Nicholas County Board to Decide on Closing Two Elementary Schools

Nicholas County School Superintendent Scott Cochran will present a proposal to close Birch River and Zela elementary schools during the Nov. 10 meeting of the Nicholas County Board of Education. The plan would transfer the students to the new Summersville PK-8 school currently under construction at Glade Creek. Because the district has been under state control since 2025, state School Superintendent Michele Blatt holds the final authority to approve the closures.

At a public hearing held Monday night at Nicholas County High School, several residents argued against the proposal. Zela supporter Amy Young stated that the schools are essential for local families. She noted that the existing travel times are already difficult and questioned whether parents would make a two-hour trip if a child missed the bus.

Cochran told the crowd that the proposal targets the two schools with the lowest enrollment and the highest per-pupil expenditures in the county. He cited a 789-student decline in countywide enrollment since 2016, representing a 20.7 percent drop over the last decade. Cochran said the district has lost $2 million in state funding due to this decrease and that the proposal aims to secure a fiscally responsible position for the board in the coming years.

Zela Principal Andrew Thomas addressed the hearing to outline the impact of increased bus routes. He estimated that some students would spend 90 minutes a day on the bus each way. Thomas calculated this totals approximately 450 hours per school year and 122.5 days over six years of elementary education. He also highlighted that Zela students improved academic achievement scores by 85 points statewide this year, describing the school as the biggest riser in the area.

Attorney Steve New, representing Zela supporters, announced plans to file a lawsuit to block the closure. He said he intends to seek an injunction in Kanawha County. New stated that such an order could delay the closing of Zela by three years, pending a Supreme Court ruling on the appropriateness of the decision.

Cochran maintained that consolidating students at the new facility would provide improved infrastructure and expanded curriculum options. He described the pace of student loss in the county and across the state as astronomical. The board will meet on Nov. 10 to formally announce the decision.

Both Birch River and Zela currently have fewer than 100 students enrolled. The new Summersville PK-8 school is being built to accommodate these transfers. The decision marks a major shift in the district's structure following the state takeover in 2025.