The Wetzel County Board of Education made the initial move for consolidation within the county at a special meeting on October 14. The board by a 4-1 vote passed motions to allow open meetings to be held in the four communities affected, giving citizens and interested persons the opportunity to speak for or against the plan to initially consolidate Paden City and Magnolia as one school and Hundred and Valley into another.

At this time that is the proposal which has been forwarded to the state. It is currently posted in school locations around the county and at the board office as the impact statements for the closure of the schools. Meetings are scheduled for November 13, 14, and 15 at 6 pm each day for the Paden City and Magnolia move, with a vote on the proposal set for November 22, at 9 am at the Wetzel County Board of Education Office.

The Hundred and Valley meetings will be held on November 18 and 20 at 6 pm and a vote for approval will be held on November 22 at 9 am at the Wetzel County Board of Education Office.

There are many ways to look at consolidation, but when it comes right down to it the most important is what is best for the children. Is consolidation the right answer or do we continue on looking for better ways to improve?

By following state policy the board is holding these meetings to give citizens the opportunity to have their voices heard. Regardless of where you stand on this issue it is important that you attend the meeting. It is somewhat like voting, you can gripe all you want, but if you don’t vote then don’t complain.

There will undoubtedly be many factions thrown into the equation, however when all is said and done the only thing that matters is what is best for the kids of Wetzel County. The most important issue facing the board of education is to make sure that Wetzel County Students are receiving the finest education possible. Nothing, absolutely nothing else compares to that one single issue.

No one wants to have their child riding on a bus for long periods of time especially on dangerous roadways. That is an issue that you can be sure the school board will take seriously and address. What really doesn’t matter when it comes to education is opinions. Like we all know, everyone has one! What must be relied on first and foremost are facts. We have had extraordinary students come out of each one of the four schools in Wetzel County. Doctors, lawyers, educators, judges, and professional people from all walks of life. Many of them would not trade their education experience in Wetzel County for any alternative. However, we must continue to provide that type of experience and education opportunity for our current and future students. Wetzel County schools have always demonstrated a strong commitment to ensure all students receive a high quality education to prepare them for future success.

What the board of education should not consider when making a decision is community over education; time on a bus over education; the past over the future; or communities colors or mascots. What they should and must consider is providing certified teachers for all children. Providing activities for all children, and providing them with academic challenges they wouldn’t have otherwise. As things stand right now we are not seeing that happen.

Regardless of what the final result is concerning consolidation, things must change. Test results prove that. Athletically we are seeing that numbers do matter! We can’t continue to put our children at risk week in and week out by fielding football teams with 14-15 players while opposing teams field 25-40. As a county we can’t afford to pay coaches to coach one or two players on a team. We need to have enough kids in our schools to be competitive when we walk on to the playing surfaces. We also need to upgrade facilities to compete against other schools. Whether that means building new or upgrading, it must be done.

A recent survey in West Virginia of parents and guardians of school age children shows they are not happy with public schools. Only 36% of respondents to the survey conducted by the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy said they were very satisfied with their child’s school. Fifty one percent of those respondents said they have a choice in what school their child attends. Pollings such as these show that West Virginians’ want the best for their children and are willing to send them wherever their needs will best be met. With that in mind it is imperative that we do better for future generations to come.

If you have a voice in this, you need to make it heard. Whether it’s for or against, attend the meetings and speak up. Do so with respect, name calling, threats and intimidation only make matters worse.