Gov. Joe Manchin III (D) • Jan. 9
A revised school aid formula that was supposed to provide more money for teacher pay hasn’t worked out the way it was intended and needs to be fixed, Gov. Manchin said during his address to the legislature. The state made changes in the school aid formula for salary supplements, but the money has gone to purposes other than classroom salary supplements, he said. His budget proposal, which includes $1.845 billion in education funding, a 2.8 percent increase over this fiscal year, would require that all the money identified under the revised school aid plan go to teacher salaries. The governor has also proposed creating a commission that would offer recommendations on anti-bullying policies, and taking away the driver licenses of students who commit serious offenses at school.
