ELKVIEW, W.Va. — Students in the Elk River communities will be in portables classroom buildings before the end of the 2016-2017 school year, according to Kanawha County Facilities Director Chuck Wilson.
Twelve units arrived Friday at Bridge Elementary. Crews set up the classrooms over the weekend.
“We have them in place,” Wilson said. “They need to be seamed together — floors and ceilings put together — and then we’ll begin with running elevated walkways, distributing electric and other systems.”
The buildings will also need to be furnished. Wilson said some of the furnishings will be donated from other schools.
Bridge Elementary is currently housing students and staff from Clenenin Elementary. Those schools have been operating on a split schedule this year after June flood waters destroyed Clendenin Elementary.
Herbert Hoover High School is dealing with the same issue this school year. The flood destroyed Hoover as well. Those students and staff are on a split school day at Elkview Middle.
Portables will also be installed at Elkview Middle. Wilson said that project is slightly behind Bridge.
“The portables at Bridge are scheduled to be complete by March 23 and Hoover will probably be mid-April,” he said.
That’s nearly nine months since the flood. Wilson said it’s been a long time coming.
“It’s very similar to building a new school — it’s just a portable school,” he said. “It’s taken a little bit longer than any of us wanted.”
Hoover and Bridge will be demolished as soon as next month, Wilson said.
New schools will be built in different locations. The Kanawha County Board of Education will need to approve two sites where the new schools will be built.