MCDOWELL COUNTY, W.Va. – The superintendent for McDowell County Schools, Dr. Ingrida Barker says work on a new elementary school is still getting done and the plan is to have students in the building by the next school year.
Construction on Coalfield Elementary School began in the spring of 2023. The school will be consolidating Fall River, Kimball and Welch Elementary Schools. Dr. Barker says the consolidation was necessary due to a decline in enrollment in the schools over the years.
She says the new school will be home to around 500 students and school personnel has already been hired for the school.
Dr. Barker says some of the administrative staff will be made up from existing staff from the three schools being consolidated.
“Those schools are staying halfway empty and we end up putting the students in split grades which is never the best option for them. We don’t have as many resources as they could have like with this newly consolidated school,” said Dr. Barker.
Dr. Barker says staff at the school have already began getting to know one another and game planning for the next school year at the school.
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