Statement from L. Paul Hardesty, President WV Board of Education

Public education in West Virginia stands at an important crossroads in 2026. The system is stressed and compromised, and the components are damaged because of bad decisions made over decades.  Now, the inconsistencies and costs attributed to these bad decisions have put the system at a breaking point.

More than 234,000 students depend on the West Virginia public education system to provide them with a thorough and efficient system of free schools. The bottom line is this: there are components of the system that are broken. This Governor did not break it. This Legislature did not break it. This Board of Education did not break it. New school choice models did not break it. We are witnessing the culmination of many contributing factors that have been a long time in the making.

It is past the time to cast blame. Our only solution is for all parties to come together, acknowledge these fatal flaws in the system, and work on a comprehensive overhaul of the system that supports public education. At the end of the day, we all want to do what is best for our state and for our children.