The Ridgeview Elementary Ribbon Cutting Ceremony took place on June 9 in Clintwood, VA at the new Ridgeview Elementary School.
This event celebrated the completion of a Section 202 project that provided flood protection for Dickenson County Schools.
In April 1977, flooding along the Russell Fork and upstream tributaries in Dickenson County caused extensive damage. Due to this, Congress authorized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to design and construct flood control measures to prevent future flood damages in these and similarly situated communities. This program became known as the Section 202 Nonstructural Flood Risk Management Program (Section 202). The Dickenson County Board of Supervisors is the non-Federal sponsor for this project.
The Project Cooperation Agreement between the Dickenson County Board of Supervisors and the USACE was executed in January 2006. In 2010, a Detailed Design Report for the Ervinton High School, Haysi High School, Sandlick Elementary School, and the Clinchco Elementary School was completed by the USACE. The estimated cost to provide flood protection for the schools was calculated to be approximately $110.6 million.
The Dickenson County Public Schools proposed a plan to consolidate Haysi, Clintwood, and Ervinton High Schools into the Ridgeview Consolidated High School. Their plan also included construction of a new consolidated middle school to be located at the same site. The Dickenson County Public Schools later proposed a plan to replace Sandlick and Clincho Elementary Schools with a consolidated elementary school located at the same campus. Their plans were found to meet the requirements of the Section 202 Program and were accepted by the USACE.
The consolidated Ridgeview High School and Middle School opened in 2015. In 2021, Dickenson County Public Schools awarded a contract to construct the consolidated Ridgeview Elementary School. This contract was awarded to Quesenberry’s Construction of Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Construction began in 2021.