Free the Future - West Virginia

06/09/2026

"Gov. Patrick Morrisey is mulling over giving up to $16 million dollars of West Virginia's federal anti-poverty grant to Star Academy, a for-profit education company that is supposed to help struggling middle-school students. At the same time, the governor has warned that he may have to cut funding to programs that help poor children access school clothes and food."

Gov. Patrick Morrisey is mulling over giving up to $16 million dollars of West Virginia’s federal anti-poverty grant to Star Academy, a for-profit education company that is supposed to help struggling...

06/09/2026

We asked. We advocated. We delivered.

Following our meetings on Capitol Hill, Congresswoman Carol Miller has agreed to cosponsor H.R. 2598 to Fully Fund IDEA! Proof that advocacy still matters and that Free the Future WV is getting results.

Thank you, Congresswoman Carol Miller!

Onward!

06/09/2026

Yesterday’s meetings with the offices of Carol Miller and Riley Moore went well. We had the opportunity to educate their staff about what IDEA is, why it matters, and what it needs to be successful for students, families, and schools.

We’re grateful to Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools for making it possible for us to be in Washington, D.C., and to have these important conversations.

Now we wait, but it would help if they heard from you, too.

The petition is in the comments. Please take a moment to sign and share. Every voice matters.

06/06/2026

We are DC bound to advocate for special education funding! Wish us luck and be ready to help us as we encourage lawmakers to fully fund IDEA!

06/05/2026

We are proud members of the Together for Public Schools WV Coalition and support this initiative.

06/05/2026

Our coalition is heading to DC this weekend to meet with Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Senator Jim Justice and Congresswoman Carol Miller’s teams to advocate for: 1) No cuts to public education 2) Fully Fund IDEA 3) Public funds for public schools

Stand with us. Add your name to our petition.

In towns across West Virginia, schools aren’t just places where children learn, they are employers, gathering spaces, and lifelines for families. When a school closes, a piece of the community goes with it. The President’s budget proposes billions in cuts to public education, including deep redu...

06/01/2026

While the state’s population is declining, the number of special education students is increasing, leading to tight budgets for many districts. Required special education costs, like providing one-on-one aides to help with feeding or toileting, have forced districts into millions of dollars of debt.

West Virginia schools are 2,685.92 school personnel positions over formula, according to the state education department, and the state has seen another year of widespread teacher and staff cuts. Counties will use local funds, if available, to avoid making job cuts.

A recent $114,000 study from the RAND Corporation, paid for by the House of Delegates, suggested that the state give more money to special education services to improve school budgets.

While lawmakers came into the 2026 legislative session with plans to revamp the formula, the session ended in March without any of those measures making it to the governor’s desk for consideration.

https://tinyurl.com/4vhv8w3c

06/01/2026

The 2026 legislative session ended without any changes to the state’s school funding formula while 19 schools face likely closure.

A coalition has called for a pause on school closures so West Virginia lawmakers have time to address the state’s school funding formula.