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The doors of Paden City High School are open for this school year. So said Wetzel County Circuit Judge C. Richard Wilson to the jubilation of many of the community's citizens Wednesday night.
And for the sake of the students who call that school home, those doors need to stay open for this school year.
Wilson's decision -- that Wetzel County Superintendent Cassie Porter be prohibited from closing the school, as she attempted to in June for what she referred to as safety reasons -- allayed the fears of PCHS parents and students worried that those students would spend at least the 2024-25 school year at Magnolia High School.
Paden City residents wanted local students to have the ability to stay in the school that has educated multiple generations of some families there. It's more than a school to them; it's a touchstone for the community. That's something Wilson noticed, as he mentioned in his decision.
"PCHS is a great source of pride for members of the community," Wilson wrote in his decision. "In Paden City, the local high school is the heart and foundation of the community. Closing PCHS when no threat to the students' safety exists is rash, unreasonable and will devastate the students, the teachers and staff, and the overall community."
Wilson's decision is not necessarily the final word on the matter. Porter has the option to take the case to a higher court, perhaps the Intermediate Court of Appeals. She hasn't yet said publicly if she'll make that move, but the opportunity is there.
Perhaps a different court, one not nestled in the heart of the conflict, will see things differently. Regardless of any future decisions, it is imperative for Paden City High students that they have the opportunity to attend a full, uninterrupted 2024-25 school year at PCHS.
So many Paden City residents mentioned the harm and upheaval created by that June announcement of the school's closure, how it turned students' lives upside down. This controversy was able to begin and end during the summer, with no real change in the students' schedules.
If people thought that was chaotic, how much more chaotic would it be if Paden City closed in October or February? Plans would need altered and extracurricular seasons would be wiped out in the middle of the school year. If the safety and welfare of Paden City students truly are the top priority, a mid-year change would be untenable.
Wilson's decision should put to bed any moves to close Paden City High for the rest of the school year. If the situation changes -- if conditions worsen or Wilson's ruling is successfully appealed -- and the doors must close, let them do so after the school year has concluded. The announcement can come earlier, to give students, parents and staff time to prepare, but the actual move shouldn't come until next summer break.
Everyone on both sides of this issue believes they truly are looking out for the best interests of Paden City's students. It will be in their best interests to allow them to enjoy a school year without the fear of major changes in the middle.