West Virginia faced problems with school funding and unfair differences between areas. In 1907, funding for public schools was cut due to the statewide elimination of a property tax, but local areas could still raise taxes through their own levies. This led to inequities among school systems across the state. A law passed in 1882 set minimum teacher salaries, the first in the U.S., but pay and school years still varied a lot.

High schools started becoming more important. In 1910, there were only 12 fully approved high schools. The state created a special high school department, and by 1925, there were 233 high schools, and the old academies mostly closed. Junior high schools also grew a lot during this period.