Latest news with #Snuffer
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Raleigh County Board of Education officer says opioid epidemic leaves critical need for special education funding
BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — The Vice President of the Raleigh County Board of Education has called on state lawmakers to increase funding for special needs children in West Virginia. The need is even more pronounced as state teachers provide an education to the number of children who were diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) at birth, he said. 'A lot of those students need physical therapy, occupational therapy, a lot of different therapies,' said Snuffer on Monday, March 17, 2025. 'There can be some violent behaviors in that. We have to have social intervention with them. ' Statistics show West Virginia has one of the nation's highest number of children born addicted to opioids or another drugs. Data at the National Library of Medicine show nearly 51 of every 1,000 babies born in West Virginia from October to December 2019 were diagnosed with NAS, compared to the national average of 7 per 1,000. The West Virginia Perinatal Partnership reported 14% of all West Virginia children at birth had been exposed to a substance How church helped a woman break the chains of an 18 year addiction According to data collected by The American Medical Journal, the children are up to three times less likely to perform at their grade level academically, and more likely to meet criteria for educational disabilities. Snuffer said the public school system has a responsibility to educate the influx of students who were born addicted, but both Snuffer and West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee reported that state lawmakers have decreased state funds for special needs children over the past several years, including those formerly diagnosed with NAS. Local Dollar General suffers break-in and fire, closed indefinitely 'We're funded one-for-one,' said Snuffer, referring to the funding system. 'We get the same funding for them as we do our regular student.' Lee said that, several years ago, state lawmakers provided 2-for-1 funding, allocating double the educational dollars to a school district for each special needs child. The ratio dropped after the 2018-2019 school year. State data shows that in 2023, legislators provided just over $8,200 per student to public school districts in the state. Snuffer said the cost of providing services to a special needs child is more than $13,000, on average. 'It takes extra funds to provide the services that are necessary for a special needs child,' Snuffer added. 'So those are funds that we have to absorb locally.' Citing teachers' reports of increased behavioral problems in state classrooms, West Virginia lawmakers have proposed a flurry of bills over the past two years which address school discipline. One failed bill aimed to reinstate corporal punishment but was met with backlash from teachers and parents. The State Senate recently passed a bill which allows teachers to remove students from the classroom for behavioral issues. 'What you're finding is, a lot of those students that are being removed are special needs kids,' said Snuffer. 'They're acting out in that classroom, (they) are special needs kids. So, yes, you can remove those children, but you still have to provide services to them.' WVSOM gears up for their 3rd annual CASE camp According to data at The American Medical Journal, students diagnosed with NAS are more likely to have challenges with impulse control, internal and external behavioral concerns and behavior which can be similar to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which can include lack of focus, lack of motivation and reduced time management skills. With lawmakers set to send $300 million tax dollars from public schools into private school coffers and homeschool curricula providers next school year through the Hope Scholarship program, Snuffer said special needs students, including those most impacted by pharmaceutical companies, stand to lose resources. The U.S. Department of Education mandated special education in public schools in 1975. Snuffer said private schools are often smaller and do not offer professional salaries and benefits that may attract a large number of qualified special needs teachers. Snuffer said some lawmakers have expressed interest in providing at minimum a 1.5-for-1 funding formula for special needs students. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
School officials respond to federal cuts on locally grown food programs
BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — State data shows that over the last three years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has put about $4 million into state school districts through the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement, a grant program which is used by local districts to buy local produce, dairy and meat products. Rick Snuffer, chairman of the USDA State Committee for West Virginia, is also elected to the Raleigh County Board of Education. He said on Monday, March 17, 2025, that the grants will not be renewed. The cut was announced while federal workers at the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency said they would cut unnecessary spending from other federal departments. Snuffer said news of the USDA grant cuts were made as school district officials felt uncertain on a state level, because of a reported $300 million leaving public school budgets next academic year as part of West Virginia's tax-funded school choice programs, which allows parents to receive around $5,000 per academic year per student if the parents choose private or homeschool education. Miranda Lambert to perform at the State Fair of West Virginia in 2025 'From a budgetary standpoint, school boards are uneasy right now,' said Snuffer. 'We don't know where all of our state funding is coming from. We hear rumors about federal fundings (being cut). So, it's just another thing when you have this thing with USDA added into it, which causes confusion and causes stress for local school systems.' Snuffer said Raleigh County Schools will not be impacted because the district is too populated for local farmers to supply food for school lunches. Greenbrier County Child Nutrition Director Heather Lively said her district is a Farm to School district and is commissioned to purchase five percent of their food locally. Lively said she was unsure if the requirement would change, if the LFSCA grant was cut. 'We haven't been told if that number will change if the grant's not there,' she said. 'We will be sitting down with the Business Office over the summer to come up with a plan.' Fayette County Schools is listed as a partner on the West Virginia Farm to School website. Andrew Pense, Director of Child Nutrition for Fayette County Schools, said if the grant is cut, it is a step backwards for supplying fresh food in school. Local Dollar General suffers break-in and fire, closed indefinitely He added that he was hopeful federal funding for fresh produce programs will continue, as 16 'top priority' programs 'all feed into this.' 'That money may be reallocated to child nutrition programs. It may be reallocated to farmers in another way,' said Pense. 'It's still too early to tell, and that's why I'm cautiously optimistic there's not going to be a negative impact. 'Hopefully, there will be positive impacts that come out of this,' he added. Pense also said that his district sourced locally grown food prior to the USDA grants and will continue to do so, despite cuts. Snuffer said he would like for state lawmakers to continue funding streams similar to LFSCA. What are the Top 10 police dog breeds? 'It's a real tight budget. You know, they were I think $400 million in the hole when they started out from last year,' said Snuffer, referring to claims of a budgetary shortfall earlier made by Governor Patrick Morissey. 'So, it looks like new programs, as far as I can see, will have trouble getting traction.' Sen. Jim Justice, who served as governor prior to Morrisey, has denied there was a shortfall in the state budget when he left office. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
