W. Virginia: "State currently has a $180M deficit for special education"
As more public schools in West Virginia face closures or cuts to staff and programs, school funding has emerged as a central issue in the upcoming midterm election.
Across the state, counties are struggling with reduced staff, low teacher pay and trouble recruiting and retaining special education staff.
Sarah Harris, a parent with three children with special education needs in Putnam County Schools, said the state currently has a $180 million deficit for special education. She hopes elected officials address the issue, noting the landscape is bleak for families who rely on extra services.
“It does make it harder for children who have severe disabilities to get the one-on-one aides or paraprofessionals that they might need in their classrooms to be successful,” Harris explained.
The Trump administration’s proposed federal education cuts in 2027 would cost Cabell County schools $3 million and Putnam County schools $1 million.
Harris believes the cuts threaten the future of after-school and preschool programs assisting working families, along with English language learning and other programs supporting the most vulnerable student populations. She stressed voters in the midterm election want their local public schools to succeed. . . .
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