Looks like Tazwell Co. is taking the bull by the horns and closing the countys smallist school and building two new schools (sounds like a good Idea for an area with declining population)
http://www.swvasports.com/forum/show...gonew=1#UNREAD
Here is the artical as posted by GMan
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Education renovation
Committee proposes major improvements for Tazewell County schools
By ADRIA HAIRSTON
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
TAZEWELL, Va. "? School officials in Tazewell County revealed a proposal Tuesday to construct three new schools and the closure of a fourth.
Steve Davis, chair of the Tazewell County School Board and facilities committee member, represented the instructional facilities improvement committee, which was developed to come up with a long-term proposal to improve school facilities. The proposal recommended closing Pocahontas High/Middle School by the year 2009, unless there was a significant increase in student enrollment and construction of a new Graham High School and Richlands High School, through a 25-year plan, titled Project VISTA (Vital Improvements for Schools in Tazewell County).
If Pocahontas High were to close, parents would have the option to send their children to Graham or Tazewell and transportation to either school would be provided, as outlined in Project VISTA.
Brenda Lawson, school superintendent, said the recommendations were simply a "blueprint from which we could build towards improvements to the county's school facilities."?
The committee also proposed consolidating Dudley Primary, Graham Intermediate and Springville Elementary into a newly constructed elementary school, which would be built adjacent to Graham Middle School. The committee said the current Graham High School, a 50-year-old structure, had serious structural and facility problems and it would be more viable to build a new GHS than to renovate it.
According to Project VISTA, the current GHS would be demolished to make room for parking and athletic venues.
The committee said after a new Richlands High School is constructed, Richlands Middle School students would relocate to the "old"? Richlands High School, proposing that the Richlands Middle facility couldn't adequately serve students for the next 25 years.
In the Tazewell area, Project VISTA offered the recommendation for construction of a new Tazewell Elementary School, renovation to Tazewell Middle and a major renovation/addition to Tazewell High School to vastly improve the facilities.
Davis said, the plan was a step towards promoting economic development, attracting new families and businesses to Tazewell County and hopefully enabling more young people to stay in the county.
"Schools affect people's perception of the community. The first thing people ask when considering moving somewhere new is, "?how are the schools?'"? Davis said.
Davis showed the crowd of parents, students, school officials and other concerned residents pictures of the facilities when they were first built to express the need for updating and renovating the schools.
"We have 17 schools throughout the county, anywhere from 9 to 17 of the schools are 45 years old or more. The two newest schools are at least 25-years-old,"? he said.
Davis said the committee was comprised of approximately 15 individuals, but from this point on, he considered the committee to include residents of Tazewell County.
"There will be a series of public information meetings in late April and early May where residents can get questions answered, make suggestions and give their input. These meetings will be held in each of the areas of the county,"? he said.
[url}http://www.bdtonline.com/homepage/local_story_087205151.html?keyword=leadpicturestor y[/url]
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