Mountain State Spotlight - This week, state lawmakers return to the Capitol for the first legislative session since the beginning of a pandemic that has so far claimed the lives of 2,150 West Virginians. Read the full article. The Republican majority’s priorities include tax cuts that would favor richer West Virginians and charter schools. Less clear:…
Education
This piece was co-authored by WVCBP executive director, Kelly Allen, and WVCBP senior policy analyst, Sean O'Leary. State-funded vouchers use existing state funds intended for public schools and instead redirect them for use in non-public, private education programs. Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) are a form of these state-funded vouchers. The primary difference between ESAs and…
Statewide enrollment in West Virginia's public schools fell by 9,300 students this past year, as states across the country are seeing declining school enrollment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Declining enrollment could mean budget cuts for school districts, even as schools struggle with the extra costs of improving remote learning offerings and adopting safety procedures…
WV Schools May Need Help to Reopen, but Justice Hasn’t Used Any of $1.25B in Federal Dollars on Them
Huntington Herald-Dispatch - On July 20, Gov. Jim Justice rejected calls to use some of the state’s $1.25 billion in federal COVID-19 relief dollars to help schools reopen safely and provide internet and computer access to families who may want their children to return to school remotely. Read full article. “Everybody wants to start running…
Wheeling News-Register - A school district in West Virginia shouldn’t start classroom learning this school year until that county has recorded two consecutive weeks without a reported coronavirus case, according to a coalition seeking better education in the state. Read the full article. “Our Students First” has released its recommendations for what they consider “a safe return…
West Virginia Public Broadcasting - A coalition of teachers and public school advocates are asking for West Virginia schools to start remotely for the first 14 days with in-person instruction beginning only after 14 consecutive days of no new coronavirus cases in the state. Read the full article. The Our Students First Coalition also wants state officials…
As the 2020 Legislative Session heads down the home stretch, attention now turns to the state budget. While budget proposed by the governor at the beginning of the legislative session showed little change from the previous year, there will likely be some adjustments made, as a number of revenue reducing bills are currently working their…
On September 30, 2019 Executive Director Ted Boettner presented to the West Virginia Association of Counties on the impact of exempting business personal property in West Virginia. View Presentation
With faltering revenue collections, Governor Justice has ordered a $100 million budget cut for the current budget year, with more cuts likely for the FY 2021 budget. And, as with past budget cuts, higher education appears to be a prime target. This is all happening on the heels of a new report from the Center…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - In public schools in the majority of states, fourth-graders’ math scores held steady or improved on average on the National Assessment of Educational Progress from 2017 to this year. Read article. Not in West Virginia. It was among only three states to see statistically significant drops in their average scores in this…