With the second failure of the proposed $15.8 million school bond levy this year, Superintendent of Schools Skip Hackworth said the school system’s next step starts with the board of education reviewing and prioritizing the 10-year comprehensive educational plan, as well as working on a new 10-year plan in 2009.
“The school system is disappointed,” said Hackworth. “The children of Mineral County will not get the benefit of $9 million from the state SBA (West Virginia School Building Authority), but students in some other county certainly will. Our next steps will begin when the new board takes office in July.”
If passed, the proposed $15.8 million bond would have been used with the $9 million awarded to the county by the West Virginia School Building Authority to de-consolidate the overcrowded Keyser Primary Middle School, transform the present building into a middle school, as well as complete much-need renovations at the smaller primary schools across the county.
John Campbell, principal at KPMS, said he is not sure what the  failure of the bond means for the future of Mineral County Schools and KMPS in general.
“I am upset that the bond did not pass,” he said. “I thought we worked hard here at the school to inform parents and people about the bond issues. It was a great opportunity here in Mineral County, especially for Keyser. I think it passed here in Keyser ... I’m not sure what’s going to happen. It’s a decision that has to be made by the board.“
Board President Mary Aronhalt says she certainly understands the majority of voters’ concerns about higher taxes in an already overpriced economy with the rising gas, food, and utility costs.
“I understand about the taxes going to be raised with the high cost of gas and medicine,” said Aronhalt, who just got re-elected to serve on the board for another four years. “But our children are the ones that are going to be suffering.”
Adding that if the bond would have passed, it would have “benefited the county and addressed the overcrowding at KMPS,” she said it also would have taken care of “a lot of other renovations in many  other schools throughout the county.”
“Our next step is getting together with the board members and sitting down as a group,” said Aronhalt. “We need to decide what we are going to do  next, and review the 10-year comprehensive plan and what we can do to make the schools better.”
Remarking on the “wonderful schools and wonderful staff members” that comprise Mineral County Schools, she said she is unsure of what action the board is going to make at the present time until she meets with the other five board members.
The next board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 20 at 6 p.m. the administrative offices at One Baker Place, Keyser.