Wyoming County schools chief addresses funding

“We have received projections from the county that is predicting we will receive less from tax collections next year,” noted John Henry, county schools superintendent.

“This, paired with a decrease in funds that we are projecting to receive from the state aid formula from the West Virginia Department of Education, county school systems are faced with tough decisions to try and balance the budget. “Decreasing enrollment directly impacts that state aid formula year after year,” the superintendent said.

Personnel numbers naturally decline somewhat each year through attrition – retirement, employees who move, or for other reasons leave their positions.

“When managing personnel and the budget, we always look at positions that are vacant or positions of retirement. Absorbing those, if you can, is always a best practice,” Henry said.

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Where have the most drastic budget cuts been made?

“When operating a school system, you always want things to run efficiently, but safely,” Henry emphasized. “Student safety is the top priority.

“When monitoring the budget each month, we are constantly looking at places where we may be able to save money that won’t jeopardize safety.

“Personnel in a school system makes up well over 80% of your budget, so that has to be a place you monitor closely.

“Other locations we look at would include maintenance – without jeopardizing safety – and constantly shopping for the best prices on supplies and services,” he explained.

“Based on state aid formula numbers, we are currently 34 professional staff members over the funding formula,” Henry said. “The excess levy, that the citizens graciously support, allows us to cover several of that overage – but not all.

“That, in turn, causes our system to have to make certain personnel decisions. Ideally you want that number to be significantly less.

“When making those decisions, you have to look at classroom positions, support personnel positions, administrative positions.

“Wyoming County is currently operating at 17 service personnel positions over the state aid formula,” Henry noted. “Just as with professional positions, the excess levy allows for an overage to some extent.

“Ideally a school system strives to operate with a number less than that 17 overages – if you can maintain safety and best interest of the students,” he explained.

The county Board of Education will make the final decision concerning any personnel cuts in April.

“Any personnel recommendation that is taken to the board in April can be brought back or rescinded if determined to be needed by Aug. 1,” Henry explained. “We will closely monitor enrollment and bring back any position that we can.”

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Just as personnel cuts seem to be an annual part of spring in the school system, so are rampant rumors circulating about the closing of the county’s smaller schools as a way to further reduce costs. Fewer schools reduces the number of principals, secretaries, custodians, cooks, and other personnel.

Each county is required to complete a Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan (CEFP). As part of the process, which includes plans for every school system-owned facility during a 10-year period, public hearings are required to solicit community input into the plan.

The county’s CEFP then has to be approved by the West Virginia Board of Education and the West Virginia School Building Authority before any project can be executed.

“Inside that plan that Wyoming County has, we have nothing in it impacting any school being consolidated,” Henry noted. “Any of those decisions would have to be discussed well in advance and could not happen without input from the communities.

“As the superintendent, transparency with the community is a priority,” Henry said.

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What about the statewide teacher shortage – is that still an issue with the personnel and budget cuts?

“We have been blessed in Wyoming County to hold our own when dealing with a teacher shortage,” Henry said. “On a statewide level, the issue is still there.

“Where we see areas of need is in special education, science, and foreign language.

“When we evaluate position needs, we always try to make adjustments to vacant positions and positions resulting to be open in retirement. Absorbing these positions allows for less impact on hard working, fully hired employees,” he said.

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Also, federal monies flowing into school systems across the nation as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic ended as the current school year started.

Wyoming County Schools received a windfall of federal dollars from the initial Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act monies as well as American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding in response to the problems created by the pandemic.

The nearly $17 million was paid in installments over four years and allowed the school district to provide individual electronic devices for every student, assist students with social and emotional issues, increase school safety equipment, in addition to other plans that directly impacted students, as well as increase personnel, including first grade classroom aides, additional counselors, along with Communities In Schools site coordinators for every school.

“ESSERF money allowed Wyoming County and other schools systems to provide a lot of great and needed resources for students and schools,” Henry said.

“We utilized these funds in many different, creative ways, such as extra support services through personnel, intervention work at all grade levels, additional counselors, and smaller classroom sizes.

“When that money expired, county school systems could not sustain those supports.

“Wyoming County employees always find a way to make sure students are taken care of, I’m very grateful for their passion and love for kids,” he said.

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A pet project of former West Virginia First Lady Cathy Justice, the Communities In Schools initiative is a national program designed to reduce dropout rates by connecting at-risk students to community resources that will help keep them in school.

The program is specifically designed to bring community resources into the school to the students. Those resources may address basics such as food and clothing, counseling, family engagement, life skills, and/or physical health needs.

Have cuts been made in the Communities In Schools program as well?

“The CIS facilitator program has been a blessing to Wyoming County and our state,” Henry said. “Funding for this program decreases each year.

“Counties are charged to find grants to help sustain this program. Wyoming County continues to search intently for any funding that can help continue this service to children.”

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As for the elementary school aides, Henry noted that the Third Grade Success Act, passed by the state Legislature in 2023, allows for additional state aid formula funding for service personnel each year to meet the aide requirements for grades 1-3.

The legislation is an effort to improve math and reading skills for students in kindergarten through third grade as students not performing at grade-level by that time tend to become increasingly less likely to succeed at each successive grade level and often drop out of school prior to graduation.

Beginning in 2026, students who do not demonstrate grade-level proficiency in reading and math by the end of third grade will be retained unless an exemption is met, according to the legislation.

“Next year, Wyoming County will add aides to grade three,” Henry said. “This will allow Wyoming County to have aides in grades 1-3 currently. Those employees are doing a wonderful job.”

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The new construction projects underway across the county have not been impacted by the budget cuts.

Funded with the $20 million facilities bonds approved by county voters in November 2022, construction projects include the new $24 million Mullens Elementary and Middle School, a new $6 million multi-purpose facility at the Wyoming County Career and Technical Center, a new auxiliary gym at Westside High, among several other projects for schools across the county. Cost estimates for all the projects total nearly $34 million.

“New construction projects are right on track and schedule,” Henry said. “We just awarded a winning bid for the new Mullens preK-8 school (to) SQP out of St. Albans, W.Va.

“This project along with others is funded through the citizens’ support of the facilities bond.

“Construction should soon begin with this project as well as the practice facility at Westside, multipurpose building at the Career Center, and secure entrances at Oceana Middle School, Pineville Middle School and Baileysville,” Henry explained.

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Will the dissolution of the U.S. Department of Education impact the county school system, especially the budget or maybe personnel in some way?

“Despite what decisions are made at the federal level, Wyoming County will always keep the main thing the main thing – students first!

“Whatever it takes to allow them opportunities to succeed, we will find a way,” Henry emphasized. “That is part of what makes Wyoming County so special.

“Our principals, teachers, bus drivers, cooks, counselors, custodians... always take care of kids.

“We will navigate any changes that a decision like this will make and try to lessen the impact it may have on the classroom.

“Wyoming County is blessed with the best employees that always find a way to provide a top-notch education for children.

“When students leave Wyoming County, they can be proud to know that they are loved, educated, and ready to take on this world. Our employees have such love and passion for our children, we are blessed.”