Education

failed · West Virginia · House of Delegates Mar 14, 2026

HB 4573: Foster Youth Post-Secondary Transition Awareness Act

HB 4573 requires West Virginia high schools to provide foster youth (current or former foster care) with information about post-secondary education, job training, housing, healthcare, and independent-living support before graduation. The bill mandates school counselors and graduation coaches receive training on these resources and directs the state Department of Education to create and maintain a Foster Youth Resource Guide. County school districts must ensure eligible students receive this pre-graduation information. The law aims to improve transition planning for foster youth entering adulthood, without requiring disclosure of a student’s foster care status.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates schools to provide foster youth with post-secondary education resources, enhancing access and support for vulnerable students in K-12 transition.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · West Virginia · Senate Mar 8, 2026

SB 778: Relating to eligibility for homebound services for exceptional children

SB 778 amends West Virginia law to allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants, alongside physicians, to certify students with disabilities as eligible for homebound educational services. This change directly affects families of exceptional children who require homebound instruction due to injury or health conditions. The key provision removes the previous restriction requiring certification only by physicians, expanding who can authorize this service. The bill aims to streamline access to homebound education by broadening the pool of qualified medical professionals who can make this determination.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands eligibility for homebound services by allowing nurse practitioners/physician assistants to certify, removing physician-only restriction and streamlining access for exceptional children in K-12 education.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands healthcare provider roles (NPs/PAs) to certify homebound services, improving access for children with health conditions by removing physician-only restriction.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · West Virginia · Senate Mar 6, 2026

SB 745: Relating to requirements for school nutrition programs

SB 745 prohibits specific food additives in West Virginia school meals, banning dyes like Red 40 and Yellow 5 starting August 1, 2025, and additional preservatives like BHT and artificial sweeteners starting August 1, 2027. It limits added sugars to no more than 5% of daily calories and requires a minimum fiber-to-carbohydrate ratio of 1 gram of fiber per 10 grams of carbs in school meals. Schools must post full ingredient lists for all breakfast and lunch menu items online. The bill directly affects all West Virginia public schools operating nutrition programs, aiming to improve meal nutritional standards.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires healthier school meals with banned additives and transparency, directly supporting student health and well-being within K-12 education.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · West Virginia · Senate Mar 5, 2026

SB 929: Relating to state board intervention into county school systems

SB 929, the "Taxpayer Transparency in Education Act," requires West Virginia county school boards to publish detailed annual financial statements within 120 days of each fiscal year. These statements must disclose all expenditures over $250 to individuals or firms, debts, school personnel pay, and budget estimates, either as legal ads or on public websites. County boards failing to submit these reports within 90 days face a State Auditor noncompliance notice, and after 60 days of noncompliance, they lose access to discretionary state education funds. The bill directly affects all 55 county school boards by mandating greater financial transparency for taxpayers.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires financial transparency in school spending to ensure accountability, aligning with education funding oversight and protection goals.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · West Virginia · Senate Mar 5, 2026

SB 657: Creating Cohen Craddock Student Athlete Safety Act

SB 657 creates the Cohen Craddock Student Athlete Safety Act, requiring West Virginia high school and middle school athletic programs to adopt concussion safety protocols and use specific safety equipment. The bill mandates schools to implement a Concussion Education, Prevention, and Response Plan by July 2026 and requires student athletes in football practices to wear impact-reducing soft-shell helmet covers attached to their helmets during collision-prone activities. It establishes the Cohen Craddock Memorial Grant Fund to help schools purchase safety equipment and includes protections ensuring helmet covers don’t void helmet warranties if properly attached. The law directly affects all student athletes in West Virginia public schools participating in interscholastic sports, with a specific focus on reducing head injury risks in football.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates concussion safety protocols and equipment for school sports, protecting student athletes within K-12 educational settings.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · West Virginia · Senate Mar 2, 2026

SB 802: Relating to school preparation days

SB 802 requires West Virginia public schools to schedule two "Leave Teachers Alone" days before the school year begins, which teachers can use for activities that improve instruction. The bill prohibits county boards from requiring teachers to use school preparation days (for opening and closing) for any purpose other than those specific tasks. These changes directly affect public school teachers and county boards of education across West Virginia. The bill amends the state's school calendar law to give teachers more autonomy over professional development time without administrative mandates.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides dedicated 'Leave Teachers Alone' days for instruction improvement, directly supporting educator effectiveness and instructional quality per bill language.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · West Virginia · Senate Mar 2, 2026

SB 1020: Allowing up to five educational leave days within definition of "excused absence"

This bill adds "educational leave days" to West Virginia's list of excused absences, allowing up to five days per school year for approved educational activities (like field trips or workshops). Parents must submit a note within three days explaining the purpose, and schools can reject days that don't meet state-defined criteria. It directly affects students, parents, and school staff managing attendance records. The bill also clarifies that 4-H, FFA, and similar activities already count toward the existing 10-day limit for school-approved activities, so they aren't subject to the new educational leave cap.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands excused absences for approved educational activities (field trips/workshops), supporting student access to learning opportunities within attendance policy.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · West Virginia · Senate Feb 23, 2026

SB 925: Providing Future Farmers of America-sanctioned activities not count toward limit of excused absences

Senate Bill 925 modifies West Virginia's school attendance law to exempt Future Farmers of America (FFA)-sanctioned activities from the 10-day annual limit on excused absences. It directly affects West Virginia students participating in FFA events, ensuring these absences are counted as excused without reducing their annual excused absence allowance. The bill requires schools to mark students present for FFA activities (like they would for field trips), mandates documentation from FFA, and requires students to make up missed work without grade penalties. It aligns FFA with existing exemptions for 4-H, SkillsUSA, and similar programs under the same attendance rules.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExempts FFA activities from absence limits, ensuring student participation in educational programs without penalizing attendance, directly strengthening K-12 educational access.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · West Virginia · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SB 633: Relating to WV Commission on Holocaust Education

SB 633 modernizes West Virginia's Commission on Holocaust Education by updating its membership structure and governance. The bill replaces outdated provisions relying on Holocaust survivors (many now deceased) with a new framework allowing commission-appointed voting members and non-voting student advisory members, while explicitly requiring Holocaust education to remain the commission's sole purpose. It strengthens safeguards to protect historical accuracy and ensures the commission continues providing centralized educational resources for schools, churches, and communities studying the Holocaust. These changes aim to maintain the commission's mission as a permanent statewide resource for Holocaust education amid evolving circumstances.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationModernizes governance to preserve Holocaust education as K-12 commission's sole purpose, strengthens historical accuracy safeguards, and ensures continuity of educational mandate.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · West Virginia · Senate Feb 4, 2026

SB 536: Relating to qualifications for serving on certain academic boards

This bill establishes the West Virginia Professional Charter School Board and sets specific qualifications for its appointed voting members. It requires board members to be state citizens with experience in public or nonprofit governance, school leadership, or education law, while also mandating geographic diversity and limiting political party representation to no more than three members. The legislation also creates conflict-of-interest rules that prevent appointments for individuals currently employed by charter schools or companies serving them, and it defines the board's duties including authorizing charter schools, investigating complaints, and conducting audits.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes professional charter school board with qualified members to improve governance and oversight of educational institutions85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track