Photo by Steven Allen Adams Wednesday’s West Virginia Board of Education Meeting was packed with Wetzel County residents on hand to encourage board members to reject consolidation plans for the county's high schools.

CHARLESTON – Despite multiple community members from Wetzel County making the trek to Charleston to urge rejection of high school consolidation requests, the West Virginia Board of Education approved all requests Wednesday, including requests from Wood, Clay, and Preston counties.

The state Board of Education met Wednesday for its monthly meeting at the Department of Education’s offices in Charleston.

The board approved amendments to Wetzel County’s Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan (CEFP) for 2020 through 2030. As part of these amendments, the board approved requests from the Wetzel County Board of Education to close Hundred High School and consolidate it into Valley High School, and to close Paden City High School and consolidate it into Magnolia High School and New Martinsville School. The lone nay vote on all three motions was board member Debra Sullivan.