Administrators point to alternative schooling, economic factors
By Noah Jeffries, The Exponent Telegram
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Schools in West Virginia are faced with a challenge as students continue to leave the public school system.
Across the state, enrollment numbers in public schools are going down. In several counties, superintendents have seen multiple factors contribute to this decrease in students.
While state Superintendent of Schools Michele Blatt deferred talking to WV News until after enrollment numbers are provided to the state Board of Education in November, discussions with county superintendents show some alarming trends.
Harrison County recently announced its enrollment numbers, which were lower than anticipated, Superintendent Dora Stutler said.
“We thought we’d be down by about 250, and it ended up being 343 students, which is a major impact on our funding,” she said.
In Kanawha County, schools have also seen a large decrease in students, said Superintendent Tom Williams.
