(Editorial - Graphic Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Despite the myriad challenges they have faced over the past few years and perpetual meddling from state and federal government, West Virginia public schools have managed to improve a little in key educational and operational areas, according to the state Department of Education’s annual report on county approval status and accreditation.

When Deputy Superintendent of School Sonya White spoke to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability this week, she said 29 county school districts were listed this year as needing assistance for not meeting one or more efficiency indicators included in the report. That’s down from 34 in the previous year’s report.

Meanwhile, 33 counties were considered “on watch” for not meeting one or more student performance indicator standards. That’s down from 41 counties in last year’s report.

White says counties still need help in transportation, finance and — this cannot be emphasized enough — “board of education member effectiveness.”

Math achievement is still a big problem, as is attendance.

In fact, only Hampshire and Ohio counties met requirements for county operational effectiveness efficiency and had no negative indicators for the Balanced Scorecard and student performance.

Though the average chronic absenteeism rate statewide has declined slightly, the problem is so pervasive that even the state’s new charter schools can’t solve it. Both the Clarksburg Classical Academy and Eastern Panhandle Preparatory Academy were placed on watch for attendance.

The Virtual Preparatory Academy of West Virginia and West Virginia Virtual Academy also triggered “on watch” and “support” indicators in some categories. So far only the Morgantown-based West Virginia Academy has managed to avoid the same challenges that plague our beleaguered county public school districts.

So what’s the lesson here? Something is working — a little bit. Teachers and administrators continue to plow through and do their best to meet their responsibility to students. Charter and virtual schools aren’t yet the miracle we thought they might be. But most counties are making slow, fragile progress.

Some still need “intensive support.” Will lawmakers who were so eager to control the local decision-making on public education help them get it? Will they knock it off with the absurd socio-cultural wars waged against students, teachers and schools and focus instead on how to support all West Virginia students; how to give them the education they deserve and will need to lift the rest of us out of the doldrums we’ve been in?

Only time will tell if our elected officials and policymakers understand our kids are worth it.