ED-WATCH: WV SCHOOL BOARD PROPOSING MAJOR CHANGES OVER COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEMS FINANCIAL OPERATIONS

(09/15/2014)
The West Virginia Board of Education is looking at major reform for the state's school system, which would change the way county school systems operate.

Education officials are examining ways to restructure the state's 55-district school system by putting school money management and bookkeeping responsibilities in the hands of an outside entity, saying it would allow local administrators to focus more on student achievement.

Much like the state has been on a roll closing small community schools and centralizing them into a consolidated school, claiming it would save money, the plan appears to be directed centralizing financial operations.

Some school board members have concerns how the proposed plan would affect small school systems.

Nine school systems in the state have fewer than 1,400 students, including Calhoun.

Calhoun schools has had an $800,000 operating deficit, officials saying it is mostly linked to declining school enrollment with the state's funding formula.

Calhoun school officials this Spring indicated the deficit has been re-mediated, and that no money is owed, while engaging in a number of cut-backs and proposals for future cut-backs.

See W.Va. school reform 'stars aligned': Plan puts RESAs in charge of management, money   by Mackenzie Mays, Staff writer for the Charleston Gazette