ELKINS – Two of the three entities looking to obtain the Harman School property gave informational presentations to the Randolph County Board of Education during a special meeting held last week.

The Harman Education Association and the Harman School and Advancement Center, which is part of the Harman Town Council, took part in the meeting and had several representatives from each side speak on their organizations’ behalf. A third entity, Urgent Care EMS Inc., did not participate in the meeting.

The Harman K-12 school building will become empty when school concludes at the end of the school year on Friday. The Randolph BOE voted last October to close the school and the recommendation was approved by the state in December.

Since that approval, the Harman Education Association has been speaking with the Randolph Board of Education about obtaining the school in hopes of putting a charter or micro school in the building.

Ed Boucher, president of the Harman Education Association, and four other HEA board members, including Jessica Brown, made their case to the Randolph County BOE.

“Our mission for the HEA is to educate and nurture students in the light of God’s word and equip them to grow in wisdom and character for a lifetime of learning,” Brown said. “Since March to the present we have had three community meetings and we meet as a board weekly and sometimes more because it requires. We have selected our school administrator as well…If this goes our way we are ready to hire some teachers and do a lot more fundraising.”

Randolph County School Interim Superintendent Terry George recommended back in April that the BOE consider giving the property to the HEA. In May, Harman Mayor Jerry Teter came before the BOE and requested that the school be given to the Harman Town Council.

Karla Huffman was one of three Harman School and Advancement Center members to speak to the BOE. Like the Harman Education Association, the organization also is looking to put a charter or micro school in the building. It would be partnering with the Harman Advancement Center in that aspect.

“We are the founding committee of the Harman School and Advancement Center operating under the guidance and support of the Harman Town Council,” Huffman said. “Our partnership helps ensure that our plans remain transparent and aligned with local regulations, community priorities, and long-term goals…While the building’s primary purpose will be educational, the advancement center will also provide valuable space for community recreation, public meetings, fundraising efforts and local events.”

Randolph County Board of Education member Phil Chua asked, “Have the two groups talked to each other and discussed anything, because it would appear that 90 percent of your goals are aligned?”

Members of both organizations agreed that their goals were very similar for what they wanted to accomplish with the building.

“We are going to send all of the information that we received tonight to our legal council and they will bring you back and advise on how you should act. And then it will be up to the Board to make a decision,” George told the BOE.

The next Randolph County Board of Education meeting will take place today at 5:30 p.m. at the Central Office.