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.
This bill establishes specific class size limits for West Virginia public schools: kindergarten classes must have no more than 20 students per teacher with an aide (for classes over 10 students), and grades 1-3 must have no more than 25 students per teacher with an aide, phased in from the 2023-2024 school year through 2025-2026. It requires counties to maintain these ratios in K-6 classrooms, allowing interventionists as an alternative staffing option for grades 4-6. The law directly affects K-6 teachers and students by mandating smaller class sizes to maximize teacher-student interaction time and support staff utilization.
HB 4943 requires all West Virginia high school students to learn proper American flag handling, folding, treatment, honoring, display, and retirement procedures as part of their required civics education. This would be integrated into existing civics courses mandated for graduation, with students needing to pass an exam on this topic. The bill directly affects all high school students in West Virginia public, private, parochial, and denominational schools. It amends existing curriculum requirements (§18-2-9) to add flag etiquette as a specific component of civics instruction.
HB 4945 prohibits the use of electronic devices like tablets, laptops, or computers for learning and testing in classrooms for students in grades three and below. The bill directly affects elementary schools, teachers, and students in these grade levels by banning device use during instructional activities. It explicitly excludes calculators from the prohibition. The law aims to limit screen time for young learners during classroom instruction. This is a direct policy change requiring schools to remove such devices from early-grade classrooms for educational purposes.
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.
HB 4485 allows public school and higher education employees in West Virginia to voluntarily donate accrued sick leave to coworkers taking maternity leave. The bill establishes a formal leave donation program where employees can transfer personal leave days to colleagues experiencing maternity leave or a catastrophic medical emergency, with specific rules: donors may transfer unlimited days to spouses but face limits for others, and unused donated days revert to the donor after the leave period ends. It prohibits using donated leave for retirement credit or insurance extensions and requires voluntary participation without coercion. This policy directly affects educators in K-12 schools and colleges who qualify for personal leave under state law.
This bill requires West Virginia's State Treasurer to participate in a federal tax credit scholarship program. Specifically, the Treasurer must annually identify and publish a list of qualified nonprofit scholarship organizations operating in the state by December 1st, accept applications year-round for inclusion on this list, and certify the list for federal submission. It defines eligible schools (meeting existing WV requirements) and students (eligible for public school enrollment), allowing scholarship funds to cover standard K-12 education expenses under federal rules. The bill directly affects the State Treasurer's office, scholarship organizations seeking to participate, and students receiving scholarships under the program.
HB 4918 requires West Virginia public schools to provide a minimum of 180 instructional days per year, with specific daily minute requirements: 315 minutes for kindergarten through fifth grade, 330 minutes for sixth through eighth grade, and 345 minutes for ninth through twelfth grade. Counties may extend the school day by at least 30 minutes to meet the 180-day requirement, using the extra time for up to five days of weather-related closures or teacher professional development. The bill also mandates that noninstructional days total 20 annually, including holidays, election day, and designated days for staff training and school preparation. This directly affects all West Virginia public school districts and their annual calendars.
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.
SB 232 establishes a five-year program to place licensed athletic trainers in all West Virginia public secondary schools by 2032, requiring each school to have a trainer on staff or contracted through the county board. It expands existing career and technical education (CTE) sports medicine programs to ensure all high school students have access to accredited training aligned with higher education requirements. The bill mandates annual state funding for trainer recruitment and retention, including using the Underwood-Smith Loan Repayment Program to incentivize trainers who also teach. This directly affects public high schools, student-athletes (through enhanced safety resources), and CTE program participants.
