A few weeks ago the country celebrated American Education Week. How ironic when many here in our home state and local communities are fighting to keep our public education system the best it can be while suffering through population loss and smaller school enrollment.

American Education Week (AEW) annually celebrates the achievements of public schools in America and honors the work of people making a difference in education. It’s the responsibility of us all to make sure our public schools and education professionals have the resources they need so all students can thrive. We need to honor all people who work in our public schools, everyone from bus drivers and classroom teachers to cafeteria workers and administrative staff, plus the many volunteers.

At a time when we are faced with government threats of eliminating the Department of Education, we can still celebrate the power and promise of our nation’s public education system, which has empowered so many students to realize their full potential. Some of our nation’s greatest scholars got their start in public schools. Many have further honed their skills in our colleges, universities, and career and technical education programs. An education gives you something to celebrate that no one can take away, that is why we must remain committed to supporting our schools, which open the doors of opportunity wider for everyone.

West Virginia is suffering through a consolidation crisis if you will! With the decline in population and school enrollment, school consolidations statewide are on the rise. Some say there is nothing left to celebrate, however public schools so matter how large or small, give us plenty to celebrate. Much of the decrease in enrollment can be attributed to different options parents now have when considering their children’s education. Year after year school enrollment continues to plummet. Public education is under attack and not just in WV.a. Just look around and you will see where parents are sending their children to private schools or homeschooling. Many of these same people want to tell us how to run our public school system yet they are the root cause of our loss. Politicians tell us they will support our local schools yet they vote to allocate big bucks to charter schools, taking away from our public education system.

But not all of the losses can be attributed to choice, much of the decline comes from the general loss of population and until the state and counties figure out how to reverse that loss it will only get worse. Communities have to figure out a way to draw new residents and keep the current ones, or suffer through hard times. WV.a has seen nearly 30,000 students leave the public school system since 2017. Public schools rely on property taxes, bonds and levies, and other aid that is based on student enrollment.

High schools for many years have served as the cornerstone of local communities. However over time many have been forced to close. Some say the closures erode the small towns further until nothing is left. Across the river Powhatan is still open for business and Sardis is a thriving and well kept small town. Hannibal which hosts a county school is primarily residential with little if any industry and only a carryout/gas station. Still property values remain high in all three towns. No apparent loss of property value!

Many in Sistersville and Middlebourne still have beautiful homes in the little communities. Their property values continue to rise with the times. Property values are not derived from whether or not there is a high school in the community. It basically comes from surrounding properties similar to your’s. And those who fail in the preservation of properties can bring a whole community down. Unkempt properties are detrimental and can discourage community growth.

While there is still much to celebrate, the days of hometown schools in every community are declining nearly as quickly as the population and enrollment. School closings and consolidations are a frequent occurrence throughout the state as evidenced throughout much of WV.a.

Emotional and intense hearings were held in the past three weeks at Wetzel County schools with a total of nearly 60 people speaking in opposition to consolidation, however when all was said and done the school board voted to proceed with the proposed plans for two high schools in the county instead of four beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. The plan will now be voted on by the West Virginia State Board of Education during a December 11, 2024 meeting.

In September, Wetzel Board President Linda Fonner stated that declining enrollment, building conditions and lack of certified teachers were all considerations moving forward. The board and Superintendent Cassie Porter also cited the school system’s poor test scores as motivation for change.

“Wetzel County Schools’ declining enrollment, troubling students’ proficiency data, and human resource challenges demand serious and thoughtful action,” Fonner said. “Those actions must include examining the configuration of our facilities, our curriculum, and other data to determine how best to provide our students with the education they deserve.”

If approved by the state, Wetzel County could be well on its way to providing county students with one of the newest and finest public education facilities in the state. And that is a reason to celebrate!