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Superintendent defends decision
During an interview with The Herald-Dispatch’s editorial board, Cabell County Schools Superintendent William Smith defended the board of education’s decision to use its eminent domain powers to obtain the University Heights property.
Purchase this photoHUNTINGTON -- Cabell County Schools had run out of options for a new middle school site, which is why it plans to use its eminent domain powers to take land recently purchased by Prestera Center, county school Superintendent William Smith said Wednesday.
Further, he said he believes both Prestera Center and the school system will be better off for it.
"I think Prestera has some alternatives, and we don't have that," Smith said during an interview with The Herald-Dispatch's editorial board. "And for probably much less than what they paid."
Prestera Center outbid Cabell County Schools for Marshall University's University Heights property in November, offering $2.3 million to the school system's bid of $1.9 million. The site is home to non-traditional student housing on about 14 acres off U.S. 60 behind the State Police barracks and Prestera Center's main facility. Prestera Center is a mental health services provider that wanted to consolidate its services in the area near its main facility.
But after the deal between Prestera and Marshall closed in January, the school board voted to take the property through eminent domain.
The school board plans to build a new middle school that would replace Enslow and Beverly Hills middle schools. It said it looked at 15 other sites, but they were considered unsuitable for a variety of reasons.
Smith said he hasn't been in contact with Prestera administration, but he reiterated that the school board likely would look at offering a smaller tract of land that it owns for a much better price. And any public notion that the school board doesn't value Prestera's mental health and addiction services provided to the community is preposterous.
"We have Prestera's programs in our schools," Smith said. "(The community) needs mental health services desperately."
Smith said the use of eminent domain to obtain land allows the school system to obtain land at fair market value.
"When people hear we're interested in a property, they jack the price up," Smith said.
With University Heights, Smith said he would not oppose asking the board to write a check for $2.3 million to Prestera Center and avoid the eminent domain process if Prestera was willing. However, he said the matter is in the attorneys' hands now. He said he has not been in contact with Prestera officials.
Smith also said the Highlawn neighborhood, home to Enslow Middle School, won't maintain its value with Enslow or even a new, smaller middle school, as some in the community have said.
"You have to look at the housing people will buy and not housing people will rent and have absentee landlords," he said. "A school is not going to change that."
In addition, there aren't enough students at Enslow for it to be considered by the state's School Building Authority for a grant, which Smith said is the only funding option right now for construction of a new school. And waiting more than a decade to do another bond issue to build a school isn't guaranteed either. Smith said a vote for a bond is countywide, and voters in across the county might not be willing to go along.
Smith also discussed the future of old school facilities once vacated. The former West Middle, which houses Huntington Middle until the new campus is completed this December, will likely go to Cabell County Community Services Organization for senior housing or an activities center. Both boards agreed in principle to the deal, contingent upon community organization receiving a grant.
The older Miller building, now housing Southside until December, has had no takers, Smith said.
The front section of the current Milton Middle School is slated to house preschool programs, while preliminary talks are under way with the city of Milton to use the back part of the school.
He said it's too early in the process to start discussing the future of the Enslow facility, but Beverly Hills Middle School likely will become the future home of a consolidated elementary school replacing Peyton and Geneva Kent elementaries.
Smith also talked about wanting new legislation to give counties flexibility with their calendars, and he said the state school board is looking at changes to physical education requirements, which have dwindled as graduation requirements have increased.
"I think the state board is re-looking at that," he said. "In high school, you only take one year of physical education. You can take it your freshman year, and you don't have to bounce a basketball again."
