While state officials talk about what to do on the pervasive problem of school funding, the rubber is hitting the road.
The state has lost 5,000 students since the last enrollment count, equivalent to six counties, state school board officials said this week.
Department of Education officials say they’re already aware of eight to 10 schools around the state in line for closure in the coming year — although the number could be up to 20.
“I think we’re going to see some of our 55 business units run the risk of financial insolvency at some point in time here in the near future,” state school board President Paul Hardesty said, referring to the 55 county school systems.
Hardesty, in a discussion with reporters, suggested a lawsuit filed by a citizen might be necessary to ensure West Virginia continues to provide a thorough and efficient education to students.
That would be parallel to the 1982 court ruling by Judge Arthur Recht that West Virginia’s public school financing system was unconstitutional.
“The boat’s getting ready to hit the rocks, and I can’t make anyone in two of the branches of government to understand that,” Hardesty said, referring to the executive and legislative branches.
“Therefore it might rely on the third to get some clarity to the situation, just like it did 40 years ago.”
Hardesty wanted to make his point about how serious the funding situation is for schools around the state because it’s 45 days until the start of school. “It’s got to be dealt with,” Hardesty said.
“I think that we are going to face this coming school year between 10 and 20 potential more school closures, and the Legislature is going to scream bloody murder when the first one goes and makes notice and starts the process to notify their constituents that they’re going to close another school.
“They’re going to tell us to put the pause button on. Can’t do that. I can’t tell a county not to do that. You see where I’m going with this. How do we get the word out to the average West Virginian of what we’re dealing with?”
Over the past few years, West Virginia has already experienced a wave of public school closures and consolidations, driven by declining student enrollment, financial deficits and departures of students taking advantage of new educational options.
West Virginia’s school funding formula is largely driven by student population.
West Virginia school enrollment plummeted by nearly 13% from 2012 to 2024, a period that overlapped with several factors including the covid-19 pandemic. More than 36,000 students left the public school system during that time.
During the most recent legislative session, lawmakers considered various options for bolstering school funds, but nothing passed.
One option would have enhanced the amount of funding available for special needs students, whose education costs are often higher. That has continued to be a focus of discussion during interim legislative meetings.
Hardesty and representatives from the state Department of Education say the financial problem is about to hit now, with no buffer in place.
“I don’t think they’ve got their arms around the gravity of the situation,” Hardesty said.
“You know, there was talk by some members of legislature during regular session that we ought to have a special session to address this issue and this issue only so we can focus on it. I’ve not seen any movement towards that.”
Michele Blatt, the state’s superintendent of schools, noted that the Legislature already obtained a report called “Analysis of West Virginia’s State School Aid Funding Formula” through the RAND Corporation.
The $114,000 study evaluates whether West Virginia’s funding mechanism equitably and adequately serves its student population, particularly in light of socioeconomic challenges like high poverty rates and a large proportion of special education students.
“We all remember the RAND study that the legislature did that addressed all of these issues, and you know, nothing in that was considered either,” Blatt said.
Independently of the state education department, the Together for Public Schools West Virginia Coalition — which is a nonpartisan group of families, educators and community organizations — is pushing for an immediate moratorium on school closures and consolidations in West Virginia.
The stakes for communities are high, said said Jeff Kelley, associate superintendent for the state Department of Education.
“You’re talking about the number one or number two or number three employer in a county where all of a sudden they can’t put paychecks in the mailbox of their employees,” Kelley said.
“And all of those employees fund the local gas stations and the local restaurants, pay their gas bills, they pay their light bills, and all of a sudden they can’t do that.”