Exponent-Telegram - West Virginia has added more than 3,000 jobs since last August, and the state has seen a slight drop in its unemployment rate, bringing it below the national average, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Read the full article. However, the state still trails the nation in terms of average job…
Education
WCHS - West Virginia State Board of Education President Paul Hardesty said with declining enrollment, school consolidations and unregulated school choice, public education in the state has been at a crossroads for some time now. Read the full article. Hardesty, a former lawmaker himself, opened up Wednesday's board meeting calling on the legislature to level…
WCHS - A nonprofit has launched a new website to keep track of public school closures across West Virginia. Read the full article. The West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy added a tracker to its webpage that provides a breakdown of proposals and approvals. Declining student enrollment, changes in funding and increasing interest in the Hope…
West Virginia News - Since signing an executive order providing religious exemptions to vaccines earlier this year, Gov. Patrick Morrisey has called on lawmakers to codify the exemptions into law. However, measures aimed at doing so failed during the regular session this year. Read the full article. Morrisey continues to tout the support he’s received…
Updated estimates from the West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office now estimate the cost of the expanded Hope Scholarship in FY 2027 to be about $245 million rather than the $315 million projected earlier this year. While their office has framed this as a "cost savings," in reality this still reflects exponential program growth far beyond…
WCBC Radio - More West Virginia schools could soon be forced to cut school nurses, meal programs, and other services with the passage of the Trump administration’s budget bill. Listen to the full segment. More than 235,000 of the state’s children are expected to be impacted, according to Tamaya Browser with the West Virginia Center…
WCHS - West Virginia faces persistent teacher shortages, broadband access, ongoing learning loss and debates over school choice. Communities are grappling with how best to educate the next generation. Read the full segment. Eyewitness News’ Town Hall “The Future of Education in Appalachia: What’s Working, What’s Broken?” explores the challenges and innovations shaping Appalachian classrooms…
The Intermountain - Kump Education Center will host Randolph County native Seth DiStefano as the speaker for First Friday Focus on Education on Friday, Sept. 5 at 5 p.m. Read the full article. He works with the West Virginia Center for Budget and Policy in a coalition of concerned citizens called “Together for Public Education.”…
West Virginia MetroNews - West Virginians have deep concerns about the state of the public school system, according to the most recent edition of the MetroNews West Virginia Poll. Read the full article. Forty-six percent of respondents in the latest edition of the poll describe themselves as dissatisfied with the public schools. Just 34% say…
Back to school season always brings excitement and hope. This month as West Virginia’s students head back to school, many families and school staff will also have to navigate the effects of shrinking state K-12 funds, which are falling well below past levels this year. Inadequate state K-12 education funding is having clear impacts including…