Education (School Funding)

HB 4851 creates a statewide moratorium on public school closures and consolidations (except for catastrophic structural failures or unresolved safety hazards) until the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) proposes changes to the school funding formula. The bill requires WVDE to review school closures considered over the past five years and propose funding adjustments aimed at preventing at least 80% of closures previously justified by financial or operational reasons. This moratorium applies to all school districts and remains in effect until the Legislature acts on WVDE’s proposed formula changes. The bill directly affects school districts considering closures and mandates WVDE to develop a revised funding approach before any closures can proceed.

SB 246 establishes a minimum net enrollment of 1,200 students for calculating school funding in West Virginia counties. It directly affects all county school districts, particularly those with low enrollment, by requiring their net enrollment (counting students in grades K-12, special education, and specific programs) to be adjusted upward for funding calculations if below 1,200. The bill uses a specific formula to determine the adjusted enrollment, including a 10% increase and a cap at 1,400, while exempting counties from penalties for staffing ratios in the 2026-2027 school year due to this adjustment. This change ensures smaller counties receive a baseline level of state aid based on enrollment.