In towns across West Virginia, schools aren’t just places where children learn, they are employers, gathering spaces, and lifelines for families. When a school closes, a piece of the community goes with it.

The President’s budget proposes billions in cuts to public education, including deep reductions to programs like Title I, elimination of student support programs, and an overall reduction in federal education funding, shifting more responsibility onto states. Federal funding plays a critical role in supporting schools across West Virginia, especially in rural and under-resourced communities. These funds help provide:

• Special education services for students with diverse needs
  

• Academic support and tutoring for struggling learners
  

• Career and technical education programs that prepare students for real jobs
  

• Resources for schools serving low-income families

Last year Congress threatened to cut $73 million from West Virginia schools, but were stopped thanks to public pressure. This year the threat is back, and our pressure needs to be applied even harder to stop Congress a second time.

At the same time, the federal government continues to fall short on its commitment to students with disabilities. In West Virginia alone, IDEA was underfunded by approximately $167 million last year; part of a decades-long pattern that has resulted in billions of dollars in unmet federal obligations for special education since the law was enacted.

This shortfall does not exist in isolation. West Virginia schools are already covering a gap of more than $200 million in special education costs beyond what the state allocates, placing enormous strain on local districts. When federal funding falls short, that burden doesn’t disappear, it shifts onto schools and communities that are already stretched thin.

If these proposed federal cuts move forward, our schools may be forced to make immediate and devastating decisions:

• Cutting teachers and staff
  

• Eliminating essential student programs
  

• Closing rural schools this year, eliminating local jobs, and dismantling vital community hubs for families
  

• Increasing the burden on already stretched local taxpayers
  

By signing this petition, you are sending a clear message to West Virginia’s leaders in Washington:

“Reject these proposed cuts and protect federal funding for public education.”

Every signature shows that West Virginians believe in strong public schools, and expect our elected officials to stand up for our children, our educators, and our communities.