MORGANTOWN — What is the status of the Wisdom Academy charter school proposed for the former Monongalia County Schools central office building on South High Street?
The same as it has been since October 2023 — sitting before the Morgantown Planning Commission.
AST Properties’ application for a development of significant impact site plan approval was the lone item on June’s planning commission agenda. The city canceled the meeting.
The city pulled the item from July’s planning commission agenda, citing a need for additional time.
Once again, it was the only issue to be taken up when the planning commission convened Thursday. Once again, the city canceled the meeting.
The Dominion Post has reached out to the city multiple times since April requesting clarification on whether a public charter school is even subject to municipal planning and zoning.
Under W.Va. Code 18-5G-3(c)12 and 18-5G-3(c)13, charter schools must follow “the same zoning rules for its facilities that apply to noncharter public schools in this state” and “the same building codes, regulations and fees for its facilities that apply to noncharter public schools in this state.”
The only school use listed in the city’s planning and zoning code is “private school.”
Further, a city’s foundational land use document is its comprehensive plan. It must be updated every 10 years.
According to Morgantown’s former comprehensive plan — which was in effect until Dec. 19, 2023 — “By state law, schools are county-wide independent districts and are not subject to municipal regulations.”
But the city has a new comprehensive plan — Morgantown 2033. It makes no mention of schools in relation to municipal regulations.
Morgantown City Council passed a first reading of the ordinance updating the comprehensive plan on Oct. 3, 2023.
On Oct. 23, AST Morgantown Properties made its application to the city’s development services office regarding the charter school site plan.
The comprehensive plan didn’t come back to council for adoption until Dec. 19, five days after that month’s planning commission meeting was to be held.
The commission’s posted agenda included the charter school site plan review as one of two action items. The meeting was canceled by the city.
The commission tabled the request in January and very nearly denied it in February before tabling it a second time.
In both instances, members expressed concerns over pedestrian safety as well as the potential for traffic to back up on South High as vehicles queue to pick up and drop off students via the parking area’s single entrance/exit.
The issue resurfaced on May 30, when Abdul Tarabishy, representing AST Morgantown Properties, met in a work session with members of the planning commission and Development Services Director Rickie Yeager.
Tarabishy explained the group recently purchased a school bus with a capacity of 72 students that will run a single route through Morgantown in order to cut down the amount of traffic coming to the school.
Further, parents who opt to drop off and pick up their kids will approach the school from the back, using Prairie Avenue instead of High Street.
“This route is the Morgantown High School pick up and drop off route,” Tarabishy said during the work session. “It will be us and the high school utilizing that for a potential queueing line.”
He noted the charter school will begin and dismiss after MHS to avoid adding to an already hectic traffic situation.
Lastly, he said the school will have trained crossing guards situated around the property and plans to hire off-duty police officers to keep things moving.
While the traffic considerations seemed to ease some of the commission’s worries, members said they also wanted to see something from the West Virginia Division of Highways indicating it would install school zone signage and a crosswalk on South High.
In a series of emails from June provided to The Dominion Post, Dirar Ahmad, assistant director for quality assurance and project management with WVDOH, and Mike Davis representing WVDOH District 4, discuss the request.
“The city’s suggestions appear to be reasonable for the most part,” Davis explains. “District personnel will review these items with respect to WVDOH standards and traffic engineering directives to determine how we can assist.”
Tarabishy did not wish to comment for this report as the matter is still pending.
He indicated the group is awaiting word from the West Virginia Professional Charter School Board with a goal of opening Wisdom Academy Charter School for up to 100 students from kindergarten through sixth grade in August 2025.
According to James Paul, executive director of the PCSB, the body accepts applications on a rolling basis and applications must be submitted before Aug. 31 to be open next fall.
“Once an application is received, a decision on authorization will be made within 90 days. A potential school does not necessarily need to have a finalized facility plan in order to be authorized,” Paul said.
