Education (School Funding)

HB 4855 eliminates West Virginia's Department of Education, transferring its functions to the State Treasurer and county school boards. It creates a centralized School Fund at the State Treasurer to hold all state and federal education funds, which counties receive annually based on a formula weighted 67% by population and 33% by land area. The bill also establishes per-teacher classroom expense accounts and requires public transparency for all county school procurement purchases. These changes directly affect county school boards, teachers, and the State Superintendent, who will no longer oversee education programs.

HB 4861 allows West Virginia county school boards, with state board approval, to designate one or more rural schools as "Rural Anchor Schools" if they meet specific criteria: geographic isolation (rural community, primary neighborhood school), enrollment below the statewide average for their grade level, and demonstrated need to avoid unreasonable transportation/safety issues if closed. The bill requires state aid calculations to treat these schools as if they have at least 150 students for funding purposes, covering fixed operating costs (utilities, maintenance) and core staffing, while keeping actual enrollment counts unchanged for other purposes. Designations last five years with annual reporting on enrollment, student performance, and fund usage, and can be revoked if eligibility or accountability rules are violated. This directly affects eligible rural schools and their funding under the state's public school support program.

SB 224 reorganizes how West Virginia allocates existing school construction funds to prioritize facility improvements. It sets aside 10% of available funds for statewide projects (like school construction), 5% specifically for multi-use vocational-technical facilities (including post-secondary programs), and 2% for emergency repairs. The bill requires school authorities and county boards to submit approved 10-year facility plans before receiving funds and prioritizes vocational-technical projects that partner with community colleges. It directly affects school districts, county boards, and vocational centers by changing how they access state funding for facility upgrades.

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.