PHILIPPI — The Barbour County Board of Education has set hearing dates for the closure and consolidation of schools across the county.

The BOE has released an impact statement, including supporting data, for the closures and consolidations plan, which includes closing Belington Middle School, Kasson Middle School and Philippi Middle School, and consolidating those schools into Philip-Barbour High School.

The plan also calls for the closure of Junior Elementary School, which would be consolidated into Belington Elementary School.

According to the impact statement, Barbour County Schools has seen “a marked increase in the loss of student population since the COVID epidemic.” The school system has “experienced a 19.8% decrease in student population” since 2016.

The proposal “includes the consolidation of our three middle schools into the existing high school to provide one grade 6-12 facility for our county,” according to the impact statement. “Additionally, the county has one small elementary school that is within five miles of a larger elementary school that this proposal provides as a consolidation.”

The plan will also “reduce the number of teachers that are needed, which will minimize the issue of providing certified teachers,” the impact statement reads.

At the end of July, the country had a total enrollment of 1,904 students, the statement reads, and lists this year’s enrollments as: Phillip-Barbour High School – 523 students; Philippi Middle School – 237; Belington Middle School – 262; Kasson Elementary Middle – 157; Philippi Elementary School – 342; Belington Elementary – 279; and Junior Elementary – 114.

The impact statement notes that “Kasson Elementary/Middle School will remain as Kasson Elementary. While the utilization rate will be low at this facility, it serves our most rural section of the county and would require transportation times that are not reasonable.”

Regarding Kasson Elementary/Middle School, the impact statement reads, “From a purely efficiency-driven standpoint, consolidation might appear to be the logical course of action. However, the district is not pursuing closure at this time due to critical geographic and logistical considerations.

“Kasson Elementary serves a substantial portion of the county’s north-eastern region – an area characterized by dispersed rural communities and limited infrastructure. Eliminating this facility would disproportionately impact families in these outlying areas, many of whom would face daily bus rides exceeding one hour if reassigned to other schools. Such extended travel times raise concerns not only about student well-being and academic readiness, but also about equity in access to education.

“Moreover, Kasson Elementary functions as more than just a school -it is a vital community anchor in a region where public institutions are few and far between,” according to the statement. “Its presence supports local identity, fosters community engagement, and provides a sense of continuity for families who have relied on it for generations.”

The impact statement acknowledges that “Consolidation of schools cannot avoid the additional travel time for many of the affected students. Within this plan, the middle school students will have an increase of approximately 10 to 15 minutes as they travel from their area’s respective elementary schools.

“The travel time for the elementary school students at Belington, Kasson and Philippi Elementary Schools will essentially remain the same as the current year. The only increase for elementary students will be for the current Junior Elementary students who will have a 4.5-mile trip. This will add no more than 10 minutes to their trip. All elementary student transportation is within the 45- minute guideline.

The hearing dates for the closures and consolidations plan include:

Oct. 28 at Kasson Elementary/Middle School;

Oct. 28 at Philippi Middle School;

Oct. 29 at Philip Barbour High School

Oct. 29 at Belington Middle School

Oct. 30 at Belington Elementary School

Oct. 30 at Junior Elementary School

The Barbour County Board of Education’s approval date to vote on the plan will be Nov. 10.