Ruffner Elementary kindergarten students get ready to try kale on Jan. 25, 2021. Parent assistant for Pre-K Donna Jean Hively (center) picks kale for tasting out of the raised garden bed behind the school. Principal Henry Nearman (behind left), kindergarten aid Samantha Stutter and kindergarten teacher Mimi Davis (right) look on.
Ruffner Elementary kindergarten students get ready to try kale on Jan. 25, 2021. Parent assistant for Pre-K Donna Jean Hively (center) picks kale for tasting out of the raised garden bed behind the school. Principal Henry Nearman (behind left), kindergarten aid Samantha Stutter and kindergarten teacher Mimi Davis (right) look on.
A study released by financial analytics firm WalletHub has West Virginia in the top 10 in the nation and, for once, that happens to be a good thing.Â
The study states West Virginia has the seventh-best early education system in the country. The Mountain State is one of only 11 in the nation that offers universal pre-K education. In fact, the Mountain State is ranked first in the nation for pre-K access and is ninth overall for the share of kids ages 3 and 4 enrolled in pre-K, special education pre-K and Head Start.Â
For those who have been following the topic for any length of time, this isn't a huge revelation. West Virginia is great at getting kids enrolled in school and great at getting them immunized. Early education and child health, at least as it pertains to vaccines, are two areas where West Virginia leads the pack in the United States.
Still, it's nice to see a study shining a light on something the Mountain State does well, especially given where the state typically falls in other studies.Â
In fact, a day before the early education study was released, WalletHub released another study showing that West Virginia was one of the worst states in the country for health care, coming in at 46th. In that study, the state also ranked 47th for health care costs and 44th for positive health care outcomes.
A completely separate WalletHub study that came out earlier this month showed that West Virginians spend the second most on health insurance in the nation (an average of 18.81% of monthly income), behind only Vermont (19.61%). Yet, Vermont ranked 12th in the nation in the study that examined overall health care.Â
In a June study, WalletHub ranked West Virginia as the state with the third-highest delinquent debt problem among its residents. Another one found that West Virginians spend the fifth-most on fast food in the country. Â
A caveat is that these studies focus mainly on spending and cost trends. WalletHub's methodology is sound in most cases, but the studies released are not always overly deep as it pertains to factors beyond dollars.Â
Still, the reports tend to arrive at general truths about West Virginia. This state does a pretty good job when it comes to the youngest of the population. After that, though, things start to go downhill. Educational achievement is severely lacking when compared to other states in elementary, middle and high school. Overall, West Virginia's population is older and less healthy than most other states.
Like any state, there are pockets that buck the trends. But those that do are generally more affluent regions, which gets to the heart of the problem. West Virginia is short on opportunities for young people. A high percentage of those who stay here and are not wealthy tend to struggle with physical and mental health, educational attainment and finances.Â
Myriad factors contribute to these problems, but chief among them are poverty and a lack of opportunities. And too little is being done to turn that around. In fact, West Virginia's congressional delegation recently universally voted in favor of policies that will kick several of their constituents off Medicaid and food assistance, vital tools for many to weather tough times to better someone's life. What West Virginia needs is a consistent dedication to caring about its people beyond preschool. Â
