FUNDING REQUESTED — The West Virginia School Building Authority will meet in two weeks to considering facility funding requests from the state’s brick-and-mortar public charter schools. -- Contributed

CHARLESTON — West Virginia’s four brick-and-mortar public charter schools and the two new physical charter schools opening next fall now have access to tax dollars overseen by the state’s School Building Authority. Now they wait for approval.

The Professional Charter School Board held a virtual meeting Wednesday morning and received an update from PCSB Executive Director James Paul regarding applications from the public charter schools to the SBA.

Last year, the West Virginia Legislature appropriated an additional $12 million during the 2024 regular session to the School Building Authority, with $5 million being set aside for public charter schools. However, the Legislature included nothing in State Code for how charter schools could access the funds.

Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2031 and House Bill 227 during a special session in October, allowing public charter schools to submit applications to the state School Building Authority to access the $5 million, which will allow the charter schools to purchase buildings to be used for public charter school purposes, as well as funding for other proposed projects.

According to Paul, all six physical public charter schools have applied to the SBA to access the charter school building funding. The SBA will meet Feb. 19, for a special meeting concerning appropriations for public charter schools for the current fiscal year.

“I know that SBA staff and officials are conducting site visits on the applicants, which is part of the application process,” Paul said. “I believe most of those site visits are complete. Now, there may be one or two still to be scheduled, but many site visits have occurred. And I’m told that the SBA expects to make funding decisions later this month.”

PCSB member Dewayne Duncan asked Paul to keep the board apprised of any decisions the SBA might make regarding either granting approval for all projects or to only certain projects.

“Can we make sure that we’re funding or that the SBA is going to fund those projects? I’d hate for them to be kind of piecemeal, or just give everybody a piece of it,” Duncan said.

Paul reminded PCSB members that SBA officials were on a call with board members last month. While both organizations are working together, the decision to approve funding applications is solely with the SBA.

“The funds are allocated to the SBA. They’re not allocated to the PCSB,” Paul said. “We had SBA staff join us at our meeting last month, and they indicated that they would consult with PCSB staff when they make funding decisions. They’re not yet at the decision stage, but obviously they’re getting close.

“I have been in good contact with them, so I can’t predict exactly how they’re going to make their decisions or what they’re going to prioritize, but I share your desire for the schools with either the most need, or the projects that will serve students the best and have the potential to improve student outcomes the best,” Paul continued.

“My mind immediately goes to these are taxpayer dollars; these are dollars given to us by the Legislature,” Duncan said. “I just want to make sure that the funds are being utilized best to accomplish the most for students.”

West Virginia is served by two statewide virtual public charter schools, but there are four physical charter schools in operation: Eastern Panhandle Preparatory Academy in Kearneysville, West Virginia Academy in Morgantown, Workforce Initiative (WIN) Academy in South Charleston, and the Clarksburg Classical Academy. Two physical public charter schools open next year: M.E.C.C.A. Business Learning Institute in Inwood, and Wisdom Academy in Morgantown.

Paul told PCSB members that his focus for the remainder of the year is helping public charter schools prepare for testing, annual financial audits, and helping the two new charter schools open next fall.

“I’m conducting our usual support and oversight activities over PCSB-authorized schools,” Paul said. “Our schools are prepared, obviously, for state testing later this Spring. They’re working with independent auditors to produce their yearly financial audit later this month. And I’m working with founders of our two newly authorized schools for 2025 to help them have as smooth an opening as possible.”