HB 5239 raises West Virginia's minimum base salary for public school teachers to $50,000 annually, directly affecting all teachers in the state's public school system. The bill amends the state's salary schedule to establish $50,000 as the new minimum starting point for all teachers, regardless of experience level or degree. This change replaces the current lowest salary tier (which was $36,597 for entry-level teachers with zero experience) with a uniform $50,000 floor across all teaching positions. The policy applies to all school districts and takes effect for the 2026-2027 school year.
This bill removes a 10-absence limit for students participating in approved extracurricular and educational activities, such as SkillsUSA, FBLA, 4-H, or FFA programs. To qualify, activities must be pre-approved by a school principal, have parental consent, and be verified as educational by a teacher or sponsor. Students may miss school for these activities without the absence counting toward the yearly 10-absence cap, though they must still make up missed work without grade penalties. It directly affects students in recognized programs, parents, and school administrators who manage attendance policies.
SB 870 proposes a $10,000 total pay increase for West Virginia teachers over five years, distributed through annual adjustments to the state minimum salary schedule based on experience and education level. It also mandates a 25% pay raise for school service personnel (such as aides and support staff) over the same five-year period. The bill amends existing law to establish new salary tiers, with specific pay amounts listed for different experience levels and qualifications (e.g., starting at $39,057 for teachers with zero experience and a master's degree). This policy directly affects all public school teachers and support staff in West Virginia, aiming to increase base compensation through structured, incremental raises.
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.
SB 713 would provide a 10 percent pay raise for all public school staff in West Virginia, including teachers and other school employees. The bill amends state law to update the minimum salary schedule for educators, setting new base pay levels based on experience and education for the 2024-2025 school year and beyond. This change requires state funding to cover the increased costs for public school districts. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Education and Finance committees.
HB 5248 creates a statewide initiative to recruit minorities, males, and individuals from rural, isolated, or impoverished areas into public education careers in West Virginia. The bill requires the State Board of Education and county school boards to develop outreach programs (including informational materials and website content) about teacher preparation programs. It also establishes a scholarship fund to support individuals from these underrepresented groups pursuing teaching careers, with academic ability as the primary selection criterion. The scholarship aims to address teacher shortages by incentivizing new educators from these specific demographics.
SB 801 increases state funding for West Virginia school districts by raising the required ratios of professional educators and support staff per 1,000 students. Specifically, it adjusts the calculation for the "basic foundation program" to require higher ratios (e.g., increasing professional educators from 72.75 to 72.75+ per 1,000 students and support staff from 43.97 to 56.79 per 1,000 students by 2026-2027). The bill directly affects all public school districts, with different ratios based on county density (high, medium, low, sparse). For the 2026-2027 school year only, districts will not face penalties for not meeting the new ratios immediately, providing a transition period for implementation.
HB 5051 would amend West Virginia's Teachers Retirement System to allow Tier 2 teachers to convert their accrued annual and sick leave into additional retirement service credit. Currently, the system permits some employees to use leave for retirement benefits at a two-days-of-leave-to-one-day-of-service ratio, but Tier 2 teachers were excluded from this provision. This bill would extend that benefit to Tier 2 teachers, enabling them to earn extra retirement credit by using unused leave. The change would directly affect current and future Tier 2 teachers in West Virginia's public school system, increasing their retirement benefits through existing leave balances.
HB 4086 would allow teachers who first joined West Virginia's Teachers Retirement System on or after July 1, 2015, to convert their accrued annual and sick leave into additional retirement service credit. Specifically, each day of accrued leave would count as one day of service toward their retirement benefits. This would increase the amount of retirement benefits these teachers receive based on their total credited service. The bill amends existing law to extend this benefit to newer members of the Teachers Retirement System, rather than just those who joined before 2015. The bill was introduced in the House on January 14, 2026, and referred to the Committee on Education.
HB 4654 would require West Virginia school districts to pay teachers in grades 7-12 an additional $25 per day for each student in their class beyond 30 students, directly affecting teachers with larger class sizes. This supplemental payment applies to core academic classes (excluding physical education, band, chorus, strings, theater, dance, and other artistic performance classes). The bill amends the state's teacher salary schedule to add this per-student payment on top of existing base pay. Exceptions ensure arts and physical education teachers are not subject to this class-size-based increase.
