The West Virginia Department of Education presented what the state superintendent described as a “very humble budget,” with no additional improvement package requests.
State Superintendent Steven Paine, Chief Financial Officer Terry Harless, and School Finance Director Amy Willard outlined highlights of the budget request during Monday morning’s House Education Committee meeting.
“These are some of the fewest changes I’ve seen in a budget presentation over recent years,” Harless said.
Education officials explained the budget is $2.5 billion and that state schools have experienced a decline in student enrollment. The total headcount for this school year is 261,633 students. Willard explained primary student enrollment dropped by 4,122 students from the 2019 fiscal year to the 2020 fiscal year.
Willard said there have been reductions in salary-related steps, affected by enrollment decline, allowances for professional educators, and allowances for service personnel. There has been increases in allowances for transportation. The department’s PEIA request is $5.8 million less due to a reduction in the reduction in positions across the state.
Other highlights of the budget included $2.5 million for school nutrition, which serves primarily as a match for $151 million in federal funds; the governor’s recommended $4.5 million improvement to the Communities in Schools program; $2 million dedicated toward backpack programs.
Willard said the 2021 fiscal year could be the first year the state sees increases in adult student enrollment resulting from Senate Bill 1, a bill seeking to increase access to community and technical college, which was passed last year. The department requested funding for counties that report an increase in enrollment.
