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KINGWOOD - Continued decline in student enrollment was once again a topic at this week’s Board of Education meeting.
"In assessing our initial enrollment submission to the WVDE, it appears that enrollment will again be down by approximately 143 students with 8 of 9 schools seeing enrollment declines. The ROC saw an enrollment increase of 14 students. Last year we saw a total decline of 219 students. These numbers were pulled from our final certification that is now being processed. I have included a breakdown document comparing district enrollment from 2025-26 to this year and also included a recent article [from a state media outlet] related to public school enrollment declines from throughout the state. It has been reported that all 55 districts and 2 charter schools have lost enrollment this year with the state as a whole seeing a loss of over 8,200 public school students," said Bradley Martin, superintendent of Preston County Schools.
Enrollment losses result in the reduction of state funding. This means schools facing enrollment declines must either shrink spending by reducing the number of staff or closing schools. During the last election, Preston County also lost funding when the school levy didn’t pass.
The declining enrollment and lack of funding has led to not only the closing of two schools but also the loss of both professional and service personnel in Preston County.
Hope Scholarship requests are up from last year throughout the state. On Monday, West Virginia Watch said state Treasurer Larry Pack, who oversees the Hope Scholarship program, announced more than 26,000 students statewide has applied for it, an increase of 11,000 students from the prior year.
According to ExcelinEd, optional choices of education like homeschooling, charter schools and the Hope Scholarship Program are not the only reason. ExcelinEd said births have declined by 16% to 25% in West Virginia since 2007, meaning fewer students are entering classrooms.
In other business, Martin said the district strategic plan referenced providing more opportunity for the public to dialog and discuss educational concerns.
"As a result, I plan to continue to carry out a ‘listening tour’ and set aside 1½ to 2 hours of time in advance of each school-level BOE meeting in each of our communities to talk with interested citizens, parents, students and staff members," he said.
In other business, board members voted to approve revisions to policy R 3-7-3 that covers video and audio devices in some special education settings so it aligns with House Bill 4995 that passed in 2026.
The next meeting of the Preston County Board of Education will be at 1 p.m. Nov. 9.