Randolph County to vote on closures of 2 schools

ELKINS, W.Va. (WBOY) — The Randolph County Board of Education has set dates for public hearings ahead of votes on the closures of two schools in the county.

Harman School and Pickens School, which both serve grades K-12, are up for possible closures. If proposals are passed, Harman students would be moved to Elkins High School, Elkins Middle School and Midland Elementary School. Pickens students would move to Tygarts Valley Middle/High School and George Ward Elementary School.

Hearings at all the affected schools will take place during the week of Nov. 13-19, the Board of Education announced during its meeting Wednesday. The Harman closure vote is scheduled for Nov. 14, and the Pickens closure vote for Nov. 19. A full schedule of hearings is available below.

One of the biggest concerns from these communities about the schools potentially closing is the travel time for students, especially during winter weather. Pickens is approximately 26 miles from Tygarts Valley on a two-lane county route, which takes about 45 minutes to drive, and Harman is located about 24 miles from Elkins on U.S. Route 33, a drive that takes a little more than half an hour in good conditions.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com.