Wetzel County schools propose $60.2 million FY27 budget, warn zero state aid leaves district reliant on excess levy

The presenter for Wetzel County Schools laid out a proposed $60.2 million Fiscal Year 2027 budget at a special board meeting April 29, saying the district receives no unrestricted state aid under the current state funding formula and must rely heavily on local property tax revenue and an expiring excess levy.

The presenter said the district’s total revenues and expenditures are each budgeted at $60.2 million and that salaries and benefits account for about $44.6 million, roughly 74% of the budget. “The excess levy is very important and vital to the success of the children of Wetzel County Schools,” the presenter said, calling the levy a necessary supplement to maintain staffing and services.

Why it matters: under the state step allocation described to the board, Wetzel County’s high local share (driven in part by recent oil-and-gas assessed-value swings) reduces the step‑10 state aid allocation to zero, meaning the county must locally fund positions and services that other districts may receive state support for.…