School board waits for more data on data centers

A concerned Ohio County Schools parent, Amanda McWhorter, addressed the Ohio County Board of Education for the second time, urging them to proactively address proposed data center developments, specifically a project at the former Centre Foundry site in Warwood. McWhorter expressed concerns about potential health, safety, and learning impacts on students, and the financial implications of House Bill 2014, a state law she believes limits local communities' ability to benefit from data center property tax revenue.

McWhorter highlighted the technical park proposed by Silicon Foundation Energy LLC at the Centre Foundry property, noting its proximity to schools. She criticized the state's marketing pitch for "fast deployment and no barriers" for developers and argued that HB 2014 would allow only a small portion of property tax revenue from high-impact data centers to remain with local entities, potentially reducing funds for schools.

Board members Jerry Ames and Andy Garber acknowledged McWhorter's concerns about student safety but stated the board is limited in its ability to act without more concrete information about the proposed data centers. They indicated a wait-and-see approach, emphasizing that the board must act collectively and currently lacks sufficient details to take a definitive stance.

Separately, Warwood residents have already filed a civil complaint in Ohio County Circuit Court, challenging the constitutionality of House Bill 2014 and seeking to prevent the construction and operation of the proposed Warwood Data Center by Silicon Foundation. Residents are also asking Wheeling officials to consider a moratorium on data center development and to conduct further reviews of potential impacts.