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Wise schools slate community meetings on consolidation

WISE — The Wise County school division has announced a schedule of community forums next month to provide citizens an opportunity to have input into what they wish to be included in their new high schools.

Last month and again on Monday, the Wise County School Board voted 5-3 to consolidate the existing six high schools into three new, modern facilities. The community forums are a part of the board’s intention to develop a plan to close the six schools and build three new ones.

School Superintendent Jeff Perry told the board Monday he was already planning the first of a series of public meetings in each of the six communities for December.

Dates and locations of the sessions are: Coeburn High School library on Dec. 1; Pound High School cafeteria on Dec. 2; Powell Valley High School auditorium on Dec. 3; J.J. Kelly High School auditorium on Dec. 9; St. Paul High School auditorium on Dec. 10; and the Appalachia High School library on Dec. 11. All meetings begin at 6 p.m. except for St. Paul, which begins at 5:30 p.m.

Perry told the board there will be more community forums in the months ahead as consolidation plans take shape. In a letter to parents and guardians, Perry is advising the public the purpose of the community forums isn’t to continue the consolidation debate but to accomplish two primary objectives.

“First, the meetings are designed to provide the community with the basic facts and information concerning the consolidation. We want to provide factual information, to dispel rumors and to respond to direct questions,” the letter reads. “We know there are a number of unanswered questions at this time but we are actively involved in collecting the necessary information for these questions.”

The meetings are also designed to “provide an opportunity for parents and community members to express their desires concerning the construction of our new high schools,” writes Perry.

“Although we fully realize this is a very emotional and difficult decision for everyone, it is important to note that the decision to consolidate has been made. These meetings are not designed to determine the merits or negatives of consolidation, but are designed to focus on helping to formulate a plan that will be reflective of the community’s needs as we begin the preliminary stages of designing our new high schools. We ask that participants share with us the concerns and suggestions for the construction of three new high schools.”

Perry informs recipients of the letter there are “a number of legitimate reasons for this decision and the board is attempting to respond to a variety of economic, capital needs, and educational challenges.”

Perry has been directed by the board to “begin the process of developing a viable and financially responsible plan to implement this consolidation move,” he writes. “At this time, we have a number of unanswered questions which we will now begin to address. One of the first steps in this process is to conduct a series of meetings/forums within each community.”

Preferred site locations and a total cost projection are the two main unknowns the board will determine in the months ahead. As part of Monday’s decision, the board directed Perry to issue a request for proposals from construction project management firms to ride herd on the consolidation program from start to finish, including refining future architectural designs and other plans, and keeping construction projects on schedule and on budget.

There are fewer than 2,170 high school students in Wise County. Average daily membership (ADM) at each of the six schools as of Oct. 31 stood at 193 at St. Paul High School, 254 at Pound High School, 277 at Appalachia High School, 410 at Coeburn High School, 475 at J.J. Kelly High School, and 553 at Powell Valley High School.

The board envisions the new high schools to be located along four-lane highways — U.S. Routes 58 or 23, depending on the towns involved — between the towns where possible.

Once the three new facilities are built, the school division would combine the student populations of J.J. Kelly with Pound, Coeburn with St. Paul, and Powell Valley with Appalachia. Another important step awaiting the school board’s intentions will be ultimate consideration by the county Board of Supervisors for the financial requirements of the consolidation project, and how those fiscal obligations would be met.

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