West Virginia legislators are set to consider a sweeping $410 million overhaul of the state’s school aid formula during the upcoming session, a move aimed at stabilizing finances amid sharp enrollment declines and a surge in special‑education students.
State Superintendent of Schools Michele Blatt told the Joint Education Committee that “our students and educators are just as important to West Virginia’s future and economics, sound infrastructure as our roads, our broadband and the industrial sites that we’re bringing into West Virginia.” The proposal, presented at a Monday interim hearing, would shift the current formula—largely based on raw student counts—to a three‑year enrollment average, softening the impact of the more than 8,000‑student drop this year.
In addition to the enrollment averaging, the plan calls for weighted funding targeting students with special needs, those living in poverty, and English learners. The special‑education component alone would cost about $190 million, nearly half of the total request, reflecting that special‑education students now represent roughly 21 % of the school population.
Lawmakers’ reactions are mixed. Governor Patrick Morrisey cautioned, “I don’t think that the amount of money we’re spending is the problem. I think it’s how we’re spending the money,” noting that the state ranks in the middle of the nation per‑pupil in spending. House Finance Chair Vernon Criss, R‑Wood, said he wants to explore redirecting existing dollars rather than adding new funds, remarking, “I don’t know if we need to say we’re going to add or ingest new dollars into the program… What we need to do is redirect the dollars that are there.”
Conversely, Senate Education Chair Amy Grady, R‑Mason, expressed optimism, stating, “County administrators, county superintendents and the Department of Education all say that this is something that could really, really impact counties positively in the biggest manner.” The proposal also includes phased‑in distribution changes to ease the transition for districts.
The funding debate comes as 13 school closures or consolidations have been proposed or approved for the academic year, prompting a lawsuit alleging the state has failed to provide “a thorough and efficient system of free schools” required by the West Virginia constitution. Department of Education finance officer Uriah Cummings emphasized that special‑education funding is a top priority because federal mandates require the money to be spent.
What’s next: The Joint Education Committee will review the proposal at its interim meeting, with a full legislative vote expected later in the session. Lawmakers say they will weigh options for redirecting existing resources before deciding whether to adopt the $410 million plan.
Sources: wchstv.com, wchstv.com
