School Levy Committee gets down to brass tacks

Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
 
The Pocahontas County Schools Levy Committee met September 13 to discuss holding public and school meetings to provide information about the proposed school levy.

The committee discussed possible questions they will need to answer, including addressing concerns about moving the seventh and eighth grade students to Pocahontas County High School.

Officials explained that whether the levy passes or not, the plan to move the two grades will continue, they just do not know the time frame for the move. 

Committee members Joe Walker and Christina Smith volunteered to visit each school in the county to discuss levy plans with staff during lunch. They also suggested having meetings with staff after school.

The public meetings will be: Monday, October 3, 6 p.m., at the Green Bank Senior Center; Tuesday, October 4, 6 p.m., Linwood Community Library; Wednesday, October 5, 6 p.m., Marlinton Municipal Building; and Thursday, October 6, 6 p.m., Hillsboro Fire Department.

Levy committee chair Cara Rose added that the committee is willing to visit civic organizations and clubs to answer any questions concerning the levy. Rose may be contacted at 304-799-4081 or at carar@frontiernet.net

Along with public meetings, the levy committee will have a booth at the Autumn Harvest Festival and RoadKill Cook-off Saturday. The committee will have the tax calculator to help residents know exactly how much their taxes will increase with the levy.

The committee also reviewed the initial floor plans for Marlinton Middle School, Green Bank Elementary-Middle School and Pocahontas County High School.

Blair Frier, with OWPR Architects and Engineers explained the floor plans which illustrate how the schools will look once Phase One of the project is complete.

MMS would be converted into a Pre-K through sixth grade school with four new classrooms, a kitchen and cafeteria expansion and main office expansion.

GBEMS would also be a Pre-K through sixth grade facility. The older elementary school building will be torn down due to a poor foundation and two new classrooms and an office will be added to the building.

Until plans to build a new seventh through 12th grade facility at PCHS is complete, the current building will be altered to include the seventh and eighth grade classes. The English wing will be converted into the seventh and eighth grade wing and additional walls will be built in the hallways of that wing to keep the students separate from the ninth through 12th grade.
For a more detailed idea of the plans, turn to page 8.

Suzanne Stewart may be contacted at sastewart@pocahontastimes.com