It’s August, which means it’s back-to-school season. As the new school year nears (remember to slow down and watch for students getting on those big yellow buses with the stop sign sticking out the side), it’s worthwhile to consider the future of our public schools — particularly as West Virginia’s workforce ages and we continue to struggle to compete against our neighboring states.

Consider these enrollment trends from the West Virginia Department of Education:

∫ In the 2017-18 school year, West Virginia enrolled 270,613 public school students. For the 2024-25 school year, again, using the state’s own data, that enrollment was at 241,013 — an 11% decline.

Broken down to our Northern Panhandle counties, the numbers show similar trends, with real cause for concern in several counties.

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