Certainty: Paden City High School deserves a good year | News, Sports, Jobs

After two months of uncertainty, students and families attending Paden City High School finally got the news they’ve been waiting for Monday: The school will remain open for the entire 2024-25 school year.

So ordered the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, which had been petitioned by Wetzel County Schools Superintendent Cassie Porter for an emergency stay by Wetzel County Circuit Judge C. Richard Wilson to reopen the school.

Porter had ordered the school closed in June. She cited potential health and safety issues for students and staff because the school sits atop a federally designated Superfund site. Paden residents objected and filed a lawsuit to keep the school open, with Wilson ultimately ruling that there was no health or safety threat to students or staff.

Porter’s appeal to the Supreme Court will continue to move forward; What the court ruled Monday is that the school will remain open throughout this school year as it reviews the request.

“Because of the swift action of Judge Wilson and now the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, students and families at Paden City High School can breathe a sigh of relief without worrying that there will be a sudden court decision that will shut them down. There is a joy in the city of Paden tonight and a certainty.” said attorney Teresa Toriseva, who represented the Paden City families in the matter.

There is the key word: certainty. This is what has been missing throughout this process.

Let’s be clear: Porter’s concerns are real; there are harmful contaminants under the school that have rendered the town’s water supply unusable on several different occasions. But why she waited until June to try to close the school instead of announcing her intentions in January or February is something she will have to work through with her board; doing it sooner would have given enough time for these legal issues to develop instead of forcing the community’s hand.

Here’s to a safe, happy and productive school year for Paden City students.

You deserve it after the turmoil of the last two months.