HERBERT HOOVER MAY BE DONE
That is the headline across the Charleston Gazette Mail on June 15 and other media sources carried the same message. Damage from the June 23rd flooding when the Elk River engulfed the school, has been measured more than 70% of the school’s appraised value. Rebuilding the school on the same site would require substantial foundation raising in order to meet new federal requirements.
Classes begin in Kanawha County on August 8th and the plan is for Hoover students to attend half days at Elkview Middle School in the afternoons. Elkview students would attend in the mornings.
No plans have been announced regarding Hoover’s athletic teams but KCS officials have indicated portable classrooms would be installed on the Elkview Middle football field to house Hoover students longer -term.
Herbert Hoover High School has been a AA school and a member of the Cardinal Conference that includes Sissonville, Poca, Scott, Mingo Central, Chapmanville, and Wayne. The conference recently voted to add new AA schools Nitro, Winfield and Logan.
Indications are Hoover will still utilize it’s athletic facilities at it’s current campus with the exception of indoor sports.
Story from WSAZ.com
KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) — The Kanawha County Commission released information Friday regarding the damage to Herbert Hoover High School after it was flooded on June 23.
On Saturday July 9, Officials from FEMA, the WV Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, along with the Kanawha County Floodplain Manager visited the school to conduct a property damage assessment for the school.
The assessment is done through the Substantial Damage Estimator (SDE) which includes the relating to the square footage of the school, tax assessed value and the estimated damage.
Based on the information gathered it shows that HHHS was damaged at a 70.09 percent.
A letter from the County’s Floodplain Manager to Kanawha County School’s Superintendent Ron Duerring puts that 70 percent in perspective. The cost of the estimated damage is $12.3M and the fair market value of the school is $17.55M.
If the damage assessment is under 50 percent the Kanawha County Commission would not have to enforce proper compliance to FEMA guidelines, according to a spokesperson. If it exceeds 50 percent, as it does in this case, the commission is required to ensure that the KCSD meets FEMA requirements.
