Kanawha Board of Education members vote to close, consolidate East Bank Middle School

Members of the Kanawha County Board of Education listen as community members speak during a school closure hearing on Tuesday.Photo byKanawha County Board of Education

BELLE, W.Va. -- Members of the Kanawha County Board of Education voted to close East Bank Middle School during a closure hearing at Riverside High School on Tuesday.

The 3-2 vote came after a few dozen community members spoke overwhelmingly in opposition to the closure. Board members Tracy White and Kate White voted against the measure.

At times during the two-hour long hearing the audience became audibly emotional, expressing frustration at the board. Members repeatedly asked the assembled to refrain from outbursts.

Some board members suggested waiting until the end of the 2026-27 year to close the school, giving students and staff additional time "to say goodbye."

In spite of the suggestion, board members proceeded to vote for the school's shuttering.

East Bank Middle School students are expected to be sent to DuPont Middle School beginning at the start of next school year.

The closing of East Bank Middle School is the latest in a series of consolidations within the county school system. Last year, board members voted to close Grandview Elementary, Weimer Elementary and Marmet Elementary, sending those students to other schools within the district at the start of this school year.

Board members have proposed closing five additional county schools beginning with the 2025-26 academic year, and have planned public hearings concerning the proposed shutterings. Those schools and their proposed hearings include:

• McKinley Middle School on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. at St. Albans High School;
• Belle Elementary on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. at Riverside High School;
• Mary Ingles Elementary on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. at Riverside High School;
• Malden Elementary on Monday, Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. at Riverside High School; and
• Midland Trail Elementary on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. at Riverside High School.

The next closure hearing, for McKinley Middle School, is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 6 at St. Albans High School.