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.
