HB 4987 requires all West Virginia public schools serving students in grades K-12 to provide annual evidence-based social inclusion training (at least one hour per year), and schools serving grades 6-12 must also provide annual youth violence prevention training (at least one hour per year). The West Virginia Department of Education must develop and maintain publicly available lists of proven effective programs for both trainings, including no-cost options, with updates every 36 months. Schools may optionally form student-led violence prevention clubs focused on awareness and leadership, though public charter and nonpublic schools can opt out of the training requirements. The bill encourages seeking state or federal funding to cover implementation costs but does not mandate new state spending.
HB 4859 allows county boards of education participating in a multicounty vocational center to integrate career technical education programs directly into their local high schools instead of sending students to the centralized facility. County boards may choose to host either a state-approved program or a locally developed program within their high school. The bill modifies construction rules to permit counties to plan vocational facilities at existing high schools, considering factors like travel distance and facility conditions. This change gives counties more flexibility in delivering vocational training while maintaining coordination with existing multicounty centers.
HB 4005, "Skills to Work," creates a state-funded Youth Apprenticeship Program for West Virginia students aged 16 or older in 11th or 12th grade. It allows these students to earn high school credit and job skills certifications through structured apprenticeships in fields like manufacturing, healthcare, and office technology, requiring 135 classroom hours and 400 on-the-job training hours per program. The bill mandates schools to partner with employers to develop approved apprenticeships, with standards including progressive wages, performance evaluations, and school approval. It also clarifies that apprenticeships cannot include hazardous occupations prohibited for minors under federal and state child labor laws. The program must be fully implemented across all school systems by the 2025-2026 school year.
This bill's title claims to address world language instruction, but the actual text amends history/civics curriculum requirements (§18-2-9) for West Virginia public schools. It mandates K-12 instruction in U.S. history, civics, and government, requiring courses to cover American political philosophy, primary sources, and critical analysis of ideologies like democracy and communism. The bill also specifies standardized testing aligned with these standards and includes health education requirements on STD prevention, substance abuse, and CPR. The title misrepresents the bill's content, as it focuses on history/civics standards - not world language teaching - as detailed in the full text.
HB 4698 requires West Virginia public high schools (grades 9-12) to make adoption awareness materials available to students upon request. The materials must cover adoption types, foster care vs. private adoption, resources for pregnant students, and child development information. Schools must provide written materials to parents or guardians of pregnant students who receive the information. This bill, effective for the 2026-2027 school year, directly affects high school students and their families by providing standardized adoption resources through school counseling offices.
HB 4693 declassifies Community and Technical Education (CTE) teaching positions at community colleges and trades-based high school instructors teaching CTE courses, allowing counties to target additional funding to specific roles in critical need. Currently, all CTE positions are grouped together, requiring county funding to be distributed across all positions; this bill removes that classification barrier. The bill maintains existing state funding for these positions while enabling counties to add supplemental funds to high-demand roles like skilled trades or healthcare education. This change aims to help fill staffing shortages in key CTE fields by letting counties offer targeted financial incentives without reducing state support.
HB 4759 requires the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC) to update its rules about athletic eligibility for students who transfer between schools. It directly affects students transferring schools, public and private schools, and the WVSSAC itself. The bill mandates that WVSSAC modify its existing rules to address eligibility after school transfers and also updates rules for incoming ninth-grade students' academic eligibility. These changes aim to standardize transfer protocols and ensure consistent athletic participation rules across school districts. The bill does not alter academic requirements but focuses on administrative procedures for student eligibility.
HB 4942 requires a second adult to be present on West Virginia county school buses when elementary students (pre-kindergarten through 4th grade) are riding with middle or high school students (5th grade and above). This applies specifically to bus routes where younger children are mixed with older students. The bill mandates this additional adult to maintain order and safety during transportation. It directly affects county school bus systems operating routes with mixed-age groups in the specified grade ranges. The requirement is triggered only when elementary-aged children are present alongside middle/high school-aged students on the same bus route.
HB 4794 requires all high school students in West Virginia to pass a test on the U.S. Constitution to graduate. The State Board of Education must create the test, which mandates an 85% passing score and makes content publicly available. Students who fail can retake the test weekly until they meet the threshold. This applies to all high school students in grades 9-12 and takes effect July 1, 2026. The bill aims to ensure graduating seniors demonstrate foundational knowledge of constitutional principles.
HB 4940 ensures West Virginia teachers can use modern online fundraising platforms (like GoFundMe) to collect money for school-related activities without county board or school administrator interference. The bill amends state law to explicitly state that no county official may prevent teachers from using "crowd-sourcing or other meaningful current methods of fundraising." Schools must still publicly announce the fundraising purpose and designate the funds before starting, but the bill removes barriers to these methods. This directly affects K-12 teachers seeking to raise money for classroom supplies, field trips, or recognition programs through contemporary channels. The law does not change how funds are spent - only how teachers may legally collect them.
