ELKINS — Nine community members spoke out against proposed school closings and consolidations during the most recent Randolph County Board of Education meeting.

Shasta Ree, a 2010 graduate of Elkins High School, addressed Superintendent Dr. Shawn Dilly about two separate items.

“I’m here to speak on behalf of many in the community and employees throughout the county regarding school closures and adding AI (Artificial Intelligence) courses into our schools,” Ree said. “First, I would like to address the closure plan. There are many that find this plan to be impossible and reckless, and I’m appalled by this plan because it would entail using dividers in rooms, considering janitor closets, and bringing in modulars. It would be putting 30 kids to a class when kids are being left behind as it is.

“This will only make it worse, not to mention you are still going to have to staff these extra rooms, plus the modulars, and hire more bus drivers, which we can’t even get as it stands now. You’re going to lose many students to this plan and it sounds to me that it’s only going to further increase the million-dollar deficit, not fix it. The math doesn’t match.”

Ree said the closure plan would not only put children in overcrowded classrooms, but many of them would be put in danger traveling to school.

“I’m curious about the gentleman that asked you for plans for severe travel circumstances,” Ree said. “Were you able to produce him answers for everything? Will it be made public? Also, I’m aware that there have been several other proposals made to you, but yet we are only seeing this one. Shouldn’t there be complete transparency on all ideas and numbers brought to the table, not just this one?”

Ree said putting AI “in every classroom only keeps kids staring at screens longer. AI is not foolproof, it allows kids to be fed information that may or may not be true. It takes away their ability to research in an objective way and to know if it is reliable, unbiased, or peer review…

“We need carpenters, block layers, mechanics, electricians, and many other jobs that AI can’t replace. These kids need face time with people. They need to grow their social skills to be able to call and make doctors appointments, go to job interviews, give speeches, and so much more.”

Judy Kittle, a retired school counselor, was among several community members to speak on behalf of Harman School, which is slated to close if the consolidation plan passes next month.

“When I went to school to be an administrator, the first thing they told us was that school is supposed to be a warm, fuzzy place where students feel welcome and where they feel comfortable and at ease,” Kittle said. “Closing Harman School is not the answer. I mean it’s almost like you don’t care about those 93 students.

“Putting those kids on a bus over treacherous mountains is just not good. I’ve been in Harman in a snowstorm, and let me tell you, I prayed all the way to get home. It’s dangerous and those little kids are going to have to get up before daylight to get on the bus and come over here and it’s just not the right thing to do.”

Kittle questioned Dilly’s proposal that states it will take 31 minutes to get the students from Harman to Elkins.

“That would have to be on a beautiful, perfect day,” Kittle said. “You get behind those 18-wheelers, there are deer and other animals always in the road, and all kinds of other things where those kids can get hurt… I think it is cruel for those children, I really do.”

Kittle said Randolph County needs to pass a levy.

“People didn’t vote for the last levy. They would come up to me in the grocery store and say ‘I’m not voting for that levy,'” Kittle said. “They would say they aren’t voting for it because it was for a football field. They would say ‘if it was for books, computers, or school supplies, I would be glad to vote for it.'”

Lacey Mullenax, the parent of two Harman students; Dave Armentrout, a teacher at Harman; and Harman residents Dan and Judy Bucher were the others who spoke out about the school’s proposed closing during the meeting.

Pickens K-12 School student Parker Curry addressed the potential closing of that school.

“Pickens School is a vital cornerstone of our community,” Curry said. “It is where our children go to learn and our rural communities are able to come together and connect. To close Pickens School would be like pulling the plug on these communities. It would be severing the bonds that only these small schools like Pickens are able to foster.

“The proposed bus plan is not only dangerous, but it’s just simply life-threatening, especially for us in Pickens,” Curry said. “I don’t know if you have ever gone from Pickens to Elkins, but today I felt like I was going to die on the way over here. I would not like to do it every day. And this board’s mission should always be to protect the students and ensure their safety. Not compromise their safety for the sake of budget-cutting.”

Other community members speaking at the meeting included Mike Jackson, on closing Coalton Elementary, and Phil Perrine, who addressed all the potential school closings.

The first of three public hearing dates for proposed school closures and consolidation will be on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at the Elkins High School theater. That hearing is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. and will focus on the proposed closing of Harman K-12 School and North Elementary School.

A public hearing on the closing of Pickens K-12 School is set for Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 5:30 p.m. in the EHS theater. The third and final public hearing, on the closure of Coalton Elementary and Midland Elementary, is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 5:30 p.m. at the EHS theater.

The next regular BOE meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 5:30 p.m.