HB 5453: To modify the school aid funding formula. - West Virginia

hb5453 hfa howell, g. 3-2 _1 adopted.htm → hb5453 sfat grady _1 3-14 adopted.htm · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill's sponsor changed from Delegate Howell to Senator Grady, and the amendment status shifted from a specific line edit to a comprehensive rewrite. Senator Grady's version broadens the bill's scope to include public charter school students in special education weighting and introduces several new provisions regarding funding usage and personnel ratios.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly includes public charter school students in special education weighting and adds provisions to expire certain minimum staffing ratio requirements and penalties.

ELIGIBILITY

The special education enrollment weighting now explicitly includes public charter school students.

FISCAL

A new requirement ensures that additional funds generated by increased special education weighting are spent only on direct instruction for special education students.

REQUIREMENT

The minimum ratio of professional instructional personnel per state aid funded professional educators is set to expire.

The penalty for failing to meet the applicable minimum staffing ratio is set to expire.

The prohibition against a county increasing the number of certain administrative personnel employed above 1990 levels has been removed.

TECHNICAL

The specific amendment text regarding the foundation allowance minimum was replaced by a broader bill title and scope description.

hb5453 s fin am _1 3-12 adopted.htm → hb5453 hfa howell, g. 3-2 _1 adopted.htm · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to replace the entire text of Article 9A with a new version that reorganizes definitions, adjusts funding ratios for different county densities, and updates expiration dates to July 1, 2027. A specific provision was added to ensure that the foundation allowance for any fiscal year cannot be lower than the previous year's allowance, protecting funding levels from decreases. The amendment also clarifies that additional special education funding must be used strictly for direct instruction.

Scope change

The scope of the bill was significantly altered by replacing the full text of the funding article, which changes how professional educator salaries are calculated across different county population densities and updates the timeline for these rules.

FISCAL

Added a new provision ensuring that the foundation allowance for any fiscal year cannot be less than the allowance for the immediately preceding fiscal year.

Updated the expiration date for minimum staffing ratios and related provisions from 2026 to July 1, 2027.

DEFINITION

Reorganized and renumbered definitions for county density levels (sparse, low, medium, high) and special education student categories to improve clarity.

REQUIREMENT

Clarified that additional funding generated for special education students must be spent exclusively on direct instruction and cannot be used for facilities, administration, or training.

TECHNICAL

Adjusted internal references to sections and subsections to match the new numbering structure of the article.

Committee Substitute for the Committee Substitute → hb5453 s fin am _1 3-12 adopted.htm · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was substantially rewritten to replace a future block grant system with an immediate, density-based funding model. The new version establishes specific funding ratios for professional educators based on county population density and creates a block grant for general expenses that is exempt from specific expenditure limits. It also adds detailed definitions for special education student levels and sets a minimum staffing ratio for instructional personnel.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from a future implementation plan (starting in 2029) to an immediate effective date (2019-2020), changing the funding mechanism from a flat per-student rate to a complex density-based formula.

TIMELINE

The effective date for the new funding method was moved forward from the 2029-2030 school year to the 2019-2020 school year.

FISCAL

The funding formula changed from a flat $6,100 per student to a variable amount based on county density (e.g., 72.3 educators per 1,000 students for high-density counties).

Provisions for a separate 'Supplemental School Aid Fund' for special needs and extraordinary expenses were removed.

DEFINITION

New definitions were added for 'Level II' and 'Level III' special education students to determine specific funding weightings.

New definitions were added for 'High-density', 'Medium-density', 'Low-density', and 'Sparse-density' counties to categorize funding needs.

REQUIREMENT

A new requirement was added mandating a minimum ratio of professional instructional personnel to state-funded professional educators based on county density.

ELIGIBILITY

The block grant exemption from expenditure requirements was expanded to cover all state aid shares, with specific exceptions for special education weighting funds.

Committee Substitute → Committee Substitute for the Committee Substitute · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to shift the implementation timeline for the new block grant funding from 2027 to 2029, with the current formula remaining in effect for 2026-2027 and 2027-2028. The per-student funding amounts were adjusted downward for the base fund ($6,500 to $6,100) but increased for public charter schools ($8,600). Special needs funding rates were also updated, and the bill now explicitly exempts public charter schools from the minimum student enrollment threshold that applies to other districts.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly distinguishes between general school districts and public charter schools, granting charter schools specific exemptions from minimum enrollment thresholds and establishing a separate, higher funding rate for them.

TIMELINE

The new block grant funding schedule was delayed; the current formula applies through 2028-2029, with the new rates starting in 2029-2030.

FISCAL

The base funding amount per student was reduced from $6,500 to $6,100 for the 2029-2030 school year.

A specific funding rate of $8,600 per student was established for public charter schools starting in 2029-2030.

Special needs funding rates were adjusted to $3,050 for Tier II and $6,100 for Tier III students.

ELIGIBILITY

Public charter schools are now explicitly exempt from the 1,200 minimum student enrollment threshold that applies to other county boards.

REQUIREMENT

The term 'counties' was largely replaced with 'school districts' to broaden the applicability of the funding rules.

ENFORCEMENT

The definition of maladministration was updated to apply to 'school districts' rather than just 'counties'.

Engrossed Committee Substitute for the Committee Substitute → Committee Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill shifts the implementation of a new school funding formula from the 2029-2030 school year to 2027-2028, accelerating the transition to a block grant system. It increases the base funding amount per student from $6,100 to $6,500 and raises supplemental aid rates for special needs students. The bill also changes the terminology from 'school districts' to 'counties' and introduces a new 'conditional funding' provision to help counties currently receiving more money than the new base rate adjust over three years.

Scope change

The bill's applicability expanded from school districts to counties, and the timeline for new funding rules was moved up by two years.

TIMELINE

The effective date for the new funding formula and supplemental fund was advanced from the 2029-2030 school year to the 2027-2028 school year.

FISCAL

The base block grant funding per student increased from $6,100 to $6,500, and supplemental funding for Tier II and Tier III special needs students increased to $3,250 and $6,500 respectively.

A new 'conditional funding' provision was added to provide transitional aid for counties currently receiving more money than the new base rate, ensuring they are made whole for three years.

ELIGIBILITY

The bill changed the primary recipients of funding from 'school districts' to 'counties' and removed specific funding provisions for public charter schools.

REQUIREMENT

Reporting and oversight requirements were updated to apply to counties rather than school districts, and the definition of maladministration was adjusted to apply to county-level administration.

Introduced Version → Engrossed Committee Substitute for the Committee Substitute · 6 edits · Mar 14, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was amended to delay the implementation of a new block grant funding model from the 2027-2028 school year to 2029-2030, while retaining the current funding formula for the interim years. The new funding amount was adjusted from $8,000 to $6,100 per student, and public charter schools were granted specific exemptions from minimum student enrollment thresholds and a higher per-student rate. Additionally, the bill was updated to refer to 'school districts' instead of 'counties' in several sections, clarifying the entities responsible for receiving and managing funds.

Scope change

The bill's scope was modified to apply to 'school districts' rather than 'counties' in multiple subsections, and public charter schools were explicitly included as a distinct category with specific funding rules.

TIMELINE

The effective date for the new block grant funding system was delayed from the 2027-2028 school year to the 2029-2030 school year, with the current funding formula maintained for the intervening years.

FISCAL

The proposed block grant amount per enrolled student was reduced from $8,000 to $6,100 for the 2029-2030 school year.

Supplemental funding amounts for special needs students were adjusted, with Tier II funding set at $3,050 and Tier III funding set at $6,100 per student.

ELIGIBILITY

Public charter schools were added as a specific category eligible for funding under the new block grant, exempt from minimum student enrollment thresholds, and granted a higher per-student rate of $8,600.

The term 'counties' was changed to 'school districts' in references to receiving supplemental funding and requesting additional funds for special cases.

DEFINITION

A detailed definition of 'maladministration' was added, specifying financial failures such as reserve balance issues, late reporting, or budget deficits as grounds for legislative oversight and fund restriction.

To modify the school aid funding formula.

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