Establish mandated monthly half days for students to all allow school staff planning time

HB 4937 requires West Virginia public school county boards to schedule one mandatory monthly half-day for staff planning time each school year. This provision applies directly to school staff (teachers, administrators) and is implemented using the existing "equivalent time" allowance under current law, which allows counties to add up to five days of instructional time by extending daily schedules. The bill mandates that at least one of these designated days must be used specifically for staff development activities like curriculum planning or professional meetings, without students present. This policy change ensures consistent time for educators to improve instruction, aligning with existing requirements for meeting the 180-day instructional calendar.