Teacher pay and public school funding
West Virginia has among the lowest teacher pay rates nationally. Officials have proposed minimum starting salaries of $50,000 plus raises, while the legislature fully funded school vouchers near $300 million and delayed or trimmed larger public-school and special-education packages.
How should West Virginia fund teacher pay and public schools versus school choice programs?
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Sources
State Treasurer Larry Pack — https://wvtreasury.gov/About/Press-Releases/details/treasurer-pack-releases-2026-legislative-priorities
Treasurer Pack is asking for the minimum starting salary for all teachers should be set at $50,000. For any teacher making above $50,000, they should receive an additional $2,000.
West Virginia Watch — https://westvirginiawatch.com/2025/12/09/house-speaker-says-economy-jobs-will-be-top-priority-for-wv-house-republicans-in-2026-session
West Virginia has one of the lowest teacher pay rates in the country. ... state Treasurer Larry Pack ... backing legislation to ensure all teachers in West Virginia make at least $50,000 annually.
Mountain State Spotlight — https://mountainstatespotlight.org/2026/03/15/2026-legislative-session-wrap-up
lawmakers fully funded the state’s school voucher program to the tune of almost $300 million. Plans to increase public school funding languished.
Positions on this issue · liberal → conservative
- Heavily increase public-school and teacher pay funding; end or sharply cut voucher programs
- Prioritize large teacher raises and special-education funding before expanding vouchers
- Fund both competitive teacher pay and existing voucher levels at current scale
- Keep public funding flat and expand school choice/vouchers with any new money
- Shift more dollars from public districts to universal vouchers and private options