(Editorial - Graphic Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

“Wetzel County Schools have more tax dollars today than at any point in history. Given the availability of funds and resources in Wetzel County, educational needs and opportunities should be met for all students.”

Wetzel County Assessor Scott Lemley made those comments as one of dozens of speakers this past week at a public hearing over the proposed closing of Hundred High School. The Wetzel County Board of Education is planning to close Hundred and Paden City high schools and merge those schools with Valley High School and Magnolia High School, respectively. The new, merged schools would be rebranded, with the goal to provide better educational opportunities for all students.

The hearing that took place in Hundred Monday and Tuesday allowed residents to voice their concerns or support with the district’s consolidation plan and also illustrated the challenges with change. There was little to no support offered for the measure; instead, maintaining the status quo appeared to be the preferred path.

Lemley is 100% correct — Wetzel County Schools, thanks in large part to the oil and natural gas industry, is well-funded right now. For the 2022-23 school year, the district had a $50 million budget for its 2,216 students. That’s an average spend of $22,563 per student. But, are taxpayers seeing an effective rate of return on that investment? Isn’t the goal of our public school districts to provide a “thorough and efficient” education for all students? Is that happening in Wetzel County?

Consider this: Not a single student in the 11th grade at Hundred High School exceeds the state standard for either mathematics or science. It’s clear something is wrong. If we want things to change, things need to be done differently.

Will merging the county’s four schools into two lead to better outcomes? Possibly. Will exposing youngsters to better technology and new ways of learning help them not only now but in the future? Certainly. Will having two schools allow the district to recruit better educators — with better expectations? We would hope so.

Meanwhile, what comes of doing nothing? Nothing.

Student achievement likely won’t improve. Academic success will continue to be a fleeting wish. The conversation will move on to something new as the four schools in Wetzel County continue to stagnate and shrink.

It’s never easy for a community to see schools close and consolidate. That is understandable. But at some point, the adults need to stand up and say there’s a better way. That’s happening here with this plan.