Left to right: Eighth (8th) grade students Hope Carter, Megan
Harding and Cole Rogers arrive at the Capital to meet with state
senators on the school funding formula for rural counties
By Dan Cosgrove
After reading a July 2015 article written by Mr. Woodward, the county's superintendent, on the inequity of the state's funding formula, and a comment that a delegation was planning on going to Charleston in September to talk to lawmakers about the problem, middle school social studies teachers decided to have their 8th grade classes research the merits of the assertions as part of their West Virginia studies.
Students researched various sources, including the West Virginia Constitution. After the preliminary research, the superintendent was invited to speak to two 8th grade classes.
Woodward gave an in-depth discussion on the various funding streams, including local, state and federal with a focus on the state's funding formula.
A committee of five students was selected to continue research and met on a separate occasion in a working meeting with Mr. Woodward.
Three 8th grade students traveled to Charleston on September 14th and joined both Mr. Woodward, and Calhoun Board of Education's president, Steve Whited, as part of the Calhoun delegation to meet with state senators to discuss the inequity in the state's funding formula
Students Hope Carter, Megan Harding and Cole Rogers were selected to brief senators. Ben Holcomb and Kelcie Wilson were also key members of the research team.
Students toured both the senate and house chambers.
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