“I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way.” — Whitney Houston

I attended a lecture from WVpolicy.org at the Kump House on Sept. 5. I would like to thank Dr. Heather Biola for hosting the lecture and Seth for engaging dialogue. Unfortunately, there were only eight people in attendance. Where were all the folks who are interested and upset about education in Randolph County?

Inadequate state K-12 education funding is having clear impacts, including community school closures and consolidations, vacant positions due to uncompetitive pay, dwindling course offerings and extracurricular activities.

In 2023, the West Virginia K-12 per pupil funding was thirty-second among all states, at $14,575. This is worse than all neighboring states, as well, and $2,000 less per student than the national average. Adjusted for inflation, per pupil K-12 funding is 11% less than 2009 figures.

There are 3,534 students in 14 schools in Randolph County. If the state were to properly fund our school system, Randolph County would receive an extra $7 million. I realize there is not enough money to fund all schools in the state to this proportion, but it needs to be a higher priority for our legislature and especially Gov. Morrisey.

Other issues include test scores in Randolph County. I realize not all students test well; however, our ranking on these scores is 2/10 overall, with math proficiency at 25% and reading at 34%, while the state scores are 34% and 41%, respectively.

Since 2009, enrollment in public schools has decreased by 14.7% but state funding has decreased by 17%. In 2025, the Federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding expired, decreasing federal funding to West Virginia by $246. President Trump will cut this funding further in 2026.

The full funding for Hope Scholarships in the 2025-26 budget is estimated to cost $110 million. Next year, costs are estimated to double or triple, with no spending limits.

What would Randolph County do with an extra $2 million today if it weren’t spend on Hope Scholars? Criticism of Hope Scholarships are: there are no restrictions such as need-based funding, broad allowances for spending (what the money must be used for), and no public accountability.

Less than 50% of private schools are accredited and no testing is done to assure that students are learning or keeping up with public school students. Ninety percent of Hope Scholarship funding goes to students who have been enrolled in private schools prior to receiving the scholarship; that is, their families have been able to afford it. Our state is subsidizing families who can already pay for private education.

For many students, the money is spent out of state. Initially, the scholarships were intended for only those families who could not afford private schools. West Virginia and our students just can’t afford Hope Scholarships.

Legislators must prioritize the funding needed to ensure all students have well-funded, well-resourced community public schools. I implore our legislators to make this funding happen.

Terri Davis

Elkins