Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) released its annual certified enrollment today, and public schools in the state continue the downward slide. The 2026-27 certified count is 226,687 students, down from 234,957 last year. Each year, the WVDE takes a snapshot of public school enrollment and staffing on a specific day. This information serves as the certified data used by the school system throughout the year. The loss of 8,270 students in public schools represents a 3.5% decrease in enrollment since last school year. The system has lost more than 23,000 students since the 2022-23 school year, and more than 46,000 students over the past 10 years – a 17% decline.
| School Year (SY) | Total Headcount | Enrollment Loss Compared to Prior Year | Enrollment Loss as % of Prior Year Enrollment | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SY13-14 | 281,013 | — | — | |
| SY14-15 | 279,899 | -1,114 | -0.40% | |
| SY15-16 | 277,137 | -2,762 | -0.99% | |
| SY16-17 | 273,170 | -3,967 | -1.43% | |
| SY17-18 | 270,613 | -2,557 | -0.94% | |
| SY18-19 | 265,755 | -4,858 | -1.80% | Change in birthdate for school-age eligibility (from Sept. 1 to July 1) |
| SY19-20 | 261,633 | -4,122 | -1.55% | |
| SY20-21 | 252,357 | -9,276 | -3.55% | COVID Re-Entry Year |
| SY21-22 | 250,899 | -1,458 | -0.58% | |
| SY22-23 | 250,049 | -850 | -0.34% | First year of charter schools; Hope Scholarship implemented mid-year |
| SY23-24 | 245,047 | -5,002 | -2.00% | First full year of Hope Scholarship |
| SY24-25 | 241,024 | -4,023 | -1.64% | |
| SY25-26 | 234,957 | -6,067 | -2.52% | |
| SY26-27 | 226,687 | -8,270 | -3.52% | Universal eligibility for Hope Scholarship |
All 55 counties experienced a decrease in enrollment, along with two of the seven charter schools. Roane County had the steepest decline with a 14.89% reduction, followed by the Virtual Preparatory Academy (10.51%), Mingo County (9.65%), Lewis County (8.1%), Calhoun County (7.74%) and Randolph County (7.19%). Jackson and Pleasants counties experienced lower enrollment decreases with 0.8% and 0.2%, respectively.
The WVDE will release additional certified data over the coming weeks on the Zoom data dashboard.
Good to see. Continue to keep home schooling and taking care of your own children and their education instead of relying on a system that continues to prove its failures. Congratulations to all the parents that are moving their children into a better situation. Your children may not thank you right now, but they will down the road.