The sun will soon be setting on the storied history of the Big Creek Owls and the Iaeger Cubs. The last day that students will ever step in a classroom at Big Creek High School and Iaeger High School will be June 8. As a result, a story that has spanned more than a decade is finally nearing a somber conclusion.
Yes, it’s hard to believe that its been more than 10 years since school officials first proposed the closure of Big Creek High School, and later Iaeger High School, as part of a multi-million dollar flood-proofing plan embarked upon by the McDowell County Board of Education, the West Virginia Board of Education and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Obviously, the long road to school closure and consolidation hit a few bumps along the way, and took much longer than school officials originally planned. But the end is now near for the two historic schools.
Both schools will be closed and consolidated with the new River View High School.
The Big Creek Owls and Iaeger Cubs will be relocated in August to the new high school where they will become the River View Raiders. At the moment, construction is still continuing on the new multi-million dollar high school along a 17-acre site near Bradshaw. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the work should be completed soon.
The class of 2010 — the final graduating class of Big Creek High School and Iaeger High School — will accept their diplomas on May 28. School officials at Big Creek High School have already announced plans for an alumni prom for all alumni and friends of the school. The prom for students will be on Friday, May 7, and the all-alumni prom will be Saturday, May 8.
I suspect more details will be forthcoming soon from both schools regarding their final commencement exercises, keynote speakers, final community tours of the schools and related activities.
Big Creek High School, which first opened its doors in 1931, will remain standing, and is expected at some point to be returned to the community. Iaeger High School will be demolished to make way for a new Iaeger Elementary School, also a part of the flood-proofing agreement between the school system and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
I’ve had the privilege of covering this turbulent school consolidation story from the very beginning. The Big Creek High School story really goes all the way back to 1999. That’s when the motion picture “October Sky” launched at the box office, putting Big Creek High School and McDowell County into the national spotlight.
The movie, of course, chronicled the true story of the Rocket Boys of McDowell County. With help from their teacher, the late Freida Riley, Homer Hickam and his fellow Rocket Boys pursued their dream of rocketry at Big Creek High School following the launch of the Soviet Satellite Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4, 1957. The story endures to this very day as a favorite among school children and teachers across the nation.
Closing one high school is difficult — just look at the bitter fight that erupted in 2008 when the Tazewell County School Board closed Pocahontas High School. Closing two high schools is even more difficult. But that is exactly what is happening in McDowell County. By the end of June, the county will have only two high schools.
The next two months will probably be pretty emotional for folks in War and Iaeger.
I suspect we’ll see some pretty big farewell celebrations for the two schools. Maybe we’ll even see the Rocket Boys back in town for the Big Creek farewell. There is a lot of rich history between these schools that must be preserved and retained for future generations.
Sadly, time marches on for all us, and with time also comes change. And sometimes change is for the best — even if it doesn’t seem like the best of ideas at first. New state-of-the-art schools that replace aging facilities are certainly a plus for youngsters.
A story 10 years in the making is heading toward an emotional conclusion.
It should be an interesting two months for the Big Creek Owls and the Iaeger Cubs as they prepare to close up shop at their historic homes.
Charles Owens is the Daily Telegraph’s city editor. Contact him at cowens@bdtonline.com
Columns
March 17, 2010
10-year school consolidation saga draws to a close in McDowell
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