W. Virginia: Declining school enrollment; rising SPED costs
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DAVIS, W.Va. — School finance officials from across West Virginia told lawmakers Monday that the state’s school funding formula is not fundamentally broken but no longer reflects current realities facing county school systems, particularly rising special education costs, declining enrollment and increasing operational expenses.
During an interim meeting of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education at Canaan Valley Resort State Park, school business officials from Pendleton, Ohio, Kanawha and Berkeley counties outlined concerns with the Public School Support Plan and urged lawmakers to consider updates to address those challenges.
J.P. Mowery, treasurer for Pendleton County Schools and a representative of the West Virginia Association of School Business Officials, provided an overview of the state’s seven-step funding formula before highlighting areas of financial pressure.
“The current formula really is not unreasonable, but some of the concerns mentioned, special education being certainly one that’s been in the spotlight, we do feel like there is some underfunding in the school funding formula,” he said. . . .
“Expenses do not always decrease at the same rate as enrollment,” he said.
Officials also pointed to staffing ratios established decades ago that they said no longer align with modern educational demands. Counties are often required to employ personnel beyond what the formula funds, particularly in special education, transportation, technology and administrative services.
Ohio County Schools Chief Financial Officer Steve Bennett described similar pressures in his district.
He said Ohio County enrollment has fallen from 5,023 students in fiscal year 2022 to 4,580 in fiscal year 2026, a decline of nearly 10%.
Kanawha County Schools Treasurer Melanie Meadows said her county has lost more than 5,200 students over the past decade, including nearly 1,000 in the most recent year.
At the same time, costs have continued to rise. Bennett said special education expenses paid through Ohio County Schools’ general fund increased from about $7.1 million in fiscal year 2022 to $9.5 million through April of fiscal year 2026. . . .
Meadows said special education remains one of Kanawha County Schools largest financial pressures. While the state’s per-pupil allowance is about $5,300, she said Kanawha County spends roughly $6,700 per special education student, creating an annual gap of about $7 million.
Berkeley County Schools Chief Financial Officer Jim Butts also pointed to rising special education costs, transportation expenses and the “1984 supplement,” a provision that reduces state aid for certain counties that had excess levies in place decades ago.
Butts said Berkeley County Schools’ special education costs exceed state and federal reimbursements by tens of millions of dollars annually. . . .
“We would all agree special ed is our major concern,” Butts said.
Lawmakers also discussed proposals to provide additional funding based on the level of services required for special education students and to average enrollment declines over multiple years to reduce abrupt funding losses.
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