SB 284 West Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Relating to county board of education member orientation and compensation

SB 284 updates training requirements for West Virginia county board of education members, requiring initial orientation within 30 days of swearing in (with make-up sessions for absences), increasing annual training hours, and modifying covered topics like fiscal management. It sets a standard compensation rate of $260 per meeting attended (allowing counties to set lower rates) and requires the State Superintendent to annually report training data to the Legislative Oversight Commission. The bill also removes the January 1 deadline for final-year training and adds non-voting ex officio members to the training oversight committee. These changes directly affect all county board members and aim to standardize training and compensation practices.

Issues: ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 12, 2025 Last action Mar 6, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Committee Substitute · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates West Virginia's county board of education member requirements, increasing annual training from 7 to 12 hours and adding new topics like governance and fiscal management. It extends the deadline for completing annual training from January 1 to the end of the term for members not seeking re-election, and clarifies that failure to attend training without good cause constitutes neglect of duty. The bill also establishes a new review committee to oversee training standards and adjusts compensation rules to withhold pay for members in training default.

Scope change

The bill expands training requirements to include appointed members and clarifies that state board training requirements count toward annual training obligations.

REQUIREMENT

Increased annual training hours from 7 to 12 hours effective July 1, 2025, with new topics including boardsmanship, governance effectiveness, and fiscal management.

Added requirement for appointed members to complete orientation training within 30 days of appointment.

Created a new County Board Member Training Standards Review Committee with non-voting ex officio members from Senate and House education committees.

TIMELINE

Removed the January 1 deadline for completing annual training in the final year of a four-year term for members not seeking re-election.

ENFORCEMENT

Clarified that failure to attend required training without good cause constitutes neglect of duty under state law.

FISCAL

Modified compensation rules to withhold payment for meetings held during periods when members are in default of training requirements, with a three-month grace period to cure the default.

TECHNICAL

Removed requirement for mileage receipt presentation while maintaining receipt requirements for other travel expenses.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 5, 2025

How they voted

31–2

Passed

Total votes 33

Mar 5, 2025

D Democratic2

2 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican31

29 Yea 2 Nay

93% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

To House Education

lower

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

To Education

lower

Mar 6, 2025

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

Mar 5, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate (Roll No. 60)

upper

Feb 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee substitute reported

upper

Feb 12, 2025

Introduced

Introduced in Senate

upper

Feb 12, 2025

Committee

To Education

upper

1 primary · 2 co-sponsors