Education

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 10, 2026

HB 5387: Relating to high school graduation requirements

HB 5387 amends West Virginia's high school graduation requirements by removing a mandatory stand-alone computer science course. Instead, it establishes a computer literacy proficiency requirement that students must meet to graduate. The bill restores local flexibility for school districts to determine how to implement this requirement while preserving advanced computer science pathways. This change directly affects all West Virginia high school students by altering one of their required graduation courses.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves mandatory course but maintains computer literacy requirement with local flexibility, preserving educational pathways without restricting curriculum or access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 5499: Relating to school system fiscal and governance early warning, stabilization, and accountability.

HB 5499 creates a system to monitor and address financial and governance issues in West Virginia school districts before they escalate. It requires the state to track specific indicators like over-reliance on temporary funding, declining savings, or repeated audit findings, and place districts meeting thresholds on a public "Watch List" with a requirement to submit a corrective action plan. The bill establishes a new independent Office of School System Performance and Accountability (OSPA) to oversee early intervention, stabilization, and transparency, while mandating detailed documentation before state takeover. This system aims to prevent crises through early transparency, local accountability, and structured support for school districts.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes fiscal monitoring, accountability, and corrective action plans for school districts, promoting responsible budget management through oversight and early intervention.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates oversight system to prevent financial instability in schools, promoting fiscal accountability and stability without direct funding cuts.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Audits & Accountability School Funding School Safety

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signed · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jun 29, 2026

HB 5438: To modify the foundation allowance to improve instructional programs.

HB 5438 modifies West Virginia's school funding formula to direct additional resources toward instructional improvements and technology. It allocates 10% of the local share increase for instructional programs (with $150,000 minimum per county) and 20% for instructional technology (with $30,000 minimum per county), both calculated based on attendance and enrollment data. County school boards may use up to 50% of instructional funds for hiring educators or technology specialists, subject to state superintendent approval, but cannot increase central office staff beyond four positions. The bill also requires funding for the Third Grade Success Act and allows county boards to use allocated funds for Safe Schools Fund projects. This directly affects all West Virginia county school districts and their budgeting for classroom programs and technology resources.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates specific percentages of funds (10% for instructional programs, 20% for tech) toward education, directly increasing targeted government spending within the state budget.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllocates 10% and 20% of funds for instructional programs/tech with minimum county requirements, directing resources toward improving K-12 education.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyAllocates 20% of funds for instructional technology with $30,000 minimum per county, directly advancing tech resources in schools.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding

in committee · West Virginia · Senate Feb 24, 2026

SB 1048: Transferring responsibility of school position eliminations to WV Board of Education

SB 1048 transfers the authority to decide which school positions (like teachers or support staff) must be eliminated due to lack of need from local county school boards to the West Virginia Board of Education. It requires county boards to report the funding source for positions exceeding the state’s base funding for educators and support staff. The state board must consider specific factors when making elimination decisions and must notify counties early enough to meet legal hiring deadlines. This bill directly affects all 55 West Virginia county school districts and their personnel decisions.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationTransfers elimination decision authority to state board, requires consideration of factors and early notification to prevent staffing disruptions, protecting educational continuity.85% confidence

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Feb 2, 2026

SB 713: Providing 10 percent raise for all public school staff

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates state funding for 10% public school staff pay raise, increasing budget allocation for education services.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationSB 713 explicitly increases public school staff pay by 10%, amends salary schedules for educators, and mandates state funding to boost educator compensation.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentDirectly increases wages for public school staff through a 10% pay raise, funding state-mandated salary updates for educators and employees.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding Teachers

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passed · West Virginia · Senate Feb 23, 2026

SB 925: Providing Future Farmers of America-sanctioned activities not count toward limit of excused absences

Senate Bill 925 modifies West Virginia's school attendance law to exempt Future Farmers of America (FFA)-sanctioned activities from the 10-day annual limit on excused absences. It directly affects West Virginia students participating in FFA events, ensuring these absences are counted as excused without reducing their annual excused absence allowance. The bill requires schools to mark students present for FFA activities (like they would for field trips), mandates documentation from FFA, and requires students to make up missed work without grade penalties. It aligns FFA with existing exemptions for 4-H, SkillsUSA, and similar programs under the same attendance rules.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExempts FFA activities from absence limits, ensuring student participation in educational programs without penalizing attendance, directly strengthening K-12 educational access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health

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signed · West Virginia · House of Delegates Aug 21, 2026

HB 5682: Supplemental Appropriation to expire funds to surplus balance of General Revenue

HB 5682 redirects $72 million in unused funds from previous fiscal years to support biomedical research at West Virginia medical schools. It expires $37 million from the 2023 Governor’s Civil Contingent Fund and $35 million from the 2017 fund, adding these to the General Revenue surplus for the 2026 fiscal year. The funds are specifically allocated to: $30 million for Marshall University School of Medicine, $5 million for West Virginia University Dental School, $32 million for West Virginia University School of Medicine, and $5 million for the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. This supplemental appropriation expands biomedical research capacity without creating new taxes or spending.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects $72M in unspent funds to biomedical research, promoting fiscal responsibility by utilizing surplus without new taxes or spending cuts.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllocates $72M to medical schools for biomedical research, directly funding higher education institutions as part of education topic.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRedirects $72M to biomedical research at WV medical schools, directly funding healthcare infrastructure and research per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations Revenue State Budget Higher Education

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 9, 2026

HB 5375: Truancy Reform Act

HB 5375, the Truancy Reform Act, changes West Virginia's truancy laws to prioritize support over punishment. It removes criminal penalties for students aged 18 or older who miss school, replaces fines with school attendance requirements for first offenses, and creates a pretrial diversion program for parents/guardians of children under 18. This allows families to avoid conviction by addressing truancy causes within 60 days, with courts able to delay sentences and refer families to Department of Human Services for home-based support. The bill also modifies penalties for repeat offenses, including conditional school enrollment after a third violation for 18+ students. It directly affects parents, guardians, custodians, and students aged 18+ in truancy cases.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRemoves criminal penalties for truancy, replaces fines with support programs, creates pretrial diversion - aligns with reform goals to reduce criminalization and prioritize rehabilitation over punishment.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationPrioritizes support over punishment for truancy, addresses root causes via diversion programs to improve K-12 attendance and educational access without restrictions.95% confidence

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 4, 2026

HB 5180: When schools have events the school needs to sell tickets at the gate as well as online and accept cash

This bill requires West Virginia public schools hosting paid athletic events to sell tickets at the school gate, accept cash payments, and offer online ticket purchases. It directly affects all public secondary schools in the state that charge admission for athletic events. The law mandates these three specific ticketing methods to ensure accessibility for all attendees. This amendment updates existing education code without altering eligibility rules or other school activity requirements.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires accessible ticketing (gate, cash, online) for school athletic events, enhancing attendance access to student programs per education topic definition.85% confidence

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Feb 2, 2026

SB 696: Permitting women's wrestling in certain public schools

SB 696 would amend West Virginia law to explicitly permit women's wrestling as a sanctioned sport in public high schools and public charter schools. The bill directs the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC) to include women's wrestling in its list of approved athletic events, ensuring it can be offered as a competitive sport. This change directly affects public school athletic programs and students, allowing female athletes to participate in wrestling under the same rules as other sanctioned sports. The bill does not alter existing eligibility requirements for student athletes but adds wrestling to the Commission's approved sports list.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands athletic opportunities for female students in K-12 schools by explicitly permitting women's wrestling as a sanctioned sport, enhancing student program access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Safety

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