photo by: Emma Delk
Marshall County Board of Education members Duane Miller, left, and Brenda Coffield review the 2026 budget during Tuesday’s meeting.
Marshall County Board of Education members unanimously approved the 2026-27 budget following its presentation by Treasurer Nan Hartley Tuesday.
Board members also unanimously approved to set a public hearing for the 2026 budget for Tuesday, May 27.
Hartley presented board members with a “cheat sheet” breaking down general information in the budget, including a revenue and expense breakdown for 2026 compared to 2025. The total revenue for 2026 was $129.9 million compared to $171.9 million in 2025, marking an almost $42 million decrease in revenue for the county.
Hartley attributed most of the revenue decrease to the $44 million decrease in property taxes from 2025 to 2026. Hartley noted that board members were aware of the decrease in property taxes. Marshall County Assessor Eric Buzzard informed board members that there would be a decrease in property taxes collected from oil and gas companies.
The total 2026 expenditures for the county were approximately $204.9 million, with $75 million total carryover from 2025 and 2024, resulting in a balanced budget.
Hartley said the carryover increased in 2025 due to the county’s investments increasing. She added that carryover would decrease in the future for the county due to major projects beginning in the county, such as the John Marshall High School Aquatic Center.
Notable expenditures for 2026 included $61 million for instruction, $13 million for support-maintenance and $8 million for support-transportation. Other expenditures included $45 million toward capital outlays, and $50 million as reserved for contingencies, which Hartley said was funding that had not been budgeted toward anything yet.
Support-instructional staff received $2.9 million in expenditures, an approximately $2.6 million increase from FY 2025. Hartley attributed this to an increase in the amount of instructional trainings for staff.
There was a slight increase of $834,949 in state aid for $24.6 million for 2026 from $23.8 million for 2025. Hartley attributed the increase to the state providing more funds to cover fixed PEIA costs.
Hartley said federal aid in the 2026 budget was currently a “guesstimate” at $6.4 million, as they had received “very little information” regarding federal aid for their budget.
In other business, board members reviewed the pay scale for coaches to move ongoing advisors on non-WVSSAC-sanctioned sports into the coaches’ pay scale. Non-WVSSAC-sanctioned sports include robotics, bowling, lacrosse, dance, archery and golf.
Superintendent Shelby Haines said the change in payment between an ongoing advisor and a coach is that advisors are paid a flat amount. In contrast, coaches receive an incremental pay increase each year.
School board members also unanimously approved hiring McNinch Primary School First Grade Teacher Heather Haught to become the Sand Hill Elementary School Principal. Haught will replace Krenna Allender, who resigned.
Haught was present at the board meeting on Tuesday and informed members she was excited to enter the position.
“I looked forward to getting in the new building and working so closely with you guys,” Haught said.
Board President John Miller said he “marvelled” at how far Sand Hill had come “facility and instruction-wise.”
“We have a new principal and a new building while retaining all of our dedicated staff who have been there for quite a while,” Miller said. “My visits to the school are very gratifying and satisfying.”