HB 5338, the Health Freedom for Teachers and Students Act, prohibits West Virginia public schools from requiring teachers, staff, or students to receive immunizations or medical treatments as a condition of employment or enrollment. The bill also bans school employees from coercing or intimidating others into receiving such treatments. It amends state law to establish these protections immediately upon passage, directly affecting all public school employees and students in West Virginia. The legislation removes mandatory vaccination or medical treatment requirements that previously applied to school settings.
This bill removes a 10-absence limit for students participating in approved extracurricular and educational activities, such as SkillsUSA, FBLA, 4-H, or FFA programs. To qualify, activities must be pre-approved by a school principal, have parental consent, and be verified as educational by a teacher or sponsor. Students may miss school for these activities without the absence counting toward the yearly 10-absence cap, though they must still make up missed work without grade penalties. It directly affects students in recognized programs, parents, and school administrators who manage attendance policies.
HB 5577 requires West Virginia county school boards to establish and regularly review anti-bullying policies that include specific components like clear definitions, reporting procedures, and victim protections. It mandates that school boards actively seek input from parents, guardians, and students when updating these policies, and ensures all modifications are transparent to the school community. School boards must also report on policy effectiveness to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability (LOCEA) at LOCEA's discretion. This bill directly affects county school boards, students, and families by standardizing and improving how schools address harassment, intimidation, and bullying.
HB 5247 establishes a three-year pilot program in West Virginia schools to provide mental and behavioral health services as an alternative to suspending students for disruptive behavior. It directly affects students with disruptive behaviors, their families, and participating schools that already operate school-based health centers or have implemented the state's "expanded school mental health framework." Schools in the pilot must offer mental health services through direct hire or contracts, accept referrals from school discipline or courts, conduct assessments, involve families, and bill insurance or the school for services. The program aims to redirect students toward support instead of punishment while ensuring services are available for all levels of need.
SB 804 exempts middle and high school students participating in extracurricular sports in "good standing" from mandatory physical education requirements. Specifically, students listed by their coach at the end of each sport season are not required to complete the standard PE classes for that school year (middle school: daily PE for one semester; high school: a full credit for graduation). The bill directly affects athletes who maintain coach-determined good standing in sports. It does not alter overall PE requirements but creates this specific exemption based on athletic participation. The change applies to students in grades 6-12 who meet the coach's criteria during their sport season.
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.
SB 745 prohibits specific food additives in West Virginia school meals, banning dyes like Red 40 and Yellow 5 starting August 1, 2025, and additional preservatives like BHT and artificial sweeteners starting August 1, 2027. It limits added sugars to no more than 5% of daily calories and requires a minimum fiber-to-carbohydrate ratio of 1 gram of fiber per 10 grams of carbs in school meals. Schools must post full ingredient lists for all breakfast and lunch menu items online. The bill directly affects all West Virginia public schools operating nutrition programs, aiming to improve meal nutritional standards.
HB 5043 increases the minimum monthly salary for West Virginia school service personnel by $900, effective July 1, 2023-2027. It directly affects school service employees working more than 3.5 hours daily (with half-pay for shorter hours), setting new minimums across experience-based pay grades (A-H) in the State Minimum Pay Scale. The bill amends existing law to establish these higher salary levels for all school service personnel, with specific amounts varying by years of experience. This policy change updates compensation without altering eligibility or funding mechanisms.
SB 801 increases state funding for West Virginia school districts by raising the required ratios of professional educators and support staff per 1,000 students. Specifically, it adjusts the calculation for the "basic foundation program" to require higher ratios (e.g., increasing professional educators from 72.75 to 72.75+ per 1,000 students and support staff from 43.97 to 56.79 per 1,000 students by 2026-2027). The bill directly affects all public school districts, with different ratios based on county density (high, medium, low, sparse). For the 2026-2027 school year only, districts will not face penalties for not meeting the new ratios immediately, providing a transition period for implementation.
SB 720 establishes the West Virginia Comprehensive Student and Family Support Act to create a coordinated system of services for students facing barriers like emotional, behavioral, or developmental challenges that risk academic failure, suspension, or out-of-home placement. It directly affects eligible students in West Virginia public schools who are at risk of dropout, exclusion, or placement, prioritizing those transitioning from juvenile justice or foster care. The bill creates a state fund to pool public resources, requires local teams to coordinate education, health, and social services, and mandates outcome tracking (like attendance and behavioral progress) through a State Oversight Office within the West Virginia Department of Education. This system aims to reduce duplication, improve educational outcomes, and ensure accountability via annual reporting and audits.
