Board votes to rescind Nuttall closure

By Steve Keenan

FAYETTEVILLE — The possible reopening of Nuttall Middle School now awaits the ultimate authority — the state Board of Education.

At Monday’s Fayette County Board of Education meeting, the board voted 3-2 to rescind the closure of NMS, as well as to negate the reconfiguration of Ansted and Divide elementary schools and Ansted Middle School made necessary to accommodate that closure. At the same time, the board voted to amend the county’s Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan (CEFP).

As with other recent votes concerning the Nuttall situation, board members David Arritt, Leon Newman and Leon Ivey voted in favor of seeking the reopening, while members Steve Bush and James Workman dissented.

The board last week voted to set aside employee reductions-in-force and transfers already undertaken for those schools, contingent on whether the state board agrees to give Nuttall new life when it meets Aug. 13-14.

Monday, Arritt’s motion sought to “amend and approve Fayette County’s comprehensive education plan” by rescinding the closure of Nuttall and reopening the school as a grade 5-8 facility, as well as rescinding the reconfiguration of Divide (back to K-4) and Ansted (back to Pre-K-4) elementary schools and Ansted Middle School (back to 5-8).

It also designated Nuttall as the home school for students completing the fifth grade at Danese Elementary who would have chosen to attend a 6-8 Ansted Middle but who will attend Nuttall if the school’s doors open later this month.

Superintendent Chris Perkins told board members he had to either electronically or in person notify state school officials of Monday’s decision by 10 a.m. yesterday morning so the request can be placed on the mid-August agenda.

In February, the Fayette board voted to close Nuttall and disperse those students to reconfigured Ansted Middle and Divide and Ansted elementaries. Following the primary election, a reconfigured board reversed course and indicated its intention to have students walking the hallways at Nuttall beginning Aug. 26.

In a recent letter, Delores Cook, the state board president, told Fayette officials not to spend any money or take any official action to reopen Nuttall unless given such a directive from the state level. The state board voted 6-2 in March to close NMS and allow the county to alter its CEFP to reflect the closure/reconfigurations.

In the summer of 2005, the county anxiously awaited word on whether Gauley Bridge High and Montgomery Middle would reopen, but that was due to legal action taken by GBHS parents and not because of a board vote to reverse the closures. A Kanawha County circuit judge sided with the Gauley Bridge Citizens for Equal Education and ordered the county BOE to open the closed schools in time for the 2005-06 school term. A few days later, however, the state Supreme Court voted unanimously to issue a stay of the judge’s order, keeping the schools shuttered.

Also Monday, the board, upon Ivey’s motion, voted 3-2 to eliminate 4x4 block scheduling beginning with the 2009-10 school year. Ivey also directed Perkins to advise central office staff to work with high school administrators to develop the best schedule for students, whether it be “traditional, modified block, trimester or other.” Ivey’s motion asked that a new schedule be presented to the board for review and discussion at the Oct. 6, 2008 meeting and that a vote on a final draft occur at the Oct. 20, 2008 meeting. Progress updates are set for Sept. 2 and Sept. 15.

In the public portion of the meeting, several individuals spoke in favor of keeping Block 4, which the majority of the county’s high schools employ. That included two Midland Trail High School graduates — Kendyl Atha and Stephen Wilson — and one current MTHS student — Joseph Dean. Atha said block schedule, which calls for 90-minute class sessions instead of 45-minute segments, allows students better opportunities to learn. She stressed that it leads to more personal interaction with teachers, good preparation for the transition to college, and access to more challenging classes while in high school.

Several teachers also spoke in favor of maintaining the Block 4 schedule. They urged the board to take more time to study the issue.

— E-mail:

skeenan@register-herald.com