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Protect our economy
The Monongalia County BOE wants you to be on the hook for 30 years to pay a debt they CAN'T justify on paper.
Why Build a NEW School and NOT Fix Our Current Schools
The Mon County BOE is asking the public for $142 Million over the next 30 years and that won't cover the complete cost of the school.
The Mon County Board of Education has purchased property and made plans to build a new STEM school. The school is being called a Renaissance School and the board of education believes it is something our county needs. The $142 million bond is only for the building. It doesn't include anything inside - like desks, beakers, computers, robotics, paper, pencils, or cleaning supplies. It doesn't include maintenance costs, teachers, cafeteria tidbits - like food, or busing.
Despite members of the Mon County BOE stating studies and research they have paid outside companies to show the value; they have presented little information to the public. The amount of money they are requesting keeps changing. Instead of securing state and federal funding, the Mon County BOE is asking Monongalia County residents and businesses to fund $142 million dollars through a school bond. Sounds like there is more homework required before getting the funding.
Why Build a New School but NOT Fix our Current Schools?
Our current schools need improvement and lack proper staffing. Busing becomes a real concern. As parents of school age children it is not uncommon to receive early morning voice messages letting parents know that a particular bus route will be without a driver. This happens more times than you might expect. It appears the Mon County BOE, like all counties struggle to staff buses adequately. Adding another school in a remote location would seemingly add to the headache the bus garage already faces on a daily basis.
Our county currently has schools that need improvements to provide a safe learning environment for students. We have schools with flooring peeling up tripping students, ceiling tiles falling from water damage and mold, plaster coming off walls in some older schools, etc.
What’s going to happen when they add a new school that is located out of town and need bus drivers/teachers to staff?
Additional Issues with Renaissance Academy
Location
The BOE purchased two pieces of land in 2019 without the knowledge or consent of the tax payers. The first is a property to build a school to replace the current Brookhaven Elementary School. The second was 135 acres in remote Cassville, WV for the purpose of this new school, the Renaissance Academy. The Renaissance Academy is for students from the counties three high schools. With the remote location of the purposed school students will have to travel 20-30 minutes from their home schools to attend.
The Monongalia County BOE wants to build a
monument you can see from the interstate and increase the notoriety of
Board Members for their own selfish reasons. The blue pin is the
proposed school, and the red pins show county schools. Does that make
sense to you?
Sustainability
After the school is funded and built how is the BOE going to staff and maintain another school in our county of this magnitude. Teachers are already scarce and with the purposed curriculum it will be harder to find the qualified teachers needed for a school like the Renaissance Academy. Outside of the initial construction costs being funded in this school bond, the BOE has no annual budget prepared to provide financing for past the construction. An additional tax increase will be needed to cover the operational costs.
The State School Aide formula leaves little room to hire additional instructors beyond current student enrollment. Any additional teachers require use of local county revenue. Here’s the thing, are they planning to employ more teachers or are they planning to quietly thin out our current teacher enrollment, by consolidating programs from current schools to one location?
Why are we looking at other schools outside WV for answers in our schools and classrooms?
Student enrollment and population growth remain flat across NCWV, with several counties exploring consolidation of schools. We no longer face a growing population, primarily due to significant job losses within Higher Education(WVU)and Pharmaceutical sectors. People are not moving to West Virginia for retail jobs, which we seem to have an abundance. (Since 2016, Monongalia County has averaged just 100 new residents each year.)
Another issue to consider are school vouchers and their use. Vouchers may be used for sending students to private schools, charter, and home schooling. The dollars which once supported public schools are now utilized elsewhere, yet our public schools must still provide adequate education as dictated by code…with decreasing state dollars. Fact is, the money follows the student, thus decreasing revenue to public schools, including the “Renaissance Academy.” What's a product or service you'd like to show.