Published: March 27, 2008 05:28 pm      

Closure means loss of opportunities

One of the arguments for closing Pocahontas High School is to provide “increased opportunities” for the students. My personal experience suggests otherwise. Closing the school will actually decrease opportunities for many students.

I attended Falls Mills Elementary for six years. It was a small school, and yet it was a good start to my education. However, in 1976, my family moved to Bluewell, WV. I was bused to Central Junior High School in Bluefield, WV. Central was in a more populated area, and therefore should have presented “more opportunities.” Yet I found it to be a difficult school, mainly because the larger classes did not allow for much individual attention. Also, the environment caused many of the teachers to simply “work for retirement,” and that was not an educational inspiration for most adolescents.

My family moved to the Pocahontas area in 1978. Starting in the ninth grade, I was under-prepared for most high school subjects (especially mathematics), largely due to the two “lost years” at Central. Fortunately, I had more opportunities for help in the smaller classes at Pocahontas, and the teachers had better attitudes. That difference made it possible for me to pursue an academic curriculum.

One other unexpected benefit, was that extra-curricular activities actually became possible. Not only was the school closer to home, the “smallness” of the school actually made it possible for me to make the football team. I freely admit that with my athletic skills and social position, I would not have made any of the teams at Graham or Tazewell. I didn’t play any football until my junior year. I not only made the team, but I actually had a starting position. That would not have happened at Graham or Tazewell. Through football, I learned dedication and teamwork in a non-academic environment, something that probably would not have been possible at the larger schools (at least for me). That experience gave me the mental and physical confidence to later enlist in the military, an experience which has also helped me through my life. A few kids from Pocahontas would naturally do well if moved to a larger school. However, many who do well at Pocahontas, would just become a number in the crowd at the other schools.

One more point. If Pocy High is closed, these students will be forced into much longer bus rides. I know about long bus rides because I rode the bus to Southwest Virginia Community College from Pocahontas for two years. The extra travel takes from both study and free time, and the additional hardship should not be discounted by the school board. This would be especially true for the middle-school aged students who presently attend classes at Pocahontas.

After an enlistment in the Air Force, I eventually went on to earn a Bachelors Degree at Bluefield State College, successfully worked at a number of jobs, and now work at Bluefield Regional Medical Center. Not too bad for a kid who went to a school that has been rumored for closure since the 1970s.

I implore the Tazewell County School Board not to close Pocahontas High School. To do so will cause additional hardships and lost opportunities for students from the Pocahontas area.

Dave Cox, PHS Class of 1981

Bluefield, VA