West Virginia still uses a resource-based K-12 funding formula that ties dollars to staffing ratios, buildings, and mileage, not to the students in classrooms. Enrollment has fallen by more than 45,000 since 2000, yet “floors and ceilings” keep funding ghost students while capping fast-growing needs. This one-pager explains a modern, student-based approach: a base amount per child with extra weights for need. The goal is simple—align dollars with enrollment, improve transparency, and reward results.
Research
