As a former resident of the area, and a graduate of one of the schools that will be closing, I can tell you that the options at hand were very limited. The voters had an opportunity a few months back to pass a local levy, one that would have combined the three high schools now on the cutting block (Meadow Bridge, Midland Trail, and Fayetteville), but that vote was rejected by a substantial margin. The schools are in sad shape, and there's simply no way they could continue down the same road.
You're from Pocahontas County, so you know first hand that travel to a centralized school is tough on many PC residents. I think it will create hardship on many, particularly those from the Meadow Bridge district, but again, voters had their chance to delve into their own pockets, but chose not to do so.
The new school will likely be built close to the current Oak Hill High School, off Route 19, so it won't be an issue at all for those moving over from Fayetteville. Currently, there's quite a few Summers County kids that attend Meadow Bridge, so they'll be able to go back to Summers County. Other Meadow Bridge students can opt to attend either Summers County or Greenbrier West, both of which are about 30 minutes away, as opposed to an hour. In addition, students in the Northern area of Midland Trail could likely opt to attend Nicholas County High School, but the drive wouldn't be much different, if any. Those will be the students of parents that are racist and don't want their kids attending a school with colored folks.
The next big fight they'll have will be over the naming of the new school, the school colors, and the school nickname. Make no mistake about it, we're dealing with some serious rednecks here.
