Instead of closing, rural public schools losing enrollment could switch to Montessori education

By: Harold Branam

Outlets: West Virginia Watch

Published: February 19, 2026

Words: 730

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 5 days ago

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Each year brings sad stories of more West Virginia public schools closing because of falling enrollment, especially in rural counties. Some causes are out-migration, an aging population, and a falling birth rate. But another cause is strictly political: a Republican-dominated state Legislature fixated on cultural issues and “school choice.”

The Legislature’s funding formula for schools seems highly democratic, based on equal funding per student and school choice. But student needs are different, and so are …

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