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Wise County school consolidation supporters, foes square off

WISE — Supporters and foes of school consolidation squared off at J.J. Kelly High School on Monday over the Wise County School Board’s proposal to close the county’s six high schools after building three new, modern facilities.

The board voted 5-3 last month to pursue consolidation rather than renovating the six aging schools, five of them built in the 1950s and the other in the early 1970s. Besides the pricey renovation needs at the five older schools, declining student population over the past three decades is one of the main factors behind the board’s decision.

There are about 2,100 high school students in the county attending schools in Appalachia, Big Stone Gap, Wise, Coeburn, St. Paul and Pound. The largest of the schools, Powell Valley in Big Stone Gap and J.J. Kelly in Wise, have over 500 students each. The smallest is St. Paul with fewer than 200 students.

Prior to public comment at Monday’s hearing, board members Monty Salyer of St. Paul and Mark Hutchinson of Appalachia made clear their opposition to consolidation. Salyer said the public hearing was “very premature lacking substance and details.” He said the state law requiring the hearing is intended to air “a plan with specific details” and none are available yet.

During the board’s Nov. 10 regular meeting, Salyer said he will offer a motion to keep the board from further votes on consolidation until a specific plan, including cost projections and chosen sites, is in place.

Hutchinson said he didn’t believe the public hearing meets the provision of state law that stipulates consolidation or redistricting “generally contributes to the efficiency of the school division” because no specific plan is on the table.

For the most part citizens were civil and respectful, although some consolidation opponents directed scathing comments to the five members of the board who voted in favor of consolidation last month.

Larry Bush of Exeter said Big Stone Gap’s Betty Cornett lied to him about her stand on consolidation when she was running for office.

“You people are truly disgusting ... truly despicable,” Bush told board members voting in favor of consolidation. “You all disgust me.”

Bush’s comments did not go over well with others in the crowd of fewer than 200.

“I don’t think we need to call these people names,” said Sherry Horne of Wise.

Dave Wyrick of Coeburn said he was under the impression the hearing was to allow citizens to air their views on an issue, not launch “an attack on board members.”

Christopher Barnette of Wise said he wanted to “thank the Fab Five” for voting for consolidation, a move he supports.

Paul Isom of Wise called board members “heroes for this county” and said he admired the five board members for their stand on consolidation.

Supporters and opponents plied their comments back and forth throughout the evening.

Hugh O’Donnell of St. Paul turned his back on the board, preferring to address the citizens. O’Donnell said the law allows citizens to push for a referendum on the matter if 10 percent of the county’s registered voters sign a petition, and he handed out petitions as “an alternative to this charade.”

One consolidation foe raised the specter of Columbine as the sort of violence that happens in larger schools — the county envisions 700 students per new high school — and others accused Big Stone Gap, Wise and Coeburn of waging a war of extinction against the other three towns.

Still others hinted at a nefarious plot by coal companies to mine coal under Appalachia High School, achievable only by closing the school.

“I’m dead set against consolidation. We’ve been doing this for a long time now ... and the only thing we’ve got done is nothing. The only thing we’ve got done is bickering,” said Richard Mullins of Pound. “Consolidation is not right. We don’t need it, and the majority of us don’t want it.”

He said the matter should be put to a countywide vote.

Eddie Giles, a member of the Big Stone Gap Town Council, said while he could “understand the sentiments of these communities,” consolidation “is in the best interest of all our students and Wise County schools.”

Ann Gregory, a former member of the school board, said for the past 10 months citizens have flocked to board meetings to voice their opposition to consolidation “and you ignore them.”

She quoted Franklin D. Roosevelt that “the school is the last expenditure on which America should be willing to economize.”

Gregory and other consolidation opponents expressed concern over teaching and other jobs that will be lost by consolidation.

Wilma Stallard of Wise said it’s not in the best interest of taxpayers to keep people on the public dole if things can be done more cost effectively.

Clarence “Rusty” Peters of Wise said renovating six outdated buildings “will not accomplish anything but a short-term fix for a long-term problem” and if it wasn’t for the ever-declining student population in Wise County, “we wouldn’t be having a debate tonight.”

Peters said if the county opts to take on debt for renovations, the day will probably come when taxpayers will still be paying that debt “and we’ll still be forced to consolidate.”

Danny Stallard of Wise said there were 3,450 high school students in the county 20 years ago compared to the current 2,100 and “it would be foolish” to sink millions of dollars into maintaining the status quo.

Stallard said threats by some opponents to send their children to schools in other jurisdictions — some consolidation foes said they would do just that — might work out just as well for Wise County.

“If Pound goes to Clintwood and Appalachia goes to Norton, we might get by with two (new high schools instead of three),” Stallard said.

Christy Allen of Keokee said she was “fired up” in her opposition to Wise County’s consolidation plan. Keokee is in Lee County, but Allen prefers sending her children to Appalachia rather than “a consolidated school” or Lee High School near Jonesville.

Dan Fast of Flat Gap in Pound said all county schools are consolidated schools, an evolution over a century from one-room “community schools” to what exists today.

“We’ve been consolidating for 100 years,” Fast said. “This isn’t anything new.”

Peters borrowed a Republican line from the recent presidential campaign. Instead of “drill, baby, drill,” Peters said Wise County’s mantra from here on out should be “build, baby, build.”

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