òòò½ÊÓƵ the number of children attending West Virginia public schools continues to decline, consolidation of smaller schools is likely, especially at the elementary level. Parents and other caregivers can find such changes upsetting. Such is the case now in southern Wayne County.
Elementary schools at Dunlow and Genoa could be consolidated, or their students could be sent to other schools nearby. The reason is simple: Enrollment is falling, with little if any hope for a turnaround. Seven years ago, Dunlow had 97 students. This fall it had 54. Genoa had 67 students in October 2017. This October it had 48. In 2010, each school had more than 100 students.
Wayne County Superintendent Todd Alexander gave the case for a change at a county school board meeting at East Lynn on Nov. 19. He said keeping Dunlow open would cost the county $1.28 million per year, and keeping Genoa open would cost $1.1 million per year. The school district would save an estimated $846,000 annually if the schools were consolidated and would save an estimated $1.6 annually if both schools were closed.
òòò½ÊÓƵ noted by HD Media reporter Jesten Richardson, several parents and others at the meeting asked the board to keep the two schools open. Smaller schools provide more attention to individual students, and studentsòòò½ÊÓƵ™ social development is better, they said.
For decades, West Virginia has reduced the number of public schools through consolidation. òòò½ÊÓƵ enrollment declines, the state and county school boards cannot justify operating the same number of buildings. The Hope scholarship program gives more parents the financial means to enroll their children in private schools they think will benefit their children more than public schools, although the availability of private schools in the more rural parts of the state such as southern Wayne County is sparse or nonexistent.
There are many things to consider in closing a school. Class sizes, student transportation, impacts on a local community and the quality of learning environments are among the most important. The most important should be whether a smaller school is better for rural students than a larger one, assuming the financial differences are not the determining factor.
Is bigger always better? Do students in northern Wayne County benefit from being in one large high school instead of three smaller ones? Not just academically, but socially as well. Many counties in Ohio have smaller school districts. Lawrence County has seven. Do students there get an education inferior to those in West Virginia?
Alexander said he will decide early this month whether to make a specific recommendation to the school board on the potential closing or consolidation of Dunlow and Genoa.
This wonòòò½ÊÓƵ™t be an easy decision for Alexander or the Wayne County Board of Education. It shouldnòòò½ÊÓƵ™t be.
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