By Derek Redd, The Intelligencer
NEW MARTINSVILLE – Wetzel County Schools will save nearly $1 million by merging the county’s four high schools into two, without any changes in personnel counts, according to impact statements released by school district officials.
The Wetzel County Board of Education will meet at 9 a.m. Monday at a special meeting at the county board office to put the next steps to making those mergers happen into motion.
Ultimately, the school district wants to create one high school for the county. In the interim, it wants to consolidate Paden City High School into Magnolia High School and New Martinsville School, and consolidate Hundred High School into Valley High School. When that happens, the two new schools will have new names, school colors and mascots.
The board will vote Monday to accept the impact statements and allow Wetzel County School Superintendent Cassie Porter to file legal advertisements announcing public meetings to discuss the consolidations. The Paden City-Magnolia meetings will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 13 at Magnolia and at 6 p.m. Nov. 14 at New Martinsville School and 6 p.m. Nov. 15 at Paden City. The Hundred-Valley meetings will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 18 at Hundred and 6 p.m. Nov. 20 at Valley.
The school board will meet at 9 a.m. Nov. 22 to vote on consolidating the four high schools into two.