Amy Willard, executive director of the Office of School Finance at the West Virginia Department of Education, updated the Senate Education Committee on the current school funding formula, 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17.
Willard addressed the committee and explained that 11 of the state’s 55 school districts currently have less than a 14,000 net enrollment rate for the 2018-2019 school year which classifies the counties as having “low enrollment.”
According to Willard, a large portion of the education funding is based on enrollment and full-time equivalence, also known as FTE, and calculated through a 10 step system. These seven steps review professional educators, service personal, fixed charges, transportation, student support personnel and other current expenses, and recieves the majority of the funding.
The committee learned that the fiscal year 2020 budget was calculated from the Department of Education’s spending in 2018. Willard explained that the budget is calculated though a year lag system where the budget is derived from spending made the previous year.
In total, Willard said that the department’s budget request is set at $1,124,000 for fiscal year 2020.
“Despite an increase in in enrollment pay, a drop in student enrollment in the state did account for a drop in the proposed budget for the upcoming year,” Willard said.
