Lawsuit filed to stop closure of PHS

By JIM TALBERT\Staff
TAZEWELL – A group of parents is asking the circuit court to review the decision to close Pocahontas High School.
In a suit filed April 24, Deborah Boone, Robin Davis, Sherry Keller, Cathy Akers and Chanteau Stanley ask the circuit court to review the facts used by the school board in making the decision to close the school. They allege among other things that the board should have held separate public hearings for the high school and middle school.
It is their position that the state department of education considers Pocahontas to have two schools, one for grades 7-8 and another for 9-12 and the law requires a hearing for each school that is closed. 
The building at Pocahontas houses grades 7-12 under one roof and on official documents is referred to as Pocahontas Middle\High School. The school has one principal and the total enrollment is shown as combined for all six grades.
They also maintain that the numbers used to support the closing of the school are not accurate and do not comply with any accepted methods of accounting. They also maintain that there is no factual or rational basis to support the law suit.
A date had not been set for any hearing or court action on the matter as of April 28. B. Allen McGraw one of the attorneys representing the school board had no comment on the matter.