The Legislature finds and declares that the future of education in this state is dependent upon a plan of financial support for the public schools which provides for a fair and adequate pay scale for teachers sufficient to ensure teacher excellence, as well as adequate financial support for the public schools generally; upon an economic base which ensures levels of revenue sufficient to fund the public schools; and upon independent professional management of public funds in order to assure a climate of financial stability and responsibility in which construction and maintenance of school facilities becomes possible.

Terms Used In West Virginia Code 18-9A-1

  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • School: means the students and teachers assembled in one or more buildings, organized as a unit. See West Virginia Code 18-1-1
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
  • Teacher: means a teacher, supervisor, principal, superintendent, public school librarian or any other person regularly employed for instructional purposes in a public school in this state. See West Virginia Code 18-1-1

The plan of support for the public schools, which will be known as the West Virginia public school support plan, will fix statutorily both state and county responsibility for the financing of the same. In enacting this plan, the Legislature has in mind the following purpose: To effect a basic foundation support plan that shall provide for program growth which will assure more equitable educational opportunity for all children and youth irrespective of where they may live.