Published: August 31, 2009 05:13 pm      

Bradshaw Elementary: Educational renaissance continues

Another school year, another new school for McDowell County. The addition of Bradshaw Elementary, a new multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art facility, is a big plus for youngsters in the region.

The new school officially opened to students on Monday. The initial enrollment was projected at about 233, but that number could grow higher if more students living in the Bartley area are enrolled at Bradshaw.

The new elementary school is located along a 17-acre educational campus in Bradshaw that will also house the new Riverview High School. Construction on the new high school won’t be finished until early next year.

The old Bradshaw Elementary was demolished about four years ago, along with the former Bartley Elementary. Elementary school students in the Bradshaw area attended classes in modular units while their new school was under construction. Both the old Bradshaw and Bartley schools were located along the flood zone — and were targeted for demolition as part of an ongoing flood-proofing project between the McDowell County Board of Education, the West Virginia Board of Education and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

As a new chapter in educational excellence begins in McDowell County, another is set to end. The final school year of the Big Creek Owls and the Iaeger Cubs is underway. Both Big Creek High School and Iaeger High School will be closed following the conclusion of the 2009-2010 school year. The new Riverview High School will open in Bradshaw next fall consolidating and closing the existing Big Creek and Iaeger facilities.

Both communities are planning big send-offs for their old schools, according to state-appointed McDowell County School Superintendent Suzette Cook.

While it will be sad to see both Big Creek High School and Iaeger High School closed next spring, the new Riverview High School will provide youngsters in the War and Iaeger communities with improved educational offerings and services in a new setting that is conducive to learning.

While it may seem hard to believe, the ongoing school construction project in McDowell County was actually launched back in 1999. Today, we are finally seeing the fruits of the hard work and labor of those who had the vision a decade ago to close aging, archaic schools — and were willing to fight for brand-new educational facilities.

It was through the leadership of Dr. Mark Manchin, the former school superintendent who guided the school system through two devastating floods and a bitter school consolidation battle, and now current School Superintendent Cook, that we are finally seeing new schools in McDowell County. Southside Elementary. Mount View Middle School. And now Bradshaw Elementary. The ongoing educational renaissance in McDowell County will continue next fall with the opening of the new Riverview High School.

We welcome the addition of Bradshaw Elementary, and we look forward to the opening of the new Riverview High School.