By CHARLES OWENS
A long and turbulent journey for the McDowell County School System could be nearing a conclusion.
It’s hard to believe that eight years have passed since the state Board of Education was asked to intervene in the operations of the local school system. At the time, a school-by-school inspection by the staff at the state Office of Educational Performance Audits found 260 non-compliance violations across the school system.
It is interesting to note that the official request for the state intervention was actually made by the local Board of Education before the horrific flood of July 8, 2001.
Only months into the state intervention, ravaging flood waters ripped through McDowell County destroying homes, businesses and schools. The first flood caused extensive damage to Kimball Elementary School. I remember walking inside of the school after the flood with one of our staff photographers. The damage was widespread. At the time, I didn’t know if the school could be saved or not.
Kimball Elementary was saved, but the same couldn’t be said for Panther Elementary, which was essentially destroyed by the ravaging flood waters.
The July 8, 2001, disaster was followed by the horrific May 2, 2002, flood.
Once again, homes, businesses and schools were damaged and destroyed across McDowell County. Folks were forced to relive their great nightmare a mere 10 months later.
The years that followed were equally turbulent for the school system. A bitter consolidate battle erupted in the Big Creek District, as a proud community launched a valiant effort to save its historic high school.
State-appointed School Superintendent Dr. Mark Manchin weathered the storm, and ultimately was able to steer the troubled school system on the path to recovery.
In the years that followed many antiquated and dilapidated schools across the county were closed. Switchback. Panther. Bradshaw. Gary. New schools were constructed. Mount View Middle. Southside. Bradshaw Elementary. Even a new health clinic was opened inside of the Mount View Middle School complex. And now construction on the new River View High School is nearing a completion. Still to come is a new elementary school for Iaeger.
There is also still a possibility that a new school could be constructed one day for the Adkins District. With the closure of Gary Elementary, Anawalt Elementary is now the only school remaining in the Adkins District. There had been talk in recent years of developing a new school somewhere between Gary and Anawalt, but no funding has been awarded to date for such a project.
This all brings us to Jan. 13, 2010. That’s when school officials could learn if eight years of state intervention will be nearing an end.
Dr. Kenna Seals, executive director of the state Office of Educational Performance Audits, and his team conducted a school-by-school inspection in McDowell County about two weeks. The visit was the third audit of the McDowell County School System since 2001.
The last time the OEPA staff did an inspection of the school system in 2006, the team found 17 non-compliance violations and 10 partial non-compliance violations.
Seals is scheduled to present the findings of the latest audit report to the state Board of Education on Jan. 13. It will be interesting to see if Seals recommends a return to local control, or a continuation of state intervention.
In addition to McDowell County, Mingo, Preston and Grant counties also remain under state control. The state also retains partial control of Lincoln County.
Eight years is a long time for state intervention. But significant progress has been made in McDowell County since that original 2001 audit. The school system is now heading in the right direction.
Folks have been working long and hard to regain control of the school system.
Let’s hope all of their hard work and effort pays off come Jan. 13.
Charles Owens is the Daily Telegraph’s city editor. Contact him at cowens@bdtonline.com.
