West Virginia (WOAY) The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia (ACLU) says it intends to sue the state over public school funding, on behalf of a class of Lincoln County students.
The ACLU notified state officials Tuesday of its intent to file the lawsuit, alleging persistent underfunding violates the West Virginia Constitution’s guarantee of a thorough and efficient education.
The organization points to what it describes as funding disparities between wealthy and poor counties, shortages of certified teachers, underfunded special education programs, aging facilities and school closures.
The ACLU also cites conditions at Duval PK-8, where students in grades 2 through 8 have been taught in a former career center building since the school was condemned in 2021.
The organization says the lawsuit will ask a court to declare the state’s school funding system unconstitutional and order the state to meet its constitutional obligations.
The allegations have not been decided by a court.
