
“A lot of people will have concerns that maybe … their child may be singled out when they go to a new school,” Snuffer said. “I’ll guarantee you that won’t happen. We will be on top of that. We’ll make sure those children are integrated in that new school and made welcome.”
Snuffer said the public hearings exist to give the community a voice before the board decides.
“No decision has been made,” he said. “I’m not saying that things can’t change, but that’s the reason we have the public hearings.”
Hearings on each closure will be held at Woodrow Wilson High School. Separate hearings at each receiving school will address merging students into that school.
Public hearing schedule
Cranberry-Prosperity Elementary closure
• Monday, Oct. 26, 4 p.m., Woodrow Wilson High School auditorium
Merger of Cranberry-Prosperity students
• Bradley Elementary: Monday, Oct. 26, 7 p.m., at the school
• Maxwell Hill Elementary: Thursday, Oct. 29, 5 p.m., at the school
• Stanaford Elementary: Thursday, Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m., at the school
Mabscott Elementary closure
• Thursday, Nov. 5, 4 p.m., Woodrow Wilson High School auditorium
Merger of Mabscott students
• Crescent Elementary: Thursday, Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m., at the school
• Hollywood Elementary, on the Mabscott merger and Severe Disabilities program relocation: Friday, Nov. 6, 4 p.m., at the school
• Hollywood Elementary, on the Severe Disabilities program relocation only: Friday, Nov. 6, 5:30 p.m., at the school
Board vote on closures
• Tuesday, Nov. 10, 5:30 p.m., Raleigh County Board of Education office
