Wood County Schools Superintendent Will Hosaflook holds up papers during Friday's special meeting of the Wood County Board of Education.

Wood BOE considers summer projects

PARKERSBURG - The Wood County Board of Education has identified eight facility projects as being imperative this summer due to safety concerns.

The projects were part of a list of 24 facilities needs considered by the board during Friday’s special session. 

The school board is expected to approve a prioritized list Tuesday, giving administrators the green light to gather bids on several projects to be completed this summer.

Among the projects are sprinkler replacements at Blennerhassett Elementary and Blennerhassett Middle schools, replacing pipes for a chiller unit at Blennerhassett Middle,  repair of a water leak at Edison Middle School, work on the ceiling at the Jack Stephens Gymnasium at Parkersburg High School, and removal of a smokestack at PHS. 

The board also included removal of the east side bleachers at PHS Stadium Field and replacement of the bleachers at Williamstown High School’s field in the list of safety projects due to concerns with those facilities.

The board also prioritized three unfinished projects which were part of past facility bonds, including creation of a cosmetology lab and a covered walkway at the Wood County Technical Center in south Parkersburg. 

The board has about $8.5 million dollars which can be allocated to facilities projects through the district’s ongoing levy, state and federal funds, and money through previous bond calls. Officials made clear, the dollars discussed at Friday’s meeting already are earmarked for facilities or safety projects. Those funds are not part of the district’s general fund and could not be used for personnel or other areas of need, they said. 

The school board will meet in regular session at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 23 at Wood County Schools Central Office in Parkersburg.