Wellsburg school off the auction block for now

The public auction for the former Wellsburg Middle School on Monday attracted about 20 attendees, including three registered bidders, but no bids were placed. Brooke County Superintendent Jeff Crook noted the minimum bid was set at $250,000 for the property, which encompasses approximately 70,828 square feet. Without any bids, the building will continue to serve as the Bruin Bridge alternative school for students needing different educational environments. The school board also accepted bids totaling $161,315 for renovations at Brooke High School, contingent upon the sale of the middle school. Throughout its history, the former middle school has served multiple educational purposes, including housing local police and family support services.

Local officials expressed their commitment to ensuring that vacant schools do not deteriorate. For example, Follansbee Middle School was successfully repurposed by Ewusiak Development for office space and business leasing. The auction reflects ongoing efforts to manage educational facilities effectively amid school consolidations in the area.