Latest news with #ElliottPritt
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
State lawmaker slams Raleigh County Board of Education for counselor layoffs
BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — A Fayette County lawmaker criticized Raleigh County School officials for terminating a number of school counselor positions earlier this year. Republican Delegate Elliott Pritt of Fayette County said that school counselors were now a necessary aspect to the state's education system because West Virginia has the highest number of foster children in the U.S. Counselors are equipped to help with both special needs and student behavior. In March the Raleigh County Board of Education voted to terminate, transfer or cut the hours of a number of school counselors. Pritt said recent legislation could force the Board to rehire some of the counselors. 'We had to pass a bill this year in response to a decision Raleigh County made to fire so many of their school counselors, which is a terrible decision,' said Pritt. 'A terrible decision. Whoever made that decision should have their education degrees removed, and I don't mind going on the record and saying that.' Raleigh County Board of Education members said in March that they were forced to balance a budget with less funding from Charleston. CEO of WV Coal Association says trade war with China will impact coal operations Raleigh County Schools Superintendent Dr. Serena Starcher said in March that the Board was following the wishes of school principals, who had suggested the cuts the BOE later approved. Public schools are expected to lose more funding to private schools and providers of homeschool curricula through growth of the Hope Scholarship program, which transfers tax dollars from public schools to support private institutions. Pritt also called on private schools to admit a growing population of children in the foster care system, many of whom need the services of school counselors and individualized educational plans. Prosecutor warns of potential charges against women who miscarry in West Virginia The president of the West Virginia Education Association has said that most private schools do not pay professional wages, which would be required to attract school counselors and many certified teachers. State law now requires one counselor for every 250 students in public schools but does not make the same requirement for private schools. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
$2 million in funds announced by Governor Morrisey for environmental cleanup in part of Fayette County
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — $2 million in funds for the start of an environmental cleanup in Fayette County was announced by Governor Patrick Morrisey. According to a press release, the $2 million in funds announced by Governor Morrisey will go towards starting an environmental cleanup of the Arbuckle Creek Superfund Site, also known as the former Shaffer Equipment Company property, in the Minden area of Fayette County. Milton man reels in record-setting blue catfish This cleanup is a long-overdue investment in the health and safety of Minden residents. Thanks to the collaboration among federal, state, and local partners, we are taking meaningful steps to protect West Virginians from dangerous chemicals. Governor Morrisey West Virginia House of Delegates member and representative for District 50, Elliott Pritt told 59News that, while some residents may remain skeptical after similar promises from public figures in recent years, the development is a positive step on the path forward for the area. I think anything that we can do for these people is positive. I know that some of them feel like all the different cleanups that have happened over the past few years have been unsuccessful and they may have somewhat of a 'well, we'll see' attitude. But I do think ultimately this is good for them. Elliott Pritt The press release stated that the contamination at the site came from damaged transformers placed by Shaffer Equipment Company between 1970 and 1984 that caused polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to seep into Arbuckle Creek and soil in the area. The press release also mentioned that studies showed that exposure to PCBs can be connected to a higher risk of cancer and reproductive issues. MAP: State-owned shooting ranges that are open to the public in West Virginia According to the press release, although cleanup efforts began in the 1980s and early 2000s, continuous concerns resulted in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assessments in 2017, and the location was added to the EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in 2019, which helped it qualify for Superfund resources. The press release stated that the $2 million in funding was secured by Governor Morrisey's office and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), and that in April 2025 a formal contract was completed between EPS Region 3 and the WVDEP. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hope Scholarship's accelerating price tag sparks debate in WV House, $97M in funding approved
Del. Elliott Pritt, R-Fayette, speaks on the floor of the House of Delegates on Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Charleston, (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography) The Republican-led House of Delegates approved $97 million in funding for the Hope Scholarship, but not before numerous lawmakers rose to question the rapidly increasing price tag of the state's education voucher program. 'We are leaving other vitally necessary programs underfunded because of an increase in this line item,' said Del. Elliott Pritt, R-Fayette, who noted the state's public employee's insurance program, which insures teachers, continues to struggle. The Hope Scholarship launched four years ago. It provides roughly $4,900 per student to be used for private schooling, homeschooling, microschools and more. Lawmakers on Thursday approved House Bill 3356, which proposes taking $28 million from the state's general revenue fund surplus, along with HB 3357 to take $33.8 million from the lottery fund surplus. Legislators approved additional funds totaling $97 million when members approved a negotiated fiscal year 2026 budget later that night. State Treasurer Larry Pack, who oversees the program, requested around $100 million to pay for likely 19,000 students using the program next year. It's a jump from this year's $58 million in funding for the program. In 2027, its price tag is expected to skyrocket to around $300 million, when the program will open up to all students in the state. It was the largest funding increase requested by Gov. Patrick Morrisey in his first budget proposal. 'I'm going to vote no on this. My concerns aren't about school choice, it's about fiscal conservatism,' said Del. Dana Ferrell, R-Kanawha, saying that emergency medical services and road repairs are going underfunded. 'Yet, we have a line item that just continues to expand.' West Virginia's Hope Scholarship is one of the nation's broadest education voucher programs, with limited guardrails on how the money can be spent. During the 2023-24 school year, families using the program spent $22 million on things like private school tuition, piano lessons, dance studio fees, iPads and water tables. More than $122,000 was used at out of state schools last school year. House Majority Leader Pat McGeehan, R-Hancock, stressed that lawmakers' negotiated FY 2026 budget, which they're required to pass by Saturday, is fiscally responsible and balanced with surplus dollars included. The Hope Scholarship is a priority, he said. 'More importantly, this supplemental represents a commitment that we made to students all across this state who chose where they want to go school and whose parents choose where they want to go to school,' McGeehan said. Del. Kathie Hess Crouse, R-Putnam, said that federal and county money designated per student remains with the school district even if a child opts to use the Hope Scholarship. 'We have thousands of parents now utilizing this. They have wanted better educational outcomes for their children and they are finding that with this Hope Scholarship,' she said. In the 2023-2024 school year, 5,443 students used the Hope Scholarship. Most of the money was spent at in-state, private (usually religious) schools. No student in McDowell County, the state's poorest county, used the program last school year or during the 2022-23 school year. 'The program doesn't do enough in reaching our children who need it the most,' said House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell. He said the program's expansion is negatively impacting public schools because they're losing per pupil funding. School finances are in trouble due to waning pandemic funds and student population loss, which includes students leaving for the Hope Scholarship. Counties this year have proposed or been approved to close 25 schools 'Every time a student leaves it is hurting our local schools,' he said. Democratic lawmakers in the House proposed a bill banning the use of Hope Scholarship funds at out-of-state schools, but the measure wasn't taken up for consideration this legislative session. Del. Bill Anderson, R-Wood, warned that this is an 'ever-increasing budget item.' 'We need to begin to seriously consider its impact on our overall budget,' he said. We're going to have to face a serious consideration of this issue in the future.' Lawmakers fund the Hope Scholarship so that it could cover every eligible student in the state; not all of the funds may end up being used. House Finance Chairman Vernon Criss, R-Wood, said that lawmakers would likely have to put some parameters on the Hope Scholarship in an effort to get its accelerating price tag under control. The Senate will have to approve the House's supplemental appropriations for the Hope Scholarship. The session adjourns Saturday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Elementary school discipline bill — top request from WV teachers — nears finish line
Del. Elliott Pritt, R-Fayette, a public school teacher, speaks in support of an elementary school student discipline bill in the House of Delegates on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 in Charleston, (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography) A bill that would bolster elementary school teachers' ability to remove disruptive and violent students passed the West Virginia House of Delegates, nearing the finish line at Gov. Patrick Morrisey's desk. The measure is two years in the making and the top request of teachers across the state, who say worsening student behavior — particularly among the state's youngest learners — has impeded their ability to teach. 'We have to look after and take care of all the other kids that are in the class whose education is being disrupted by the behavior of very few. It's about time we stood up,' said Del. Elliott Pritt, R-Fayette, who is a public school teacher. The Senate unanimously signed off on Senate Bill 199, and the House of Delegates passed the measure with a 94-3 vote. The bill outlines how and why teachers in kindergarten through sixth grade classrooms can remove students who are violent, threatening or intimidating toward staff or peers, or students' whose behavior is impeding on other students' ability to learn. The House amended the bill to include pre-K classrooms that are on public school grounds. 'You're not only taking care of the student who may be disciplined, potentially disciplined … It also helps the other students in the classroom, and also just helps things run a lot smoother in class, more satisfaction from our teachers, staff and the students and parents,' said House Education Chair Del. Joe Ellington, R-Mercer. The bill also mandates that school counselors and social workers work to determine any underlying cause of the child's behavior. Many educators have tied children's dangerous behavior or outbursts to the state's ongoing substance abuse crisis and high rate of kids in foster care. A similar bill died on the final night of the legislative session last year. Bill sponsor Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, said additional work in the last year has resulted in better legislation that will help the state's vulnerable children. Opponents of the bill have worried that children would end up out of school with limited support and forced to attend virtual school. Grady, who is a public school teacher, said that only 1% of students are violent. 'We want a bill that's going to work and that also helps our more vulnerable children,' she said. 'We want to make sure that we have things in place that will help them, as well, prior to just removing them from the classroom — that it's giving them some opportunities, possibly, to change the behavior. Because we're talking about little kids, you know, and they need second chances.' Three Democrats in the House voted against the measure, citing concerns about potentially unqualified counselors or social workers conducting an assessment to determine the underlying cause of a child's behavior. 'There are some serious flaws in here, so I would have to vote no on this iteration of it,' said Del. Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell. Pritt said the bill was the result of a compromise and didn't go far enough to support teachers, but it was time for the Legislature to act. Grady said that the bill will empower teachers, who regularly are beholden to their school administrator to step in and remove the child. 'We want to allow our teachers to be able to teach, while also trying to provide these students that are causing the disruptions with the help they also need, based on what the school can provide,' she said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
