Photo courtesy of Wetzel Chronicle Paden City residents protest the closing of Paden City High School on Wednesday morning.

While Wetzel County Superintendent Cassie Porter explained that her decision to close Paden City High School and relocate its students for the 2024-25 school year was done with the safety of students, faculty and staff at the forefront, Paden City residents rallied at the Wetzel Board of Education office Wednesday morning to let administrators and board members know they wanted the school saved.

Around 45 people arrived at the board office at 8 a.m. Wednesday, holding signs in support of keeping PCHS open. Chants of “Paden City all the way, Wildcats are here to stay” and “Paden City forever, consolidation never” filled the air.

Porter announced the move in a memo to faculty and staff at PCHS, Magnolia High School and New Martinsville School on Tuesday evening. She cited health concerns for those who used the building, as it sits atop an EPA-designated superfund site and a plume of tetrachloroethylene, also known as PCE, was underneath it. Seventh and eighth grade students at PCHS will move to New Martinsville School, while ninth through 12th grade students will move to Magnolia High School.

“My goal for the last 31 years in public education in the state of West Virginia is always to do what is best for kids,” Porter said Wednesday. “So, in my heart, I cannot leave them down there eight hours a day, sitting on that chemical waste site.”

PCE has been a longtime issue in Paden City. For nearly a month last year, Paden City residents were unable to use their tap water at all due to unsafe levels of tetrachloroethylene, also known as PCE, in the water. The city has experienced high levels of PCE in its water more than once in recent years.

The source has been traced to a former dry cleaning location close to the PCHS campus.

The city installed an air stripper to remove the chemical from the water before it enters the system of pipes that feeds people’s homes and businesses, but an electrical outage last August caused the air stripper to stop working and allowed too much of the chemical to get through, leading to the “do not consume” order.

The West Virginia Board of Education recently sent Wetzel County Schools a letter seeking answers and help with a plan of action to prepare for potential threats surrounding the superfund designation and its effects on PCHS students and staff. The letter also mentioned an. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry “Health Consultation Report” dated January 31, which had multiple cautions and recommendations for the school to follow.

The report made known that, from available data, any vapor intrusion occurring at Paden City High was not expected to result in harmful health effects. Yet, based on the fact that the pollution near the contaminated area has not been eliminated, there remains cause for concern, and it raises questions regarding the safety of the PCHS site.

“We have been working very closely with the state department, and we have been working with legal counsel,” Porter said. “I want to stress that we wanted to do whatever is best for our students and staff. We came to the decision to temporarily relocate them, until further notice.

“I have explained all the information and recommendations to each board member,” she added. “They are well aware of the actions we are taking.”

Meanwhile, the protest continued outside the board office. According to information on social media, the protest was organized and encouraged by Paden City community activist Rodney McWilliams, who was present and expressed his displeasure with the decision.

“The school is the heart of our town,” McWilliams said. “We realize that once a town our size loses its school, it loses its identity and there’s much more to be lost and we can’t risk that.”

There had been discussions of reconfiguring Wetzel County’s high schools in recent months. Paden City residents filled the county board office at a September meeting, and 23 people including teachers, principals, students and community members spoke before the board.

Most favored keeping Paden City High open, while others said combining the schools was necessary to eliminate teacher and staff shortages. The board voted unanimously against reconfiguration of the county’s schools.

Motorists passing by the protest honked their horns in approval. As protesters saw that Wetzel school board members were inside the building, their chants became louder.

“Come out and talk to us like people,” they called out. “We are real people!”

Staff members also expressed concerns for their jobs saying they felt as though they were being “kicked out of their own classrooms.”

Porter said that no one currently working for Magnolia or Paden City high schools will lose their job due to this move.

“That’s because we took this difficult action due to health and safety concerns,” she said. “If the state had taken this action, there are no guarantees jobs would have been saved.”

Porter said the relocation of PCHS students will be a group effort. The principals will work together. All course offerings will be covered by certified teachers, she said, and the administration will make sure everyone is in the position for which they are best suited.

“We want to make sure each student will not have a lapse in their education from Wetzel County Schools, and allow for them to start fresh in the fall at their new respective schools,” Porter said, “and I know the principals are going to work on an open house to welcome people into their new surroundings. We also know sports and extracurricular are things we need to talk about as well, so we will be meeting with principals, coaches and athletic directors that are in place currently to make sure each has an equal opportunity.”

Wednesday’s protesters said they will hold an “emergency town meeting” at 2 p.m. Sunday at Paden City Park to fight for the school to remain open. They invited and encouraged all to attend and hear their side of the story and to express their thoughts and opinions as well.