Think of education funding like a pizza. West Virginia still slices it using old place settings such as fixed staffing ratios, building costs, and transportation formulas. Students who have left may still get a slice, while new options for families struggle to be served. Some say to make the pizza bigger, but the state already spends about $16,000 per student and received more than $1.2 billion in ESSER aid with little improvement. This explainer makes the case for a student-centered formula where a base amount and need-based weights follow each child so every student gets a fair slice.
Research
