West Virginia’s first constitution in 1863 created a free public school system controlled by local districts. In most rural areas, students attended one-room schoolhouses with all grades in the same classroom. By 1870, over 2,400 teachers worked in more than 2,200 schools. A new constitution in 1872 continued school segregation and made the superintendent a political role. Unequal wealth across counties led to vast differences in school quality.