Volume 4, Number 7 July 2002

INSIDE THIS ISSUE West Virginia Court Says School Board Blocked Citizen Participation West Virginia Plans for Mega-School on Hold A Chink in the Armor: Update on Vermont's Act 60 Alabama Supreme Court Backs Away from Enforcing School Finance Improvements Iowa Suit Challenges Use of Local Option Sales Tax Study Finds Child Poverty Worst in Rural Areas About RPM RPM Archives

West Virginia Plans for Mega-School on Hold

In Monongalia County, West Virginia, plans to build what would be the state's largest elementary school are on hold. Originally, the Monongalia County Board of Education planned to consolidate four schools in a new Westwood Elementary which would house 800 students. Now, close to seven months later, the Board finds itself with $5 million to build a $10 million school and facing growing pressure from a group of parents called the Westside Small Schools Initiative.

The parents and school personnel are asking the Board to consider alternatives and look for ways to build smaller schools for 300-400 students. Parents have repeatedly expressed concern over the size of the proposed school and the length of bus travel time for some students. If the new school goes through, some of the youngest students will be facing one-way bus rides of one hour and fifteen minutes.

Parents and school staff first learned of the proposed consolidation in January through an article in The Dominion Post. At a meeting following the announcement, the 25-member staff of Westover Elementary presented each Board Member and the Superintendent with a letter and a packet of information on small schools. They requested that the Board and Superintendent stop and reflect on the data and revise or change the current plan.

Virginia Aultman-Moore, a parent, is quoted in The Dominion Post (5/23/02) as saying, "This community has been consistent in supporting small schools. Before and after the last bond was defeated we sent parent surveys out. Ninety percent of parents both times said they want small schools. This is discouraging and frustrating. Why did the Board decide not to listen to us?"

Parents took up the fight by meeting in homes and forming the Westside Small Schools Initiative. The group passed out information as parents dropped off their students at school and invited them to attend a Local School Improvement Council meeting, where they passed out postcards for parents to write comments on for the Board of Education. They have also set up a website that includes links to information on small schools, contact information for writing to the State Board of Education and the Legislature, meeting dates, and background information.

The Dominion Post (6/14/02) quotes Monongalia County Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Vetere as saying, "I wouldn't necessarily say we are back to square one. But we aren't going ahead with the (consolidation) plan right away." The Westside Small Schools Initiative hopes this means that that the school board is considering other options. In the mean time, they are continuing to gather support.

For more information on the Westside Small Schools Initiative and the proposed Monongalia County school consolidation, contact Virginia Aultman-Moore at 304.292.7046 or visit www.geocities.com/westovercommunity/.