Local Realtors Receive In-Depth Look at Ohio County Schools | News, Sports, Jobs

|Photo by Emma Delk| Local realtors from Kennen and Kennen, Paull, Broadwater and THA Realty took a tour of WPHS facilities led by Principal Meredith Dailer, far right, during Friday’s Ohio County Schools Realtor’s Brunch.

Local real estate agents received an answer to the number one question they get from parents looking to move to Wheeling – “What are the schools like?” – during the Ohio County Schools Realtor’s Brunch.

At Friday’s event, Ohio Valley Realtors gathered at Wheeling Park High School to meet with administrators from various schools throughout the county, tour the high school’s facilities and receive insights into local businesses from Euphoric Donuts Owner Cameron Mitchell.

More than 20 Realtors were in attendance, including those from Kennen and Kennen, Paull, Broadwater and THA Realty.

The idea to host local Realtors at the high school began with a lunch between Paull Realtor Jayla Robinson and Director of Public Relations for Ohio County Schools Karin Butyn. According to Butyn, the two formulated the event to give local real estate agents a “firsthand look” into the school system.

“I wanted them to have firsthand knowledge and experience to tell parents, ‘I’ve been to Wheeling Park High School, and it’s beautiful. They have AP courses, they have College at Park and they’ve got a thriving robotics program,’” explained Butyn. “We have a lot of great schools in Ohio County, and I want them to know that they can be confident in recommending Ohio County Schools.”

During the event, Superintendent Kim Miller, along with principals from Ohio County elementary and middle schools, relayed information about the school system and its offerings to the Realtors.

Miller stressed the opportunities available to children not only in academics and athletics but also in fine and performing arts, speech and debate.

“We have all these pieces in our schools,” noted Miller. “All 14 schools also have innovative maker spaces and are updated in security and safety. Our population of our students are able to do things that are not in a typical school setting.”

WPHS Principal Meredith Dailer took the Realtors on a tour of the high school and showed them one of the maker spaces in the school system at Wheeling Park’s Innovative Learning Center.

Dailer also emphasized the $25 million in renovations made to the high school since she was hired in April 2020, noting that Realtors could see many of these changes during the tour.

Kennen and Kennen Realtor Missy Ashmore noted that Realtors are often the “missing link” between families in the community and people who come to Wheeling. She explained that seeing the updates done to the school in person would allow the Realtors to better convey to young families in the area how WPHS and Ohio County Schools as a whole have changed and evolved.

“Our memory of what the school looked like is from the day we graduated, and fortunately, things have changed and have improved since then,” said Ashmore. “I think having a tour and reaching out to the Realtors is a great way to bridge the gap between the people potentially moving here and those who know the area.”

One of the main selling points of Ohio County Schools to Ashmore is that the needs of any child can be met. Ashmore noted that with the number of programs Ohio County Schools offer, she can easily explain to parents how the public school system can meet their child’s specific needs.

“If your child is academically gifted and you really want to push them, their needs can be met here at Wheeling Park High School,” said Ashmore. “If your kid wants to play sports, it’s competitive here. Kids can experience things and find opportunities in the public school system here that they wouldn’t have gotten if they’d gone to a private school.”