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BOE votes to close Homestead

DAILEY — Members of the Randolph County Board of Education voted unanimously to officially close Homestead Elementary School at a special meeting Monday, after voting to temporarily close the school in May.

Board members voted 5-0, after a special closure hearing in which they heard concerns and comments from parents, community members and school employees.

Randolph County Superintendent of Schools Gabriel J. Devono said the state board is scheduled to make a final decision today, based on the decision of the Randolph County BOE.

Tygart Valley Homestead Association President Tom Rennix said he plans to work with the association and the county school system to make the school a community center which can be utilized by students for extracurricular activities.

“If Homestead will be closed, it will be one of our goals to transform the building and the grounds into a community center that will be used for the benefit of all residents young and old in the Dailey, Valley Bend, East Dailey communities and the surrounding area,” Rennix said. “These fundraisers that we initially did, we did that to help the cause of keeping Homestead open as an elementary school by providing funds for repairs when needed, but if Homestead is closed, it is our goal to make it a community center.”

Rennix added he wants the public to know the funds raised have been held in a special account and at the proper time will be used solely to help transform the school into a community center.

Devono said the facility must either be used as a school or community center, and pending the closure approval from the state board, he plans to meet with Rennix and other members of the Homestead Association to discuss how they plan to pursue finalizing details.

“We will have to go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the board has to write a letter in support – which there is no problem, we’ve already talked about that – a letter of support stating that it turns into a community center, then it will be deeded over to the non-profit organization,” Devono said.

“If the Homestead (Association) takes over there, when they go there and fix the gym up, I’ll be glad to, and I’ll go on record, to lease it from them so we have an extra gym in this area,” Devono added.

All seven individuals who addressed the board and other county officials made note of why they did not wish to see the school close.

Concerns were raised by several individuals about the potential influx of students in the county due to the construction of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

“When I look at the numbers that you provide and the numbers that I see, I’m concerned about any kind of growth,” school counselor Mark Allen said.

“You’ve got to be looking, we’ve got the pipeliners coming in here,” Charles Church said. “You’re going to have an influx of students coming in to this county and we have no place to put them.”

Also related to enrollment, Mark Rennix said he believes the amount of students in classrooms at George Ward Elementary School is causing “chaos” in the system, which may lead to learning and disciple issues.

“If you think this is working out, you’re listening to the wrong people,” Mark Rennix said. “If you listen to the parents or listen to the students, you will realize there is chaos in the system and it’s not going to get any better. There are simply too many students in George Ward School, and the studies of students in elementary schools, when you exceed about 350, you have too many – you have discipline problems, you have learning problems.”

Devono said added classrooms at George Ward will help with the possibility of additional students.

“You talked about four classrooms up here at George Ward, that will extensively help you out,” Devono said. “That frees up your music department, they can have music without going door to door to have music in the classrooms.”

He noted the county could take “baby steps” with asking the School Building Authority for funding to address other concerns at George Ward, including the cafeteria, for example.

“We have to take baby steps with the SBA right now. We’ve asked for additional funds and we were declined, so we had to cut our project because there’s not enough money there,” Devono said. “That hinders us a lot to, but you have to take little steps to get stuff done.”

Melissa Walters, a parents of a first grade Homestead student, said she was concerned about rezoning forcing students to be divided and the future of the population size of Tygarts Valley Middle High School.

“I fear that the more students we send to Beverly, the more students Tygarts Valley will lose when it comes time for those students to enter middle and high school ,” Walters said. “Please consider grandfathering in the Homestead students who are currently placed at George Ward Elementary and don’t make them attend another new school. They don’t deserve any more abrupt changes to their educational environment.”

Devono said rezoning is not being considered at this time, addressing the concern raised by Walters.

“If there was a rezoning and we had to do it, we would be forced to do it because of the influx of more students in those schools,” Devono added. “Parents will have the opportunity, if they do go to Beverly Elementary, they will have the option to go back to Tygarts Valley Middle and High School.”

Board member Amanda Smith made note that the county would be saving approximately $897,000 for the 2017-18 school year, according to financial materials provided by the county.

The board officially approved the following recommendation by the superintendent: “The closure/consolidation of Homestead Elementary School effective immediately. Students enrolled at Homestead Elementary School will be consolidated with Beverly Elementary School and George Ward Elementary School.”

Homestead sits on 17 acres, and it was built in 1939 and deeded to the county by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Of 99 schools that were created as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs, it’s the last one still in operation.

The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Dec. 19 at the board office.

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