Wirt County, West Virginia School Levi

October 13, 2026

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QUESTION:
Is this an additional Levi?
Where do senior citizen taxpayers stand on this?
Where have the Open Town Hall meetings been held?
The name of the person who originated the idea?
Where are the phone and email information for the Board of Education Members so that the taxpayers can ask questions?

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Wirt County Population Today: 4,850
The 2010 population was 5,721and has decreased -15.22% since 2010.

NOTE: Wirt County Schools spent $16,428 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23. Its 3 schools enrolled 866 students in 2024-25; 55.7% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $18,493 per student, up 12.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).

Historical trends: High School enrollment has been:
295 students (2022–23)
286 students (2023–24)
275 students (2024–25)

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Reposted from The Mountain State Spotlight

Shall The Board of Education of the County of Wirt (the “Board”) incur debt and issue Bonds, in one or more series, in the par amount of not more than NINE MILLION THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($9,300,000), with maturities on such Bonds to run not more than fifteen and one-half (15.5) years from the date of such Bonds, with interest not exceeding the rate of five and three-quarters percent (5.75%) per annum, payable semi-annually, for the purpose of making the following improvements in the Wirt County School District (estimated costs to include both the Bond proceeds and proceeds of grants, if any, received from the School Building Authority of West Virginia and other sources, including but not limited to Federal, State, local, lease purchase, and/or private funds) to provide adequate, safe and convenient educational facilities for the Wirt County School District (the “School District”), and levy taxes sufficient to pay the interest on and the principal of such Bonds.

PROJECTS:

Project: New Additions, Improvements and Renovations to Wirt County High School
Location: Existing campus of Wirt County High School, Elizabeth, West Virginia
Estimated cost funded by SBA/Other Sources: $18,000,000 
Estimated cost funded by bond proceeds: $5,200,000

Develop, acquire, design, construct, equip, demolish, furnish, improve, and pay all fees and expenses in connection with renovations and new additions to Wirt High School, including, without limitation, new academic space, a kitchen, an auxiliary gym and/or supporting areas. The existing classroom building will be demolished, and areas connecting new to the renovated parts of the building will be retained and renovated. The existing annex building and surrounding area will be remodeled and expanded to add support spaces for the football field, including, without limitation, enlarged toilets, a new concession stand, a ticket booth, and/or a visitors’ locker room. The project will meet the School Building Authority of West Virginia standards and guidelines and provide a safe and engaging learning environment for students. The high school will serve students in grades 9 through 12.

Project: Athletic Field Improvements to Wirt County High School

Location: Existing campus of Wirt County High School, Elizabeth, West Virginia

Estimated cost funded by bond proceeds: $3,000,000

Develop, acquire, design, construct, equip, furnish, improve, and pay all fees and expenses in connection with improvements to the Wirt County High School athletic field, including, without limitation, renovated bleachers, a new press box and/or the addition of a practice track.

Project: New Bus Garage

Location: Palestine, WV

Estimated cost funded by bond proceeds: $900,000

Develop, acquire, design, construct, equip, furnish, improve, and pay all fees and expenses in connection with a new bus garage shell building and/or related improvements.

Total Estimated Project Cost (including Costs of Issuance): $27,300,000

Estimated Project Costs Funded by Other Sources, including SBA Grants or Other

Available Funds*: $18,000,000

Project Costs Funded by Bond Proceeds: $9,100,000

Estimated Costs of Issuance: $200,000

TOTAL PAR AMOUNT OF BONDS: $9,300,000

* The Estimated Project Costs Funded by Other Sources may be an amount greater or less than $18,000,000, depending on the amount of any commitment by the School Building Authority of West Virginia or other sources, final designs, plans and specifications of the respective Projects and actual costs of construction of the Projects. The amounts set forth above as “Total Par Amount of Bonds” for the Projects include estimated Costs of Issuance for the Bonds, which may be funded from the proceeds of the Bonds. The Board shall also be authorized to pay such Costs of Issuance from its general funds and/or the proceeds of the Bonds, as the Board deems appropriate at the time such Costs of Issuance are required to be paid.

The issuance of the Bonds (i) is subject to (a) the School Building Authority of West Virginia’s award or commitment of funds to the Board in amounts sufficient, in the Board’s reasonable discretion, to undertake and complete the Projects, and/or (b) the availability of other funds to the Board (including federal, state, local, lease purchase proceeds and/or private funds from any source or any combination thereof), in amounts sufficient, in the Board’s reasonable discretion, to undertake and complete the Projects, and (ii) is further subject to any and all other necessary actions, approvals and consents required by applicable law.

The foregoing estimated Project Cost amounts include the costs of acquiring any necessary lands, sites and rights-of-way and easements, if necessary to complete the Projects, the payment of interest on the Bonds while the Projects are under construction and up to six months thereafter, and any engineering and architectural costs, construction costs, including, but not limited to, construction manager fees and expenses, the cost of using county maintenance personnel, the costs of erecting, improving, equipping and furnishing the Projects, the costs and estimated costs of the issuance of the Bonds, and such other costs, fees, and expenses as may be necessary and/or properly incurred in carrying out the Projects. All Handicapped and E.S.S.I.A. Title I expenditures are subject to written approval by the West Virginia Department of Education. 

The estimated Project Costs set forth above are based upon the estimates provided to the Board by its architects, engineers and other professional advisers, and the actual costs of completing any one or more of the Projects may vary due to circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the Board. To the extent the actual cost to complete any one or more of the Projects is greater or less than such estimates, the Board, in its reasonable discretion, can allocate and expend the available funds (including proceeds of the Bonds, School Building Authority of West Virginia grant funds and other funds available to the Board) between the Projects as necessary to carry out the intent of this Order; provided, however, that in any event, the Board shall use its best efforts to complete each of the Projects described above, to the extent sufficient funding is available. If the proceeds of the Bonds and/or amounts allocated for the above-stated purposes are insufficient to complete the Projects, then the Board, in its discretion, shall allocate such shortfall to one or more of the above-stated purposes. In the event the Board shall obtain additional money by grant or otherwise from the State or Federal government, or from any agency of either, or from any other source (including private funds, local funds, lease purchase proceeds, or other funds made available to the Board), for use in the acquisition, construction, renovation, improvement, furnishing, and/or equipping of the Projects, such additional money may be used either in substitution for or in addition to the proceeds of the sale of the Bonds proposed hereby, as may be determined by the Board and the granting body or agency. 

If the voters of the School District approve the incurring of said debt and the issuance of said Bonds, the Board will lay annually upon the assessed valuation of all the taxable property within the School District an additional levy sufficient to provide funds for the payment of the annual interest upon the Bonds as such interest accrues semiannually and the principal of the Bonds at maturity, for which purposes a levy upon each $100 valuation, based upon the last assessment of such property for State and County purposes, will be required as follows:

Upon Class I Property approximately 11.09 cents

Upon Class II Property approximately 22.18 cents

Upon Class III Property approximately 44.36 cents

Upon Class IV Property approximately 44.36 cents.

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Wirt County Board of Education

https://www.wirtcountyschools.com

Education in Elizabeth, WV
389 Mulberry St, Elizabeth, WV 26143
(304) 275-4279

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John McKown Superintendent
Wirt County Schools
Phone: 304-275-4279
Fax: 304-275-4581
email:  jmckown@k12.wv.us

Board Members

Daniel Metz, Board President
Darren Shearlock, Board Vice President
Mark Lowe, Member
Luke Moore, Member
Brent Stewart, Member

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