WILLIAMSON – Mingo County Schools Superintendent Dwight Dials says the process of getting the county’s schools back in session is a “work in progress” citing the many problems that impact students and personnel.

“We are trying to protect the safety and well being of our students,” Dials said, adding two of the biggest challenges for the county are water supplies for the schools and transportation.

“Even if schools are in good shape, the personnel may have trouble getting there,” Dials said. “For example, on US 52, the road is broken, guard rails are gone, bridges are out. A lot of people are stranded.”

Both the grade school and the high school at Gilbert were flooded, and it is uncertain if students will be able to finish the term there.

“It will take 10 to 12 days to clean up those schools,” Dials said. “The buildings are not destroyed, but the wiring and the gym floor at the grade school are having major problems. We know the students will return to those schools, but we don’t know if they will before school is out for the summer.”

It is also unknown if the county will be able the administer the WESTEST, the assessment test Mingo County students take annually.

“There has been a request submitted to the US Department of Education for a waiver,” Dials said. “But we have not heard about it.”

“We want to give people a chance to recover,” Dials said. “High school students, for instance, can be a lot of help to their families in clean up efforts. We are just taking this one day at a time.”