Chapter 48: West Virginia

West Virginia became a state on June 20, 1863.¹ Article X (Education) of the state constitution stated, “The Legislature shall provide, as soon as practicable, for the establishment of a thorough and efficient system of free schools.”² The first two sections of Article X of the West Virginia Constitution provided for the establishment and funding of a system of free schools stating:

In 1933, the Legislature abolished the 398 original school districts and established the county unit of government. This action created 55 county school districts, each with a five-member board of education.³ The tax limitation amendment of 1934 established the maximum tax rates on four classes or property (WVC, Article 10, Section 1).⁴ The West Virginia Public School Support Plan (PSSP) was created in 1939. The PSSP was rewritten in 1971 and amended in 1973, 1981, 1982, and has been revised almost every year since 1982.⁵ In aggregate, the PSSP, among other areas, computes funding for schools in the areas of professional educators, service personnel, fixed charges, transportation, administration, other current expenses, and instructional programs.