West Virginia Week in Review (2024)

As I said all along, I knew this was not going to be a problem.

So, while we are all pleased the U.S. Department of Education accepted our waiver because we made it clear that education is a top priority in West Virginia, this announcement came as no surprise and was never a real issue.

When confronted with this same issue last year, our request was approved following a detailed explanation of our education spending, including salary increases for teachers, funding for our thriving Communities In Schools West Virginia program, and a $50 million allocation to the School Building Authority.

Given this precedent, my administration remained very confident this year's waiver would again be approved because we only increased our educational commitments, implementing another pay raise for teachers and school personnel, furthering support for Communities In Schools West Virginia, and allocating a historic $150 million to the School Building Authority.

We've made substantial improvements to our education system. These investments are exactly what the U.S. Department of Education was looking for during their review, and I'm genuinely thankful these funds are directly benefiting our schools, teachers, and students instead of going back to Washington, D.C.

Additionally, these investments have also sparked hundreds of construction jobs across our state as we work on building and repairing schools. All in all, we're creating jobs, nurturing our students, and supporting our educators.

However, I have one more point. The potential of a 'clawback' should never have been used to scare anyone. That narrative only distracts from the positive progress we have made as a state. Let us put this issue to bed and continue making West Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family.

"We faced numerous challenges and overcame several obstacles, but we fought tirelessly to reopen our center," Gov. Justice said. "It's truly amazing to see our doors open again, inviting visitors from around the world to experience one of West Virginia's treasured attractions."

The Wildlife Center had been temporarily closed due to a relicensing procedure through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). As part of the relicensing agreement, the WVDNR has enacted conservation measures at the Wildlife Center while staff works on completing a perimeter fence around the facility.

Encourages students to apply for once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

Those selected will tour nearly 1,000 miles of West Virginia, learning about tourism and hospitality through hands-on experiences. Students who are currently high school freshmen and sophom*ores during the 2023-2024 school year must apply online before Friday, April 26, 2024.

“The Governor’s School for Tourism is going to be really special. High school students will get to travel all across our great state for 10 days and learn about what makes West Virginia’s tourism industry one of the top in the world,” Gov. Justice said. “Tourism has quickly become a growing part of West Virginia’s economy, and I want to make sure our talented students are aware of the variety of career pathways available to them. This program is something these students will never forget.”

The therapy dogs were announced during assemblies celebrating their arrival.

Eli, a male Golden Retriever, was placed at Nutter Fort Primary School.

Opera, a female Labrador Retriever, was placed at West Fairmont Middle School.