West Virginia school superintendent reveals plans for consolidation of four high schools

WETZEL COUNTY, W.Va. (WTRF) — Official plans were revealed today to potentially consolidate the four Wetzel County high schools.

Superintendent Cassie Porter says it’s a two-step plan: first, the four are combined into two, and then those two are combined into one.

Step one: combining Magnolia and Paden City into one building and Valley and Hundred into another for the 2025-26 school year.

After that, step two would combine them all.

Please let me be clear that the board has to vote each step of the way. That there has been lots of talk of eventually, if we can find suitable land that’s in the middle of the county so we can serve all students, of course, to build a new facility, a new complex.”

Cassie Porter, Wetzel County School Superintendent

That would take four to five years to complete.

So, if total consolidation is the goal, why the two steps rather than all at once?

We can’t wait for four or five years. I wish there was a magic number or a magic contractor that could put that school up for next school year but that’s just not realistic. And right now we have a crisis.”

Cassie

Porter says that the crisis is a critical staff shortage.

She says 20 teaching positions are not filled every day.

That means that your child does not have a certified teacher for that class period for the day. So that’s a daily occurrence for us.”

Cassie

However, there are emotions, school spirit, and loyalty that would be dealt a blow by consolidation.

It’s very hard to do that. We have to keep our focus on our students though. We have to make sure that we are educating them. That is our number one priority in this field of education is making sure we do what is best for them. And unfortunately sometimes that does look like closure and consolidation.”

Cassie

Superintendent Porter says no staff members will be terminated.

And she says the residents will have a voice.

She says they will hold open meetings at all four high schools.

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