FEMA image. Submitted
SUMMERVILLES, W. Va.–Nicholas County seems to be inching closer to getting some new schools built.
Board President Chip Perrine said they have a “special meeting” planned for Thursday, October 12, where they have will decide on one of the three options for their school development project. Perrine said they expect to have all the comments from the public read by then, with a written response to every single one.
The Nicholas County Board of Education met Monday after the 30-day public comment period ended for residents to speak on the three proposals for new schools in the county. The public comment period wrapped up September 30 and was a request by FEMA before a final decision was made on one of the three proposals that’s currently on the table.
The board decided that the next step of action will be to schedule their next meeting while the responses are recorded.
Perrine said their lawyer is in the process of looking at each of the public comments that were submitted during the month of September.
“We have to give her time to give a written response to every public comment that was made,” Perrine said in reference to their lawyer.
The board currently has $97 million left in the FEMA budget. The three options up for consideration are:
Having a PK-8 school all in one building
Having a PK-5 building and then a separate middle school building.
Having a middle school building with the rest of the funds used to repair Nicholas County High School and the career and technical center.
Perrine said by his count, the public was more in favor of having two seperate buildings for PK-5 and grades 6-8 than the other two options.
It’s been a long process, but Perrine said the goal is to at least have a decision to be made as a possible agenda item for their next scheduled meeting.
“I am hoping that our agenda will say ‘discussion of options with possible action,” said Perrine.
The board president is hopeful that FEMA, who previously approved of all three options from the school board, will accept their decision in their next meeting, and that they can move along into the next segment of this extended process.
“I’m hoping we can put it out for bid and it’ll be within budget and then we can get these schools built,” he said.