WVEA president says WV schools could lose millions if Trump Administration closes Department of Education
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — The president of the West Virginia Education Association (WVEA), one of two teachers' unions in the state, said eliminating the U.S. Department of Education would be 'devastating' to West Virginia, where around 54% of schools receive Title 1 federal funding.
President Donald Trump said he supports elimination of the department, although no action had yet been taken on Tuesday, February 25, 2025.
The U.S. Department of Education provides Title I funding for schools and districts with a high percentage of low-income students, and the money is used to give free lunches and other supports for academic success.
'In Mercer County, that's a loss of $3.9 million in Title I funds,' said WVEA President Dale Lee on Monday, February 24, 2025.
He added that Raleigh County would lose $4.3 million, McDowell County would lose $3.3 million, Logan County would lose $3.7 million and Wyoming County would lose $2.4 million.
'This would be devastating to our students in southern West Virginia and across the state,' Lee said.
West Virginia senator Rollan Roberts, a Republican who led the private Victory Baptist Academy in Raleigh County for years, said on Monday that not all educators are opposed to loosening of federal regulations that are placed on teachers in schools which accept federal funds.
Sen. Roberts said he recently visited Mary C. Snow Elementary School in Kanawha County and that he asked some of the teachers how they would feel about some federal restrictions in the classroom being loosened, if the Trump Administration makes changes to the U.S. Department of Education or eliminates it altogether, sending control of education back to individual states.
Odd laws that are still around in West Virginia
'Because of all of these ridiculous regulations, they are having to teach with one hand tied behind their back, and they can't get the job done,' said Sen. Roberts. 'They were thrilled if they could get rid of some of these regulations. They are a Title I School. They live there.'
School funding is also based on population, which West Virginia is losing.
Senator Roberts said the state's birth rate is declining more quickly than that of the national average.
He said the drop in the state's birth rate will likely lead to changes in the state's education system.'Five years from now, they tell us we that will have 2,00 less high school graduates in West Virginia,' said Sen. Roberts. 'Two thousand les! We are losing when it comes to the death rate versus the birth rate, because of just how things are working out.'
In addition to population, Title 1 funding is also allocated based on the number of low-income students in a school.
Data collected by the state officials in 2023 shows nearly half of the babies recently born in West Virginia were born to low-income families.
The data also shows the state has such a high number of foster children that hundreds are sent out of state, as far away as Utah, to receive care.
Data on long-term impacts an existing abortion ban in the state could have on the birth rate was not yet available.
State lawmakers have also introduced a bill that, if passed, will prevent rape and incest victims from getting a legal abortion in the state.
It was also unclear if the existing ban will lead to a higher rate, over time, of births among low-income women.
The U.S. Department of Education upholds rights of students through policies and regulations related to educational funding, including the rights of pregnant and disabled students.
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To receive federal funds, school districts must uphold students' civil rights.
Senator Roberts said, state lawmakers would do what's best for all of the state's students and teachers, in case of state oversight.
However, Lee said the loss of federal funds and regulations would devastate the state's most vulnerable students and could even impact athletics, in the case of federal Title IX funding.
'It would impact our girls' sports in many areas. You get some additional funding for our girls' sports, and that would hurt our programs across the state in the middle schools and high schools,' said Lee.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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