New Woodburn Community School

AND MON SCHOOLS’ INTRANSIGENCE

Per Thursday’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) meeting in Morgantown, how can it possibly be that the WV Division of Highways (DoH) has apparently no idea that “rush hour” often exists at the 705/119 intersection from around 2:00 to 6:30? That is a direct conflict with school traffic peak hours, contrary to DoH rep Perry Keller’s MPO meeting statement claiming no conflict, no overlap. Did the Morgantown MPO not provide the DoH with a record of when the nearby massive employers undergo their midafternoon shift changes?

And how can it possibly be that the DoH-hired ENTRAN traffic analyst Tom Creasey had apparently no idea of the backup into the 705/119 intersection from the Hampton Avenue T intersection .4 miles south on 119? No matter who is responsible for studying what here – the MPO? the DoH? ENTRAN? – one can only conclude that ENTRAN and the DoH and the Morgantown MPO are operating totally without a clue on major traffic issues. No one corrected Keller’s baffling statement of ignorance.

An MPO official did raise the backup from Hampton Avenue issue at Thursday’s meeting. However, if that was the first time the problem was highlighted, it was of course far too late. But now it needs to be rapidly attended to.

This is all to highlight part of the gross negligence and intransigence demonstrated by Monongalia County Schools in deceitfully attempting to shove small schoolchildren into a dangerous and otherwise irresponsible location at the 705/119 intersection.

What is the school district going to do? Ask the major employers not to release their workers in the midafternoon? Or let the children sit in traffic, wasting time, breathing exhaust?

Mon Schools should responsibly site a modest-sized school in Woodburn. And build another modest-sized elementary at a decent location.

And WVU needs to step to the plate in a big way, be a real community partner, to help Mon Schools find some quality land for a school if Mon Schools continues to prove incapable of obtaining such land on its own.

Firing the Mon Schools Superintendent for his ongoing intransigence might solve all of these problems in a hurry. The Superintendent’s dismissal is due.