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A day after state education officials introduced proposals to revise West Virginia’s school-aid funding formula, reiterating their belief that current funding levels are inadequate, Americans for Prosperity–West Virginia released a report showing the average utilization rate of the state’s public-school buildings is roughly 55 percent.
Perhaps more important than AFP’s findings is the fact that State Board of Education President Paul Hardesty agrees. In fact, he has for some time.
Hardesty hasn’t shied away from the issue. Time and again, he has publicly admonished local school boards for their unwillingness to make difficult financial decisions, including those involving school consolidation to improve occupancy metrics.
State School Financial Operations Officer Uriah Cummings shared a spreadsheet recently — yes, I love a good spreadsheet — that clearly profiles each county’s average school utilization rate for the ‘25-‘26 fiscal year. Counties are required to submit this information to the state.
That simple spreadsheet should be a barometer of fiscal responsibility for each and every county board of education member.
Cummings has traveled the state, telling board after board that they must take action to improve these numbers.
So far, few local boards have acted proactively. More than a few school systems have come under state control, leaving the politically difficult decisions to State Superintendent Michele Blatt.
Boone County’s closure of Van High School and Whitesville Elementary School are among the latest examples.
Cummings’ most recent report showed an average utilization rate of approximately 44 percent for Boone County Schools. Not good.
The highest utilization rate in West Virginia? Berkeley County, at just over 80 percent. Granted, Berkeley County doesn’t have the issues many smaller counties do – they also have the blessing of growth.
The lowest? Calhoun County, at just over 29 percent.
Here’s the point: For all we can’t agree on when it comes to public education, surely, we can agree that school utilization rates must improve in West Virginia. There’s really no choice in the matter.
Yes, that will mean school closures. It may also mean longer bus rides for some students. Those consequences deserve serious consideration, but they must be weighed against the alternative: school systems facing financial insolvency while operating buildings far below capacity.
As the Legislature considers the proposed funding changes, it should also consider codifying a framework requiring corrective action when schools or county systems fall below established utilization thresholds.
What those thresholds should be is certainly open for discussion. But a utilization rate below 60 percent seems a reasonable place to start that conversation. 40 counties in the state are below that hurdle according to data from the State Department of Education.
Counties supported by excess levies could qualify for waivers, provided they demonstrate the financial capacity to maintain underutilized facilities without jeopardizing adequate operating reserves.
Could a threshold for individual schools prove a better metric? Maybe. Talk it out.
Certainly, more must be done to address the school funding formula – particularly the weighting of special education costs relative of federal mandates. But agreement on the need to improve building utilization should give lawmakers a starting point for meaningful reform.
Leaving utilization issues unaddressed will only exacerbate the predicament, especially given the demonstrated reluctance of many local boards to exercise fiscal discipline in the face of political pressure.
In fact, those boards might welcome the legislative cover.
It’s encouraging that State Board leadership and AFP-WV appear to share common ground on this issue.
Editor’s Note: discrepancies exist between AFP’s reported data and that of the Office of the School Financial Operations Officer. Despite variance among certain counties, both datasets align directionally from a state level. A reconciliation was not feasible given commentary deadline.