CHARLESTON, W.Va . (WTAP) – The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) released its annual certified enrollment data today, showing a continued decline in public school enrollment.
Each year, the WVDE takes a snapshot of public school enrollment and staffing on a specific day. This information serves as the certified data the school system uses throughout the year.
The 2026-27 certified count is 226,687 students. Last year, that number was 234,957.
All 55 counties experienced a decrease in enrollment. Two of the seven charter schools also saw a decline.
The steepest declines are as follows: Roane County: 14.89% Virtual Preparatory Academy: 10.51% Mingo County: 9.65% Lewis County: 8.1% Calhoun County: 7.74% Randolph County: 7.19%
Jackson and Pleasants counties also experienced smaller decreases in enrollment. Jackson County decreased by 0.8% and Pleasants County decreased by 0.2%.
The loss of 8,270 students is a 3.5% decrease in enrollment since last school year. The system has lost more than 23,000 students since the 2022-23 school year and more than 46,000 students over the last decade.
The WVDE will release additional certified data over the coming weeks. We will add updates as we receive them.
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