West Virginians Could Get More Say Over School Mergers
Gov. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia has endorsed a plan in the legislature that would give citizens a powerful new voice in determining whether schools in their communities consolidate.
The legislation, House Bill 4040, is under consideration by the Senate after passing the House on Jan. 19. It would require school boards to hold countywide votes before school boards could decide to close some elementary and middle schools and move the children to another facility.
West Virginia, like other states with dropping student enrollments, has seen scores of school closures—nearly 300 over the past 15 years. Some of those schools were merged with other school buildings. In other cases, new schools have been built to bring together the students from...
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