ROARING SPRING - The Spring Cove school board voted to officially reconfigure the school district, sending students from two old elementary school buildings to a school currently being built.
Superintendent Rodney Green said the decision to close the Roaring Spring and East Freedom schools at the end of the 2008-09 school year was made after lengthy research and consideration of the students and the buildings themselves, as well as public concerns.
''The vote was a final step in a lengthy process,'' Green said.
The resolution to close the Roaring Spring Elementary School was passed unanimously by the eight members present Monday. That school was built in 1937 as the former Roaring Spring High School before becoming a junior high and later an elementary school.
One board member voted against closing the East Freedom Elementary School, which was built in 1933 and had three additions in the past 50 years.
William Replogle of Martinsburg said his work with the Department of Transportation taught him the three things essential for public project - need, public support and money - things that were not present in the East Freedom situation, he said.
''The school is in good enough condition,'' he said, adding the district put itself in a more difficult financial situation. ''It didn't make sense to me.''
The school board so far is undecided about what to do with the two buildings.
''People are hopeful that some type of rehabilitation or reuse of the buildings can occur,'' Green said. ''The district will next take steps as far as preparing the buildings for closing and making sure the buildings are properly maintained. The buildings just aren't going to be abandoned.''
The reconfiguration of the district and the new school allows for an opportunity to provide services in a more efficient manner, eventually saving the district money, Green said.
''The real focus has been on providing an updated educational space,'' he said.
Construction has begun on the new school, located behind the Administration Building on Route 164 between Roaring Spring and Martinsburg. Classroom floors have been poured and walls will start going up next week, Green said. The building should open in August 2009.
Green said that if construction gets delayed for some reason, the district still can use the old schools until the new building is complete.
''Everyone's excited about the new school,'' Green said. ''Certainly there's a certain sense of loss in closing schools. It's never an easy process.''
Mirror Staff Writer Wendy McCardle is at 946-7520.
