The State Policies Behind the Funding of The Pocahontas Schools

Following the regular agenda items at the April 7^th Pocahontas County Board of Education (BOE) meeting, which we covered in part 1 of this meeting story, Superintendent Dr. Leatha Williams made a lengthy and detailed presentation to the board members. This presentation explained the state’s funding policies and requirements. Operating within these state policies determines how the Pocahontas County school administration and the BOE must make local educational and personnel decisions in order to achieve the county school system’s educational goals.

Williams began by assuring the members that despite the WV Legislature flirting with lowering the state’s per-pupil funding from the current 1,400 student minimum down to 1,200 students, which would have cost the Pocahontas Schools millions of dollars in state educational support, that did not happen, at least during this year’s legislative session. She explained that other factors such as employee costs, and average daily attendance are also used in specific state funding components.

For example, average daily attendance effects transportation funding, current expense and operations expenses, the number of professional student support personnel. The sparsity of students per square mile (which is less than 5 here,) can increase the number of teachers the state will pay for because of smaller class sizes and multi-grade assignment of teachers.

It can also enable us to receive additional transportation funding due to more milage and expenses by school busses. The number of certain positions, such as guidance counselors and nurses employed may also affect state support for those positions based on our sparsity.

She said that system wide, we spend $20,454.20 per pupil. That includes state, local and federal money. It also varies per school.

Williams also explained that State Schools Policy 2510 sets specific requirements for teachers for different grade levels in order to receive teacher compensation.

For high school graduation, the state currently requires students to obtain 23 total credits, including 13 prescribed courses, and 10 personalized courses, specifying the prescribed courses and the optional courses for STEM courses. They also now require every freshman starting with the 2024-2025 school year must also take 1 credit of Personal Finance. One credit of Health and of Art are also required to graduate.

WV Code 18A-2-9 sets one full-time principal must be assigned to any school with 170 or more students but leaves the number of Assistant Principals to the discretion of the local Superintendent. It also sets the number of counselors -two per 1000 students- the number of nurses, sufficient teachers, service personnel, and other positions required or recommended.

Williams said we are currently 5.82 Professional Personnel positions under our state allotment. But, by abolishing 8 unfilled (vacant) positions and switching 4.2 positions to 240 and 261-day contracts, we were able to improve to 9.8 professional positions under what the state allots us for the start of next school year. Likewise, we were able to reduce our Service Personnel state allotment from 7.55 OVER our state allotment to only 2.13 positions over it yet still add 3 additional nursing positions.

They are realigning Director Positions to get more shared costs, and abolishing the unfilled Assistant Principal position at Green Bank Elementary/Middle School, abolishing 2 unfillable counselor positions and 3 unfilled and unneeded high school teaching positions, as well as an unfilled and unneeded 4 grade teaching position at Green Bank and an unfilled and unneeded Multi-subject/Special Education teaching position at Hillsboro Elementary School.

With the money saved by abolishing those unfilled and unneeded positions, they are able to add needed positions, including: a Graduation Coach at PCHS; a shared County-Wide Counselor position; 2 needed teaching positions at PCHS; A Teacher of Multi-Categorical/Special Education/Autism position at Hillsboro; a Teacher of Behavior Support at Hillsboro; and one College and Career Readiness teaching position at Marlinton Elementary School. Additionally, they will add 2 ROTC Teaching positions at PCHS, contingent upon getting that program started.

Williams said these realignments of staffing will not cause anyone to lose their job but will replace unneeded positions with needed ones while staying within budget.