Education in West Virginia facts for kids

Education in West Virginia is managed by the West Virginia Department of Education. Each county in West Virginia has its own school district. This means that schools in each county work together to provide learning for students.

How Schools are Managed

Schools in West Virginia are managed by different groups to make sure everything runs smoothly.

The West Virginia Board of Education

The West Virginia Board of Education is a very important group. It is set up by the state's constitution. This Board supervises all 618 elementary and secondary schools in West Virginia.

The Board has twelve members. Nine of these are regular citizens chosen by the governor. The other three members do not vote, but they are important leaders in education. These include the State Superintendent of Schools, who leads the state's schools. Also, the Chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and the Chancellor of Community and Technical Education are part of the Board.

The Board meets every month. They decide on rules for elementary and secondary schools. They also make sure state laws about education are followed. The Board also manages the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind in Romney.

County School Boards

Each county school district has its own board of education. These boards have at least five members. People vote for these members in special elections. The members serve for four years. Teachers and school staff cannot be elected to these boards.

Each county school district also has a Superintendent. This person is like the main leader for the schools in that county. The Superintendent helps carry out the rules from the West Virginia Board of Education. They also handle things like moving teachers or staff to different schools. These decisions need to be approved by the county Board of Education.

All county school districts are part of one of eight Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs). These agencies help schools in different regions work together.

History of Education in West Virginia

The first state constitution in 1863 said that West Virginia should have free public schools for everyone. The 1872 constitution later stated that white and Black students would be taught in separate schools. This rule was changed later.

In 1990, teachers in 47 of the 55 counties went on strike for eleven days. They were asking for better pay. Then, in 2018, teachers and school staff across all counties went on strike. This closed all public schools in the state. After nine days, the state government agreed to give them pay raises.

How West Virginia Compares to Other States

When it comes to education, West Virginia often scores lower than the national average. This is based on tests like The National Assessment of Educational Progress. These tests check how students are doing in subjects like math, reading, writing, and science.

Neighboring states like Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania usually score higher or about the same as the national average.

Schools in West Virginia

Colleges and Universities

• Alderson-Broaddus College
• Appalachian Bible College
• Bethany College
• Bluefield State College
• Concord University
• Davis and Elkins College
• Eastern West Virginia Community & Technical College
• Fairmont State University
• Glenville State College
• Marshall University
• Ohio Valley University
• Potomac State College of West Virginia University
• Salem International University
• Shepherd University
• University of Charleston
• West Liberty University
• West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
• West Virginia State University
• West Virginia University
• West Virginia University Institute of Technology
• West Virginia University at Parkersburg
• West Virginia Wesleyan College
• Wheeling University

High Schools

• Berkeley Springs High School, Berkeley Springs
• Bluefield High School, Bluefield
• Braxton County High School, Sutton
• Bridgeport High School, Bridgeport
• Brooke High School, Wellsburg
• Buckhannon-Upshur High School, Buckhannon
• Buffalo High School, Buffalo
• Cabell Midland High School, Ona
• Calhoun High School, Mount Zion
• Cameron High School, Cameron
• Capital High School, Charleston
• Chapmanville Regional High School, Chapmanville
• Charleston Catholic High School, Charleston
• Clay County High School, Clay
• Clay-Battelle High School, Blacksville
• Cross Lanes Christian School, Cross Lanes
• Doddridge County High School, West Union
• East Fairmont High School, Fairmont
• East Hardy High School, Baker
• Elkins High School, Elkins
• Fairmont Senior High School, Fairmont
• Frankfort High School, Ridgeley
• George Washington High School, Charleston
• Gilmer County High School, Glenville
• Grafton High School, Grafton
• Greenbrier East High School, Lewisburg
• Greenbrier West High School, Charmco
• Hampshire High School, Romney
• Hannan High School, Ashton
• Harman High School, Harman
• Hedgesville High School, Hedgesville
• Herbert Hoover High School, Clendenin
• Hundred High School, Hundred
• Huntington High School, Huntington
• Hurricane High School, Hurricane
• Independence High School, Coal City
• James Monroe High School, Lindside
• Jefferson High School, Shenandoah Junction
• John Marshall High School, Glen Dale
• Keyser High School, Keyser
• Lewis County High School, Weston
• Liberty High School (Harrison), Clarksburg
• Liberty High School (Raleigh), Glen Daniel
• Lincoln High School, Shinnston
• Lincoln County High School, Hamlin
• Logan High School, Logan
• Madonna High School, Weirton
• Magnolia High School, New Martinsville
• Man High School, Man
• Martinsburg High School, Martinsburg
• Meadow Bridge High School, Meadow Bridge
• Mercer Christian Academy, Princeton
• Midland Trail High School, Hico
• Mingo Central Comprehensive High School, Delbarton
• Montcalm High School, Montcalm
• Moorefield High School, Moorefield
• Morgantown High School, Morgantown
• Mount View High School, Welch
• Musselman High School, Inwood
• Nicholas County High School, Summersville
• Nitro High School, Nitro
• North Marion High School, Farmington
• Notre Dame High School, Clarksburg
• Oak Glen High School, New Cumberland
• Oak Hill High School, Oak Hill
• Paden City High School, Paden City
• Parkersburg Catholic High School, Parkersburg
• Parkersburg High School, Parkersburg
• Parkersburg South High School, Parkersburg
• Paw Paw High School, Paw Paw
• Pendleton County High School, Franklin
• Petersburg High School, Petersburg
• Philip Barbour High School, Philippi
• Pickens School, Pickens
• PikeView High School, Princeton
• Poca High School, Poca
• Pocahontas County High School, Dunmore
• Point Pleasant High School, Point Pleasant
• Preston High School, Kingwood
• Princeton High School, Princeton
• Ravenswood High School, Ravenswood
• Richwood High School, Richwood
• Ripley High School, Ripley
• Ritchie County High School, Ellenboro
• Riverside High School, Belle
• Riverview High School, Bradshaw
• Roane County High School, Spencer
• Robert C. Byrd High School, Clarksburg
• Saint Albans High School, Saint Albans
• Saint Joseph Central Catholic High School, Huntington
• Saint Marys High School, Saint Marys
• Scott High School, Madison
• Shady Spring High School, Shady Spring
• Sherman High School, Seth
• Sissonville High School, Sissonville
• South Charleston High School, South Charleston
• South Harrison High School, Lost Creek
• Spring Mills High School, Martinsburg
• Spring Valley High School, Huntington
• Summers County Comprehensive High School, Hinton
• Teays Valley Christian School, Scott Depot
• Tolsia High School, Fort Gay
• Trinity High School, Morgantown
• Tucker County High School, Hambleton
• Tug Valley High School, Williamson
• Tygarts Valley High School, Mill Creek
• Tyler Consolidated High School, Sistersville
• Union High School, Mount Storm
• University High School, Morgantown
• Valley High School, Pine Grove
• Van Junior-Senior High School, Van
• Wahama High School, Mason
• Washington High School, Charles Town
• Wayne High School, Wayne
• Webster County High School, Upperglade
• Weir High School, Weirton
• Westside High School, Clear Fork
• Wheeling Central Catholic High School, Wheeling
• Wheeling Park High School, Wheeling
• Williamstown High School, Williamstown
• Winfield High School, Winfield
• Wirt County High School, Elizabeth
• Woodrow Wilson High School, Beckley
• Wyoming County East High School, New Richmond