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Thirteen Kanawha Schools to Lose Federally Funded Teachers

Posted on: Saturday, 21 January 2006, 00:00 CST

Because some Kanawha County elementary schools underreported low- income student enrollment, 13 of them will lose at least one federally funded teacher.

Chandler, Glenwood, Weimer, Watts, Cedar Grove, Bridgeview, Alum Creek, Bridge, Dunbar Primary, Alban, Midland Trail, Pratt and Elk elementary schools have been notified that their federal Title 1 funding will be decreased, prompting the teacher cuts.

Kanawha County schools Assistant Superintendent Leonard Allen said the cuts are necessary to keep Title 1 funding at several elementary schools, such as Pratt Elementary, that have received federal money for many years.

At the same time, five new elementary schools will receive Title 1 funding next year: Ruthlawn, Central, Andrews Heights, Nitro and Chamberlain.

Kanawha County schools receive more than $10 million a year in Title 1 funding. Schools use the money to hire extra reading and math instructors who assist classroom teachers.

Kanawha County school officials select schools that will receive federal Title 1 money based on the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

In previous years, the state Department of Education collected the free-lunch numbers from written forms that schools submitted at the end of October.

That process changed last fall. On Oct. 18, the state collected the free-lunch data electronically, Allen said.

At the time, many Kanawha County schools were still trying to get applications back from parents whose children qualify for free and reduced-price lunches.

Source: Charleston Daily Mail

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