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Groundbreaking begins construction of consolidated Southern Gap High School in Buchanan County
Summary
Officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers joined local leaders at a ceremonial groundbreaking for Southern Gap High School, marking the start of a long-planned consolidation project funded in part by federal flood-mitigation legislation and recent supplemental appropriations.
Sherry Fletcher, division superintendent and emcee, opened the Southern Gap High School groundbreaking on behalf of Buchanan County Public Schools, tracing the project’s origin to flood-mitigation work authorized after the April 1977 flood and later federal appropriations.
“This groundbreaking ceremony marks the beginning of a new era in the education for our community,” Fletcher said, emphasizing the school’s role in expanding vocational, arts and athletic opportunities for students.
Angie McClanahan, identified in the record as Buchanan County School Board chairperson, called the milestone “exciting” and thanked the many local, state and federal partners whose work made the consolidated high school possible. “This has been a long journey,” McClanahan said, and she urged the community to view the facility as an asset that will serve students for generations.
Colonel Jason Putman, commander of the Huntington District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said the slot of federal work tied to Section 202 and later supplemental funding helped move the project forward. “This really is a special event,” Putman said, commending the intergovernmental effort that advanced the site to construction.
Curtis Saleslewicke, the project manager from Skanska, introduced the contractor and design-build teams, including Branchfields and BMDO Architects, and reviewed the on-site team that will oversee construction. He thanked school-board members and local officials for their partnership throughout planning and early construction activities.
Local official Craig Stiltner, representing the board of supervisors, urged community unity and pride in the new Southern Gap Eagles identity and encouraged residents to support students and school programs.
Officials who spoke said the Southern Gap site met Corps criteria for the relevant federal program, and the consolidation plan will relocate the Tech Center and Hurley High School functions to the new campus, with the site designed to accommodate consolidation of up to two other county high schools.
The program concluded with the ceremonial shovels; construction is expected to proceed under the contracted teams introduced at the ceremony. For next steps, contractors and the school district will complete permitting, final schedules and the public procurement steps required to move from early site work to sustained building activity.
