BY JOHN CONLEY

Associate Editor

After seeing Pineville Elementary flooded twice in eight years, the Wyoming County Board of Education has decided it's time to build a new school.

"We've been burning the midnight oil on this project and delivered it to the School Building Authority today," Superintendent of Schools Frank "Bucky" Blackwell said on Monday.

If approved, the $10.6 million school will be built primarily with SBA funds. Blackwell expects a 10 percent local match ($1.65 million) to be required.

The idea originated with the Steering Committee working on the county's Comprehensive Facilities Plan for 2010-2019.

"The committee voted unanimously to make this their number one priority," stated Blackwell.

The information was then presented to the BOE, which agreed to make a new PES a priority project.

"The main thing is to try to get the school out of the flood plain," said Blackwell. "We think it's a very good project, and we hope the SBA will look favorably on it. It will save the county, the state and the federal government money (by removing it from the flood plain.)

The school was flooded in 2001 and again in May of this year.

"The last time, the cost (of the flood) was $250,000, and that was mainly just clean up, thank goodness," Blackwell remarked.

No location has been selected, but the site of the old Pineville Junior High is being considered.

"The old high school was built there in 1930, and to everyone's knowledge it has never been flooded," the superintendent observed. "That site is being given serious consideration."

Only some first floor classrooms ad the gymnasium of the building are currently in use.

"I'd hate to tear it down, but they won't give you money to renovated old buildings," Blackwell noted.

A presentation on the project will be given in March, and the SBA will decide which projects to fund in April.

"We have a good feeling about it (being funded)," Blackwell said. "It's a school that people across West Virginia know has been flooded. "In mine opinion, it would be hard for them not to fund it because it would be a good investment for everybody."