[NFBWV-Talk] FWD:Article from Hampshire Review News Section 2022 08 31

[McKeller, Michelle L]

This sounds good. I believe there will be better opportunities for the
students.

On 8/31/22, Karen Swauger via NFBWV-Talk <nfbwv-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
>
> The right place at the right time. Campus upgrades, a new leader and a
> statewide reach mark WVSDBs new chapter ROMNEY Theres a big shift happening
> in Romney the West Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind may have just
> started their school year, but the upgrades to the historic institution have
> been quietly underway for months. In total, the school has received over
> $2.6 million over the last year to be put toward school upgrades facility
> improvements, security systems and more, said the schools new superintendent
> Clayton Burch. The School Building Authority awarded the school over
> $675,000 for security fixes, Burch elaborated. The school has a brand-new
> security system, a camera system, fire suppression, he explained, adding
> that brand-new exterior doors were also purchased with the SBA funds, as
> well as new roofs for several campus buildings. On the pandemic-relief side
> of things, the school also received $475,000 in funding to aid with general
> campus upgrades. Burch said to be on the lookout for new outdoor classrooms
> and a high tunnel for students. On top of that, the school is seeing $1.5
> million thats supposed to be used for recovery, Burch said. Its a broad
> term, but its basically any improvement that can impact the 60 enrolled
> students at the school, with a portion of the money going toward upgrades to
> the Blue and Gold building. Which, since the Feb. 26 Admin Building blaze,
> is now the oldest structure on campus. Half of the building (which was the
> original Potomac Academy) will be a rec center for students, Burch remarked,
> and the other half a conference area. Brian Olden, the schools ProStart
> teacher, along with his students, will also run a café out of it. Its just
> such a historic campus, Burch added. You gotta be able to take time to find
> the money. While at one point, the school had nearly 20 buildings making up
> its campus, Burch said the future of the school is much more condensed.
> Eight buildings are being targeted, making sure theyre in good shape, he
> said. With fewer buildings and more resources focused on them, the goal is
> to continue expanding the schools reach, both into the surrounding community
> and throughout the state. The Brannon building is almost ready, he said,
> housing an E.A. Hawse clinic, Hands and Voices, the Childrens Home Society
> and 3 art studios through the Hampshire County Arts Council. Statewide,
> however, the school actually provides resources for hundreds of students,
> not just the students enrolled at WVSDB. This is a key focus area for the
> school right now, Burch said, and critical to this next chapter of the
> facility. (The community has) to stop looking at the school as just serving
> 60 kids, he said. Its actually serving 800 kids across the state. Dean of
> Students Melanie Hesse called Burchs arrival at the Romney campus terrific
> news for the school and the community as a whole. He has shown over the past
> year that he is committed to growing our school and building a program that
> is the 1st of its kind across the nation with WVSDB as an immersive program
> for youth, she said, and the WVDE Technical Assistance Center (TAC) for
> Accessibility and Transitions (provides) support not only for our teachers
> and students, but those across the state. She added that hes also actively
> supportive and aiding in developing relationships with businesses in the
> community in order to provide students with job experiences and connections.
> Burchs transition from his role in Charleston to Romney seemed like a
> natural one, he said hes been forging a close connection with the school and
> its students for over a year now, and it was just time for a change. I think
> sometimes people are in the right place at the right time, he said. I was
> where I needed to be when the pandemic hit. When Covid-19 first popped up on
> the global radar, Burch had been in his position as State Superintendent for
> less than 2 months. The department and myself did a great job getting the
> state through, and got to the point where were in recovery, he said. If
> there was ever a time that I wanted to make a transition, now is the time.
> Hesse added that Burch has truly made an effort, in his role as state
> superintendent, to get to know the students at the school and learn about
> the campus. Hes the 1st state superintendent to visit frequently, too, she
> said, and is on a first-name basis with many of the students. Hes even
> honing his sign language skills. Burch commented that, before he left his
> post in Charleston, folks thought he was joking about coming to work at the
> Romney campus. The move has been refreshing, he said, and a good change of
> pace. Not a slower pace, he maintained, but just a different one.
> Transitions are sometimes needed, he said. I want parents to look at this
> school and think, I want my child to go thereit gave me an opportunity to
> see if I could really take this on and make it better. This article is
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-- 
Michelle McKeller
Employment Specialist  | WorkForce West Virginia
1900 Kanawha Blvd E, Suite 300
Charleston, WV 25305
P: 304-558-7024

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