According to David Porterfield, West Virginia Department of Education program coordinator, the state will receive the funds from the U. S. Department of Education as a result of an appropriation from Congress.  

“These funds may be used in grades K-3 to reduce the class size to 18 or lower,” he explained. “The funds we will receive represent a 24 percent increase over the $12.2 million we received in 1999-2000. Funds will be targeted to assist the poorest schools, the low-performing schools or schools with the largest classes.”  

Porterfield said that he will be contacting county superintendents and county program directors by April once program allocations are completed.