CABELL COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – The West Virginia School Building Authority has approved Cabell County Schools’ Needs Project Proposal for a new Meadows Elementary School.
The school district says the WVSBA allocated $10,000,000 toward the project’s completion. The project is one of the several new construction and facility improvement initiatives that were included as part of the Cabell County 2020 School Bond Election.
“Our Board of Education members and I are grateful for the School Building Authority and the tremendous support they continue to show our school district,” says Dr. Ryan Saxe, Cabell County Schools Superintendent. “Cabell County Schools is fortunate that voters consistently support the district’s excess levies and bond measures. Because of this sustained record of local support, we have developed a long and fruitful partnership with WVSBA that continues to allow taxpayers to realize the greatest return possible on their public education investments.”
Cabell County Schools officials say the new Meadows elementary will be constructed on a 47-acre area of land near Huntington High School that the Cabell County Board of Education purchased earlier this year. The new site will be approximately two miles from the existing location.
What can the kid’s and community expect with the school?
“It’s sprawling, it’s on a hill so there’s beautiful views, and incorporating the arts into the design of the school but also making sure that the arts curriculum is complemented by the facility itself is something that’s extremely important. Outdoor learning spaces are some of the things that will enhance what students can expect in this new facility,” explains Saxe.
According to the School district, 73.7% of voters in the county approved the school bond issue of $87.5 million. The bond is the largest of its type in state history. Cabell County will use an additional $6,999,000 million to complete the $16,999,000 project.
Officials say the new facility will be a modern, one-story ADA-accessible facility, which they say will address many health and safety concerns at the current facility. The new building will also have expanded outdoor play and learning spaces.
What was the motivation behind building a new school?
“Meadows being a school that has some significant issues because it’s an older building, it’s geographical location, and the busy intersections, there was a little bit of a flood way there. We knew that – HVAC, heating and air conditioning, the roof, and other operational considerations for construction needed to be addressed. It was much more efficient to build a brand new building than pump a lot of money into a really old facility,” says Saxe.
The design work has already begun, according to Cabell County Schools and the tentative plan is to open the new facility during the spring of 2024.
