KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. –The Kanawha County Board of Education began budget discussions, focusing primarily on the district’s declining enrollment.
Kanawha County Schools Treasurer Melanie Meadows told board members that when they are looking at budgets, they automatically have to talk about the school aid formula.
Meadows said the district saw its largest enrollment decline in the past year, down 969 students compared with the previous school year.
She said 289 students enrolled in area charter schools, compared with 194 last year. Meadows told board members that 56 students enrolled in Virtual Prep Academy, 196 in West Virginia Virtual Academy and 36 in Workforce Initiative (WIN) Academy.
She said 244 students enrolled in homeschooling, while 300 students began using the Hope Scholarship.
However, she said 309 full-time students enrolled in the Kanawha County Virtual Program.
“So, we’re very proud of our virtual program, and that makes our total enrollment now in the Kanawha County Virtual Program 1,572,” Meadows said.
She said the enrollment decline has forced the district to make difficult staffing cuts.
“The steps that provide us funding for our personnel are driven primarily by student enrollment, so due to the substantial decline in enrollment that we had this year we lost funding for around 137 positions,” Meadows said.
The district announced it will cut positions at the start of the 2026-27 school year because funding will not be available.
During the meeting, she explained how cuts are determined once it is clear the funding will not be available.
“Staffing cuts are calculated by analyzing the number of our currently active positions and then comparing it to what we’re going to be funded for through the school aid formula, and then what we receive funding for through our excess levy,” Meadows said. “The difference is deemed where were over formula, then I give that number to the superintendent and the deputy superintendent.”
She said once they receive the numbers, they analyze all departments for appropriate cuts.
Meadows said this is done because cuts are made at all levels.
“At central office we’ve seen, assistant superintendents, directors, coordinators, service personnel and all critical departments, payroll, purchasing, human resources, and technology have all been cut,” she said.
She also shared preliminary budget numbers with board members and said the full figures will be available in April.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for May 11, with the board set to vote on the proposed budget on May 13.