Authorizing county boards to designate rural anchor schools.

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.