The primary West Virginia constitution faculties stay on observe to welcome an anticipated 1,500 college students subsequent fall.
Adam Kissel
“We don’t know precisely what the enrollment shall be till we see the start of the varsity yr,” mentioned Adam Kissel, chairman of the West Virginia Skilled Constitution Colleges Board, including that the estimate comes by latest assessments by the state’s first 5 constitution faculties.
West Virginia’s general public college enrollment firstly of the present college yr was 252,910.
The constitution faculties are on observe to open this fall with one exception, Kissel advised state lawmakers.
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Nitro Preparatory Academy, which plans a college for kindergarten by grade 8, remains to be in search of a location for courses and is more likely to pursue an extension to subsequent yr, Kissel mentioned.
A contract says the varsity must specify its property 90 days previous to opening. “In the event that they don’t or in the event that they don’t assume they are often financially viable, they received’t be open this yr; they might be capable to open subsequent yr,” Kissel advised members of the state Legislature on Sunday afternoon.
The Nitro Academy might pursue an extension for subsequent yr, Kissel mentioned, saying the situation is more likely to wind up being in Kanawha or Putnam County. One chance is in Montgomery, the place BridgeValley Group and Technical Faculty nonetheless has area.
West Virginia has had no constitution faculties till now, after passing a state legislation permitting them in 2019. Constitution faculties would obtain monetary help from the state’s public training system and could be given better operational latitude in trade for the potential of shedding their proper to function in the event that they fail.
The Legislature final yr expanded that legislation to permit extra constitution faculties and to increase the methods they may apply.
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Kissel was offering an replace to the Legislative Oversight Fee on Training Accountability throughout interim conferences.
Final November, the state’s skilled constitution faculties board permitted purposes by West Virginia Academy within the Morgantown space, Jap Panhandle Preparatory Academy and Nitro Preparatory Academy together with the web West Virginia Digital Academy and Digital Preparatory Academy.
West Virginia Academy is projecting enrollment of about 500 college students for grades kindergarten to 9. Jap Panhandle Preparatory Academy is estimating preliminary enrollment of greater than 150 for pre-Ok to grade 10.
Digital Preparatory Academy of West Virginia has estimated about 360 college students for the approaching college yr. West Virginia Digital Academy is estimating 500 college students.
“Neither certainly one of these digital faculties has a lot of enrollments but,” Kissel mentioned. “I’m advised that for digital faculties the enrollment sample could be very backloaded towards the tip of summer season, so we’ll see whether or not or not they’ve reached their numbers.”
BRADSHAW, W.Va. — West Virginia Emergency Management Division’s FEMA partners will have a Disaster Recovery Center open starting Friday in McDowell County to help victims of the devastating mid-February floods that occurred across Southern West Virginia.
The DRC will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting Friday, March 7 at Bradshaw Town Hall, 10002 Marshall Highway.
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Residents impacted by the floods will be able to sign up to receive assistance for their homes and properties that sustained damage.
The DRC provides help to homeowners, renters, and business owners.
The center will continue to be open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed Sundays.
No appointment is necessary, and walk-ins are welcome. Residents can also apply for assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621-3362, or using the FEMA mobile app.
For more information on West Virginia’s recovery efforts, please visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4861 and follow @WVEMD and @FEMARegion3 on social media.
Mesquite (Tx.) North Forney 2026 quarterback Legend Bey has been compiling a long list of scholarship offers at this stage of his recruitment and one of the latest to join the mix is West Virginia.
Bey, 5-foot-11, 185-pounds, already held offers from Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Mississippi and Michigan State, among others.
But the Mountaineers are now also involved after the coaching staff offered him.
Quarterbacks coach Rhett Rodriguez was the assistant that gave him the news and he made it clear that he is the type of signal-caller that the Mountaineers want on their roster.
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“He mentioned that I would fit well in the type of offense they run up at West Virginia,” he said.
While the Rivals.com three-star prospect is a versatile athlete, the Mountaineers are targeting him solely as a quarterback in the scheme with his athleticism and ability to throw the football.
Bey was named 10-6A offensive most valuable player after a junior year where he threw for 1,444 yards and rushed for 1,912 with 41 touchdowns.
“I was told I was being recruited to play QB,” he said.
Bey is looking into setting up a visit to West Virginia, along with checking out a number of his other options and is working on a date for when he can make it to Morgantown.
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“We should be expecting an official visit date really soon,” he said.
An economic development official from Upshur County has been named to the Leadership West Virginia Class of 2025. Upshur County Development Authority Director Brandon Tenney is one of 56 leaders chosen from a competitive pool of applicants across the state.
Pam Farris, executive director of Leadership West Virginia (LWV), emphasized the high quality of this year’s group.
She said, “The selection process is competitive since most applicants are qualified, but the individuals chosen this year have already made significant contributions in their careers and communities. We believe they stand ready to take their leadership to the next level and find effective solutions to shape a brighter future for West Virginia.”
Farris also highlighted LWV’s statewide mission.
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“Leadership West Virginia equips participants with a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our state and fosters collaboration and innovation to find viable solutions,” she said.
Chad Prather, chair of the LWV Board of Directors, underscored the importance of connections.
“Connection is the largest benefit of this program. It’s not just about individual growth but about establishing relationships that cultivate and motivate change. By bringing together talent, knowledge, resources and passion, we’re creating a statewide community of leaders that we can all count to bring success to the Mountain State.”
Now in its 34th year, the Leadership West Virginia program spans seven months and covers topics such as healthcare, education, energy, government and tourism. Participants explore different regions of the state, develop leadership and communication skills and join more than 1,600 LWV alumni.
LWV is a statewide education and leadership development not-for-profit program affiliated with the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce. Its goal is to cultivate visionary individuals who use their talents to inspire others and drive West Virginia’s progress. More information is available at www.leadershipwv.org.
The Class of 2025 includes:
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Omar Ahmad, Pullin Fowler Flanagan Brown & Poe PLLC (Huntington)
Jon Alexander, WV Air National Guard (Inwood)
Jeff Altizer, Skaff Engineering Company (Chapmanville)
Brittany Anderson, Bluefield State University (Bluefield)
Meridith Balas, West Virginia University (Morgantown)
