FELLOWSVILLE — A hostile crowd filled the Fellowsville Elementary gym Tuesday night to discuss the possibility of closing the community’s school.
The meeting was one of five informal, informational meetings being held by the staff of Preston County Schools to answer questions and gather information, which will be presented to the board, which will vote in November on the possibility of closing Fellowsville and Rowlesburg schools.
Meetings will also be held at Rowlesburg School today, Terra Alta/ East Preston on Thursday and Central Preston Middle on Oct. 23. All meetings begin at 6 p.m. These are not public hearings — those are scheduled later this month.
There were repeating themes among the speakers, who included several parents of Fellowsville students, candidates for office and former principals.
Several mentioned Fellowsville students’ high scores on standardized tests. Preston Superintendent Steve Wotring said the school does “a remarkable job” of educating students and credited its teachers.
If the school closes, faculty senates and school personnel in the county will vote on whether teachers and personnel from the closing schools get first dibs on any jobs created at the receiving schools.
Some speakers said about 34 students who live in the Fellowsville attendance area attend South Preston instead. They should have to come to Fellowsville, those speakers said.
Often mentioned was the loss of Fellowsville’s pre-k program. Last year only four students enrolled in pre-k at Fellowsville, Wotring said, so they were sent to South. This year the Core Team, comprised of Head Start, school representatives and others who oversee pre-k in the county, opted to not have a program at Fellowsville.
One man told Wotring to cut one of the assistant superintendent positions. Wotring said the central staff has been cut by four people in four years.
Candidate Buck Jennings said West Virginia’s border counties are going to gain population because of lower taxes and urged the board not to close schools. He referred to the state funding system, which puts Preston at the bottom.
“I am painfully aware that we are the least funded county in the state,” Wotring said.
Assistant Superintendent Brad Martin said in 2013 Fellowsville had about 134 students, while second-month enrollment numbers this year are at about 72 students. Countywide, enrollment is down about 104 students from last year.
Fellowsville uses about 32-33 percent of the building capacity, Martin said. West Preston is highest in the county at about 70 percent, while South is in the mid-60 percent. The state recommends 85 percent capacity use of school buildings, Martin said.
Levy a factor
Roberta Gribble and others asked if the vote on closure couldn’t be postponed while the board tried for a third time to pass a levy. Wotring said the board tried twice, with the last levy failing by about 98 votes.
The vote in the Fellowsville area was resoundingly against the levy. It would cost $50,000 to $60,000 to run a special election, Wotring said, versus only a couple thousand dollars to run a levy during a regular election.
He noted meetings, phone calls, advertisements on all media and information in social media were done last time, but often only two to five people attended informational meetings on the levy.
“But when you’re within 98 [votes], that does seem attainable,” Gribble said.
A man suggested the board try to pass a smaller levy. Wotring said the board could have asked for up to $9 million per year in its levy and only asked for $2 million. A speaker said he was told the board planned to close Fellowsville regardless of whether the last levy passed.
“That is just vicious gossip,” Wotring said. “That’s people running their mouths, trying to cause trouble where there was no trouble to cause.”
Tammy Phillips and others said if Fellowsville closes they will transfer their children and grandchildren to Taylor County schools.
Solutions needed
Wotring said the board needs solutions. “Our backs are against the wall,” he said, and there’s few places left to cut the budget. The staff is also providing the board with information on changing custodian and grass mowing contracts, going to all digital texts and changing bus routes as possible savings.
Former Fellowsville Principal Stan Shaver asked Wotring to prove there wasn’t, “an orchestrated movement,” among the board’s central staff to deliberately reduce enrollment at Fellowsville.
When Wotring asked if Shaver, whom he has known throughout their education careers, actually believed he would do that, Shaver said no, but that Wotring works for the board. “I’ve always considered you to be honest and fair,” Shaver said.
If Fellowsville area residents promised to get behind a levy, could the school closing be postponed until the election, Shaver asked? Wotring said he would take the information to the board of education, which will make the final decision.
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