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By Brad McElhinny, WV MetroNews
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The law of unintended consequences means West Virginia colleges may be on the hook for up to $35 million in unanticipated expenses.
That’s because of two promises made during Gov. Jim Justice’s State of the State address.
The governor promised pay raises for state employees. There’s money to cover state employees who work for agencies funded by general revenue. But for agencies funded through special...
By Ryan Quinn, Charleston Gazette-Mail
West Virginia’s public high school four-year graduation rate last school year was 90 percent, up from 89 percent the previous school year and about the same as the year before that.
Counties’ graduation rates ranged from 83 percent in Kanawha, which has the state’s highest public school enrollment, and in Cabell, which has the third-highest enrollment, to 97 percent in Doddridge, Lewis, Mingo, Morgan, Putnam and Tyler counties.
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By Phil Kabler, Charleston Gazette-Mail
Gov. Jim Justice’s 2019-20 budget proposal includes $200 million in one-time supplemental appropriations — including $105 million for a PEIA reserve fund, Budget Office Director Michael Cook told the West Virginia Senate Finance Committee on Thursday.
Justice, in his State of the State address Wednesday, announced he was upping his pledge for PEIA from the previously announced $100 million commitment to $150 million.
On Thursday,...
By Jeff Jenkins, WV MetroNews
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice promised to raise pay for teachers, put more money toward their health insurance and allow them to bank sick days in his State of the State Address Wednesday night.
Justice’s plan includes a five percent raise for teachers and $150 million funding for PEIA. American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia President Fred Albert said what Justice said should leave classroom teachers hopeful.
...By Ryan Quinn, Charleston Gazette-Mail
The speaker of the House of Delegates and the state Senate president both prioritized educational changes Tuesday, but hinted at discord as to what those may involve.
The Republican legislative leaders say the upcoming session will include talk of free community college tuition, charter schools and higher pay for math teachers, though the House of Delegates speaker isn’t as firmly behind the first two issues as the Senate president is....