As rural schools close across West Virginia, questions over school funding remain unresolved

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Brittney Vaughan spent 10 years teaching kindergarten at Geary Elementary/Middle School, but when the Roane County Board of Education voted in November 2025 to close the 45-year-old school and Walton Elementary/Middle School at the end of the 2025-26 school year, she and her colleagues tried to hide their heartbreak from their students.

“We kept a positive vibe, even though our hearts were breaking,” Vaughan said. “I felt we kept joy going in our building.” 

The closure was especially personal for Vaughn. Her family's connection to Geary spans three generations: her mother taught there, Vaughan attended the school before returning as a teacher, and her daughter later became a student there.

The closure came as Roane County schools face declining enrollment and a financial deficit. Students from the two schools were reassigned to schools in Spencer, the Roane County seat. 

But Roane County is not alone. 

Across West Virginia, school districts are facing declining enrollment and financial pressures. During the 2026 legislative session, lawmakers considered proposals to change the school funding formula, protect rural schools and reorganize school districts. However, major proposals addressing those issues did not become law, leaving counties facing similar financial problems without the proposed changes as they decide how to keep their schools operating. 

How the closures unfolded

In November 2025, the Roane County Board of Education voted 4-1 to close both schools, Geary Elementary/Middle School in Left Hand and Walton Elementary/Middle School in Walton. The West Virginia Board of Education approved the plan Dec. 10. 

Roane County Schools Superintendent Michelle Stellato said the district’s financial condition accelerated the decision. 

“Had we not been in a deficit, we would have been on a plan for consolidation and closure, but it would not have happened as quickly as it happened,” she said. 

For some families, the closures meant leaving the Roane County school system. Justin Shears said he moved his family back to Roane County after retiring from the military in part so his children could attend Geary, where he went to school. 

After years of moving around during his military career, Shears said his family hoped Geary would be his children’s last school. They had previously attended schools in Washington state and Virginia, and he had promised them they would not have to move schools again. But after just two years back in Roane County, they faced another change. 

After the closure, his family transferred their children to neighboring Kanawha County because of concerns about lengthy bus rides. According to Roane County Schools’ closure application, bus routes serving Geary-area communities were projected to take 55 to 59 minutes one way after consolidation. Shears said his children now have a roughly 20-minute commute to schools in Pinch and Elkview, although his family must drive them. 

“I knew that we were blessed with the ability to do something better for our children. But there's so many families in this county that are just stuck with this situation,” he said. 

Gabe Boggs, another parent whose children now attend school in Kanawha County, said his concerns about Geary’s closure extended beyond transportation. 

“It’s not just a school. It’s a community hub,” Boggs said. 

Boggs said Geary gave children a place to participate in activities and build relationships with teachers, staff and other students. 

A statewide decline

Roane County is not alone in facing declining enrollment and school consolidations. 

According to West Virginia’s Department of Education, public schools enrolled 234,937 students during the 2025-26 school year, nearly 16,000 fewer students than in 2021-22. Fifty-one of the state’s 55 school districts reported enrollment declines from the previous school year. 

A University of Michigan project tracking West Virginia school closures found that 139 public schools closed between 2011 and 2026, with at least one closure in 62% of the state’s counties during that period. 

Enrollment is also tied to West Virginia’s school funding system. As districts lose students, state funding and the number of personnel positions supported through the school aid formula can decline, while districts continue to face some of the same costs, such as maintaining buildings and transporting students. 

Lawmakers consider changes 

Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, who is also a public school teacher, said small rural schools face costs that enrollment alone does not reflect, including transportation and staffing. 

Senate Bill 504, West Virginia’s Rural School Protection Act, proposed additional requirements before qualifying rural schools could close, including closure impact statements, transportation limits and additional funding. The bill did not advance out of the Senate Education Committee during the 2026 regular session, although lawmakers could introduce similar legislation in the future. 

Other proposals focused on funding and district organization. House Bill 5453 proposed changes to the school aid formula, passed both chambers, but did not become law after the House did not agree with Senate changes before the regular session ended. 

The funding proposal would have created a supplemental school aid fund alongside the state’s existing funding system. It outlined additional funding categories intended to address needs that vary among school districts, including differences in student populations and operating costs.

House Bills 4037 and 5061 proposed reducing the state’s 55 county school districts through regionalization, but they did not advance out of the House Education Committee. Similar proposals could be introduced during a future legislative session. 

Local control 

Delegate Phil Mallow, R-Marion, said there are ways schools can save on overhead costs that aren’t necessarily tied to the number of students they serve. 

Regional districts, which he used as an example, could allow neighboring counties to share administrative services while keeping schools operating within their communities. He said the goal would not necessarily be to consolidate school buildings but to examine whether administrative functions could be combined across county lines. 

“So we're hoping that by consolidating we can reduce our cost and move that money into education and perhaps get more bang for our buck, so to speak,” Mallow said. 

Justin Shears said regionalization could be worth considering if it reduces administrative costs without requiring more community schools to close. He said county boundaries do not always reflect which schools are closest to rural families. 

Stellato said statewide solutions need to recognize the differences between operating schools in rural and more populated areas. 

“Bigger is not always better,” she said. 

Former Roane County Board of Education member Chad Perkins said the closures also raised questions about whether local boards have enough financial information before a district reaches a crisis. He said board members receive training, but understanding complicated financial statements and long-term projections can be difficult. 

Perkins said earlier financial oversight could give districts more time to respond before their options become limited. 

“The state funding formula is broken,” Perkins said. “It’s been broken for 30 years.” 

After schools close

Vaughan now teaches first grade at Spencer Elementary, about 30 minutes from her old school, where she said one of the biggest adjustments has been the size. Geary had fewer than 200 students, while Spencer has more than 600. 

“Usually by the third week, I know every kid's name in the building and I'm not able to do that yet this year, but I'm hoping to get there,” Vaughn said.

However, she said she has also seen benefits from the consolidation, including more administrators and resources available to teachers. 

The former Geary students she has checked on seem to be adjusting well, Vaughan said. They are making new friends and getting to know their new teachers. 

Still, she hopes her former students remember their time at Geary the way she remembers her own. 

“Once a Panther, always a Panther,” Vaughan said. 

For now, Geary and Walton remain closed as Roane County officials determine what will happen to the buildings. County Schools Superintendent Michelle Stellato said the district is evaluating the properties, with a public auction among the possibilities.