Supporters say measure would preserve programs and staff amid declining enrollment and outdated funding formula; voters decide May 12
By Patrick Hurston
On May 12, voters will decide which primary candidates from each party will advance to face off in November during the general election. They will also be asked to decide on something with potentially longer lasting and more significant consequences affecting the future of Hardy County for years to come.
At its core, the question facing Hardy County voters on May 12 is a simple one: whether to pay more in property taxes for a five-year period to maintain, and modestly improve, the county’s public schools, or risk a new round of cuts beginning as early as next year.
The proposed five-year excess levy would generate an estimated $2.56 million annually, or about $12.8 million over its five year lifespan, to support Hardy County Schools. If passed, the levy would go into effect July 1, 2026, and end on June 30, 2030. A school board levy requires a majority of voters to approve it for passage.
The decision to place the levy on the ballot was made unanimously by the Board of Education at its regularly scheduled Jan. 20 meeting.
According to school officials, it’s a local answer to a problem supporters say has been building for years: declining enrollment, rising student needs, and a state public school funding formula they argue no longer matches the realities of operating a modern school system.
That funding, say levy supporters, is less about expansion and more about stability.
“The state aid funding formula hasn’t been significantly updated since 1993,” Superintendent of Schools Sheena Van Meter said in a written statement. “We have advocated each legislative session for changes, but unfortunately we just finished another disappointing session with no support for public education.”
She added that 44 of West Virginia’s 55 counties already operate with excess levies, placing Hardy in the minority.
“If the state of West Virginia won’t take care of what our kids need, I would like to think that Hardy County would step up and take care of our own kids like these 44 other counties have,” she said.
To understand the issue, it helps to understand how school funding works in West Virginia. The state uses a formula-based system that allocates funding largely based on student enrollment and a set of standardized staffing ratios. Generally, the state funds 72.75 professional staff per 1,000 students and 55.50 service staff per 1,000 students.
There are approximately 2,135 students enrolled in Hardy County schools and 312 staff members. Hardy County schools have in practice, that means fewer students result in less funding, even if fixed costs – such as school buses – and student needs remain the same. The formula does not fully account for unique, local factors such as higher concentrations of special education students or English language learners, leaving counties like Hardy to either absorb those costs or seek additional local funding through levies.
Hardy County Schools has one of the highest English Language Learner rates in the state, at about 10 percent of students, whereas nearly 25 percent of students avail themselves of special education assistance.
In a piece that appeared in the Feb. 10, 2026, issue of the Examiner, Dr. Van Meter explained that “For the upcoming school year, Hardy County Schools is projected to be 13 positions over what the state funding formula supports, meaning the district is paying for 13 school employees without corresponding state funding.”
However, the levy would cover a great deal more than just those 13 positions.
The ballot language outlines five primary spending categories, including:
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$1.3 million annually for employment and retention support;
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$720,000 for academic intervention programs;
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$400,000 for employee compensation supplements;
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$115,500 for student athletic access (including free admission for all county residents to games); and, $25,000 for facility maintenance and improvements.
Taken together, the levy is designed to fund positions and programs that fall outside what the state’s school funding formula covers.
School Levy Committee Chair and Moorefield Middle School science teacher Quincy Combs said Hardy County has operated for years without an excess levy. He said the combination of declining enrollment and a rigid state formula has created a “vicious cycle.”
Combs pointed to declining enrollment as a central driver behind the levy, citing both a general loss of students and the use of competing programs like the HOPE Scholarship. He did not, however, offer a detailed breakdown of the broader demographic or economic factors contributing to that decline.
“Our enrollment continues to decline,” he said. “Loss of student enrollment, loss of money, loss of employees.”
Combs emphasized that the current situation “is not a result of poor management,” but rather “an antiquated system that has not been updated to meet the demanding needs of school systems today.” In fact, Combs pointed to recent reporting by WV Metro News that highlighted the strong fiscal management and strategic planning of Hardy County schools compared to other systems throughout the state.
The levy would be funded through an additional property tax rate of 15.36 cents per $100 of assessed value for Class II property, which includes most residential homes. Class III and IV properties would be taxed at a rate of 30.72 cents per $100 of assessed value.
In West Virginia, property is assessed at 60 percent of market value. Based on that formula, the cost to homeowners’ scales with property value. For example:
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A home with an assessed value of $100,000 would pay about $154 annually
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A home assessed at $200,000 would pay about $307 annually
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A home assessed at $300,000 would pay about $461 annually
While actual tax bills vary, those figures reflect the general range many Hardy County homeowners could expect.
The Levy Committee has sought to frame that cost in more everyday terms.
In materials shared publicly, the group has described the increase as amounting to just a few dollars per week for many homeowners. For example, a tax increase of $154 equates to $2.96 per week, or the cost of a cup of coffee, according to the Levy Committee. At the higher end, they point out that an increase of $461 annually equates to $8.87 a week, or approximately the cost of a fast-food meal.
If voters reject the levy, Combs said reductions would begin during the next personnel cycle.
“They would start looking in January of 2027,” Combs said, with employees notified of “transfer or termination.”
“We would begin with social workers, certain school administration, and we would look to reduce programs or courses that aren’t required in policy or legislation. Service staff that aren’t required by law would also be considered for reduction,” he said.
The initial impact could be significant. According to the Committee, a minimum of 13 positions could be affected across the system.
While not legally required, Combs argued those roles are essential in practice.
“Our school social workers are constantly busy talking to students, helping students,” he said, describing efforts such as discreetly providing food to students in need and addressing mental health concerns.
“I fear what would happen to the mental health of students across Hardy County if our school social workers are cut,” he said.
Interventionists who work with students struggling in reading and math but not qualifying for special education would also be at risk.
“If these interventionists are not around, I think we will see our students start dropping with test scores and ability,” he said. These positions, he said, “are absolutely essential to our students.”
If approved, the levy would allow the school system to maintain current staffing and programs while also avoiding further reductions.
“We will be able to sustain our important and much needed employees and programs that without the levy we cannot keep funding,” Combs said.
Supporters also argue the levy would do more than simply preserve jobs. The ballot language specifically provides funding for intervention positions in all schools, supplemental pay for all employees, facility maintenance and repairs, and free admission to sporting events for all students and residents of the county. The employee compensation portion, according to the ballot, is intended in part to offset rising PEIA costs.
Combs acknowledged that some of those benefits, particularly free athletic admission, have drawn skepticism.
“If you were not supporting this levy just because you don’t care about entering in athletic events for free, then you’re not looking at the whole big picture of it,” he said.
One question that has surfaced repeatedly is whether the levy represents a one-time fix or a longer-term shift.
“Without a legislative update to the current state code that funds school systems in West Virginia, it will be a necessary part of our funding,” Combs said, stressing the importance of transparency and candor with voters.
Legislators this year vigorously debated updating or revising the state funding formula amidst a string of school consolidations and closures as well as the rising costs associated with the HOPE Scholarship. In the end, they failed to achieve any meaningful reform but did approve a three percent pay increase for teachers and service personnel.
The Levy Committee has scheduled three informational townhalls that will be free and open to everyone to come and ask questions and provide feedback. All meetings are at 6:30 p.m.:
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Apr. 13 – HCEAA Building in Baker
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Apr. 19 – Walnut Grove Church of the Brethren in Moorefield
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Apr. 22 – Wardensville Town Hall
The Committee has also established a Facebook page (Hardy County School Levy 2026) offering additional information and the ability to ask questions.
Combs acknowledged that in the current economy passing the levy may be a challenge.
“For residents on fixed incomes or with large land holdings, even a modest increase matters,” he said, adding however, that “Education is one of the most important parts of a community. Public education levels the playing field and is the great equalizer. We all need well educated and productive members of our society to keep things running,” he said. “Whether its mechanics, bankers, nurses, teachers, waitresses; we all should be willing to invest in our future.”
“Our kids deserve what the other 44 counties are giving their kids,” he said.
For voters, the decision may come down to whether that goal justifies the cost, and whether the current system can continue without it.
The answer will be decided at the ballot box on May 12.
The full sample ballot language will be published Apr. 22 and May 6, according to the Hardy County Clerk.
