MORGANOWN, W.Va. — Positions with the Monongalia County School System supported by federal funds are potentially on the chopping block.
The County Board of Education (BOE) received a staffing update from Monongalia County Schools Treasurer Nicole Kemper, where she stated that funding avenues would need to be explored to keep 49 positions supported by American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds granted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With no word from federal officials on whether the program that brings approximately $3.4 million to fund the positions will continue heading into 2024, county school board members are preparing to consider all options in the coming weeks to keep the positions filled before any potential cuts or consolidations.
“I think it’s going to be a tough personnel season just because we see so much need and those need to be answered by individuals, and we would like to keep as many individuals in the schools and in the classrooms as possible,” said board member Nancy Walker after receiving the staffing update.
Of the 49 positions that are supported by ARP funding, 25 of them are teachers that specialize in early intervention, the county middle school RISE program, transition programs in both county middle and high schools, and an early learning math teacher. 14 special education teachers and aides would also be affected by the end of federal support, as would 3 to 4 nursing positions, 3 counseling positions, 2 psychologists, and 1 to 2 bus operator positions. With the Monongalia County School System currently having approximately $8.7 million in unrestricted carryover from fiscal year 2024 and a required $5 million balance for unrestricted funds in fiscal year 2025, Walker and the rest of the Monongalia County BOE feel the conversations on what will be consolidated or cut will be difficult. This will also include discussions on finding funding avenues for staff pay raises, covering PEIA increases, a free lunch program, and summer activities.
“I think it’s a real concern because these are things that our schools have needed, and those supports our students have needed, our families (have needed),” said Walker. “How we are going to delineate what is the best bang for the buck is really going to be difficult,” she said.
Ahead of budget conversations with the Monongalia County BOE in the coming weeks, Walker feels that some options are on the table to keep the staffing cuts from impacting all 49 positions funded by ARP. Some of those include state and county-supported funds that could help facilitate programs and staffing supported by the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) program. Though no exact plan was discussed by the board during their staffing update, Walker expects school system administration to have options on the table by the time the board discusses the best course of action in the coming weeks.
“Our academic and seeing-eye teams and our school teams are looking at maybe how they are going to blend some of those services together with other staff members,” said Walker. “If we’re unable to keep the exact same (staffing) numbers ,” she said.
Though no formal action has yet to be taken by the Monongalia County BOE, there’s a strong expectation that not all of the 49 positions affected by ARP funding will be returning by the end of fiscal year 2025. According to the most recent staffing update, 1,390 positions are funded for FY25, with 97 positions funded through county, state, and federal funding. These professional and service positions serve just over 11,150 students, a slight drop from the 11,294 students who were a part of the county school system in fiscal year 2023. With state and federal funding expected to be on the decline heading into fiscal year 2025, the Monongalia County Board of Education and school system staff are ready to have tough conversations over what will stay in place, be consolidated, or be removed altogether.
“We will be starting the budgeting process in the next few weeks, so we’ll be looking at different areas,” said Monongalia County School Treasurer Nicole Kemper.