HANCOCK COUNTY, W.Va. — Hancock County’s Board of Education is scrambling to find a solution to meet upcoming payroll obligations as the district faces dire, ongoing financial challenges and has scheduled a remote meeting with state officials to seek help.
District officials say they may have difficulty covering payroll for January and February without additional assistance. So, the Hancock County Board of Education has scheduled a teleconference with the West Virginia State Board of Education on Tuesday to discuss possible solutions.
The discussion will focus not only on meeting immediate payroll needs, but also on stabilizing the district’s finances for the remainder of the fiscal year. County officials are seeking guidance and potential support from the state as they work to address the shortfall.
West Virginia Delegate Pat McGeehan says the district is facing a serious financial crisis caused by years of budgeting errors, staffing levels far above state funding formulas and the expiration of federal COVID-19 relief money. McGeehan said the district reported having a $1.6 million budget surplus last fiscal year when they were actually in a critical deficit. He says the district is projected to end the current fiscal year with a $5.3 million deficit, on top of a $2 million shortfall uncovered from the previous year. Combined, the district is facing an estimated $7.3 million deficit across two fiscal years.
No decisions have been announced ahead of the teleconference.
