HINTON, W.Va. (Hinton news) – Senate Minority Leader Stephen Baldwin joined state and local educators on Friday for a groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the new middle school addition to Summers County Comprehensive High School. The ceremony, which was attended by students from every school in Summers County, was highlighted by a performance from the Summers County High School Marching Band, as well as a flag-folding demonstration by the Hinton Area Elementary Patriot Team.
“This was just an amazing day in Hinton,” Sen. Baldwin said. “It’s been a long road getting here, and there is still work to do, but this groundbreaking was the culmination of the effort of a lot of good and dedicated people.”
The middle school extension, which will house 13 new classrooms, as well as an additional gymnasium, is expected to be ready for use in March 2024. The estimated cost for the project is between $8.2 and $12 million and is being funded entirely through the W.Va. School Board Authority. Wheeling-based McKinley Architecture and Engineering will serve as the project’s principal designer.
Summers County High School Principal Daniel Hudgins opened the ceremony by welcoming not only current students but also “future Bobcats that are here today.”
“Please give yourselves a round of applause,” Hudgins said. “This will be your school one day.”
In addition to Sen. Baldwin, ceremony attendees included W.Va. Superintendent of Schools David Roach, State BOE Member Debra Sullivan, Sen. Jack David Woodrum, and all members of the Summers County Board of Education. Members of Hinton City Council and the Summers County Commission were also in attendance.
Summers County Superintendent of Schools David Warvel told the audience, “This is a great day – the Lord has definitely blessed us,” before welcoming Roach to the stage.
“I had a conflict today between two locations to dedicate,” Roach said. “But when I heard that students were running this dedication [in Hinton], there was no question – this was the place I wanted to be.”
“As the State Superintendent, I’m honored to be here,” Roach added. “It is people like you all that makes this worthwhile. Your future is bright. I love West Virginia. We have so much going for us. I hope you invite me back for the ribbon cutting.”
When Baldwin took the stage, the Senator encouraged all of the Bobcats in attendance to “let it out a little bit” with a spirited chant of “good morning.”
“Congratulations on this wonderful day,” Sen. Baldwin said. “You might ask, ‘What are all these adults doing here at school today?’ Well, we’re here to show you our love and support.”
“Adults sometimes disagree about a lot of things, and it may not make a whole lot of sense,” Baldwin told the students. “But I can tell you that all of the adults here, and all of the adults in Summers County, agree that we want you to have ‘student achievement’ – we want you to achieve what you want to achieve in your life.”
“We are all absolutely committed to that together,” Sen. Baldwin concluded. “It is a wonderful thing that we can all come together for the benefit of education within the State of West Virginia.”
