ACLU of West Virginia

10/08/2026

Our elections are secure and we're here to make sure they stay that way.

If you have questions about voting or if you run into any problems at the polls: 304-355-5123.

The hotline, staffed by attorneys and law students trained in election laws, helps West Virginians get questions answered before, during, and after an election, and make sure their vote is counted.

10/06/2026

If anyone understands the mission of the National Guard, it's Ret. Major General Randy Manner, who served in the Virginia National Guard and rose as high as the acting vice chief of the National Guard Bureau.

For Ret. Major General Manner, President Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to D.C. is a complete misuse of the force — as well as taxpayer dollars — and in contrast with democratic values.

Hear from Ret. Major General Manner about why we shouldn't have National Guard troops in the nation's capital: https://www.acludc.org/news/why-we-shouldnt-have-national-guard-troops-in-d-c/

10/06/2026

NEW: The WV Supreme Court has ordered the state to respond to our petition challenging the unconstitutional underfunding of West Virginia schools.

We’re one step closer to an order forcing the politicians in Charleston to do their constitutional duty.

10/02/2026

We're here to make sure every eligible voter's ballot is counted. Voting questions? Problems voting? Our hotline is here to answer your questions before, during, and after this year's election.
304-355-5123.

10/01/2026

The death penalty is NOT justice.

10/01/2026

The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia announced a lawsuit last week over the unconstitutional underfunding of public schools. I’m not exaggerating when I say this may be the most important case we have filed in my 10 years with this organization.

The promise of a free education is fundamental to our democracy itself. It’s so vital that it was enshrined as a right in our 1863 state Constitution, and courts have interpreted that right to mean that schools must not only be adequately funded, but also fairly funded from county to county.

And yet, West Virginia sits at or near the bottom of most national rankings. Politicians have blamed schools, teachers and parents for poor educational outcomes, when the true cause is in black and white on the balance sheets.

The ACLU of West Virginia announced a lawsuit last week over the unconstitutional underfunding of public schools.

09/26/2026

"If the state genuinely believes that this is the best we can do for our children, then it has abandoned any confidence in our children’s ability to succeed, and we will feel the effects of that abandonment for generations to come."

The filing led by attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union-West Virginia asks the justices to mandate that the Legislature and state officials reform the entire public school funding system to eliminate statewide funding inequities.

09/25/2026

A quality education is part of the bedrock of a healthy democracy. West Virginia’s underfunding of schools is unconstitutional and leaves the state at or near the bottom of nearly every national ranking.

It’s time for the state Supreme Court to order the politicians in Charleston to do their jobs and protect our kids’ education.

Here’s what you need to know about our lawsuit.

WORSE THAN BEFORE - School funding today is lower quality and less fair than it was in 1982, when a court famously declared it “woefully inadequate” and said that a county’s property wealth cannot determine the quality of a child’s education.

Today, the gap in education funding between the richest and poorest counties is over three times wider than it was when declared unconstitutional in the “Recht Decision.”

PUNISHING THE POOREST COUNTIES – States spend an average $2,400 more per student in their highest-poverty districts than in their average districts. West Virginia does just the opposite. Counties with the highest rates of child poverty get less in state and local funding than their wealthier peers, despite the fact that it costs more to provide an education to those students.

THE MYTH OF ADEQUATE FUNDING – West Virginia’s overall per-pupil spending is greatly inflated on paper due to a little-known accounting rule that results in pension debts from the 1980s and 1990s being listed as spending on pupils today, even though that money never makes it to the classroom. In 2022-23, the most recent school year for which these records were available, pensions accounted for a staggering $296 million of so-called per-pupil spending.

INADEQUATE SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING - Nationwide, States fund about 26% of the cost of special education. In West Virginia, the State funds just 2%.

Counties are left to make up the difference, and counties that cannot generate enough local funds do not have enough funding to provide necessary special ed services. Because special ed services are required by federal law, funds that would normally be spent on general education services must be tapped for special ed.

09/15/2026

We’re reminding everyone of important election dates this National Voter Registration Day. Make sure you’re registered at the link and make sure to call our hotline with any questions between now and the election.