Story and Video: Ground Broken For New $29M Riverside Elementary School in McMechen
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McMECHEN — Construction of a new $29 million elementary school got underway with a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday in McMechen.
The new Riverside Elementary School is being constructed on a 7-acre plot of land located on the west or Ohio River side of the city. The school, which will offer 65,000 square feet of space, is anticipated to be complete in about 18 months to two years.
Local and state dignitaries attended. Students from the school sang the “Star Spangled Banner.”
Marshall County Schools Superintendent Shelby Haines said the project is exciting and has been a long time coming.
“This school design is very special and unique to our students,” she said. “Center McMechen Elementary School has a number of programs that other schools don’t have. We have Title 1 programs. We have special education classrooms. We have lots of counselors and extra support for students because that is what we do in schools in Marshall County.”
She noted the new school will provide plenty of space to accommodate all of those programs and supports.
“But additionally, we will have space to have a full-size gym because we have so many different programs going on throughout the county, that gym will book up so fast,” Haines said. “But we can also use that in the community as we need to for different events or for cases of emergency.”
Andy Neptune, executive director of the West Virginia School Building Authority, said the SBA is investing about $9 million into the project.
“We’re so excited for you all to get this going,” he said. “To get a new school up and running is the greatest thing we do across our beautiful state.”
A certificate of recognition from Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., was read by Randall Reid-Smith.
“Investing in our children is one of the greatest investments we can make,” he said. “This new school represents the commitment to providing our students and educators with the opportunities, resources and environment they need to succeed.”
Principal Arica Holt said she was excited to get the project under way after years of planning and meetings.
“It’s finally here and we cannot be more excited about it,” Holt said. “We’ve had such support from the community, the board of education, all of the people who live in Marshall County who have voted for the levy, and we cannot be more thankful that they are finally coming forward with our new school in the plans.”
Before the ceremony began, McMechen Mayor David Kobasko said the groundbreaking was a “proud and historic day for the city of McMechen.”
“As mayor, I am extremely honored to be here as we celebrate the groundbreaking of our new Riverside Elementary School,” he said. “This groundbreaking represents much more than the construction of a new building. It represents progress, opportunity, stability and most importantly, an investment in the future of McMechen.
“Our current Center McMechen Elementary School was built in 1978, 48 years ago,” he added. “For nearly five decades, that building has served generations of children and families in our community. Many of our residents walked those hallways as children, and years later watched their own children, and even grandchildren, walk through those same doors.
“That school holds a special place in the history of McMechen. It represents memories, friendships, dedicated teachers, and the foundation of so many young lives.”
The city began a new chapter Thursday, Kobasko said. For a small community like McMechen, a new school being built is “tremendous.”
“It means our community is worth investing in,” he said. “It means we are maintaining a strong educational presence in McMechen. It gives young families another reason to move here, raise their children here and become part of our community.
“We are a small community with a big heart, a proud history, and hardworking people who care deeply about our future.”
Kobasko thanked everyone involved in the project, saying a commitment to McMechen’s children is a commitment to McMechen’s future.
“Today, we're not just breaking ground on a new building,” he said. “We're building a future for our children, our families, and the city of McMechen.
Marshall County Schools received $9,213,555 in West Virginia School Building Authority funding for the new school, which will cover about 30% of the overall cost. The remainder will be covered by tax levy funds earmarked for the project.
The original school was built in the 1970s, with the gym added later on. The new school site is nearly flat and not in a floodplain. Waller Corp. of Washington, Pa., will be constructing the school for $29,669,800.
Back in 2021, the district purchased the 7 acres located in the former McMechen Industrial Park for the new school. The property contained former baseball fields located at Lincoln and Fourth streets in McMechen. The land was purchased from the Chaplin Development Co. for $1.2 million.