Education (Teachers)

in committee · West Virginia · Senate Feb 18, 2026

SB 988: Authorizing staffing recommendations and limits by Department of Education

SB 988 requires West Virginia county school boards to submit annual staffing plans by May 1, detailing all covered employees (including teachers and support staff) by category, justification, and budget impact. The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) will then issue annual staffing recommendations and maximum funded allowances by April 1, based on enrollment, special education needs, and other objective criteria. County boards can request exceptions to these limits by submitting a written justification and funding plan, but must receive WVDE approval to hire above recommended levels. If a county exceeds the limit without approval, WVDE can order corrective actions like eliminating unfunded positions or suspending hiring until compliance is restored.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationSets maximum staffing budgets via WVDE recommendations, restricting county flexibility in staff allocation and funding decisions.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding Special Education Teachers

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 5, 2026

HB 5239: To increase the minimum starting salary for a teacher to $50,000

HB 5239 raises West Virginia's minimum base salary for public school teachers to $50,000 annually, directly affecting all teachers in the state's public school system. The bill amends the state's salary schedule to establish $50,000 as the new minimum starting point for all teachers, regardless of experience level or degree. This change replaces the current lowest salary tier (which was $36,597 for entry-level teachers with zero experience) with a uniform $50,000 floor across all teaching positions. The policy applies to all school districts and takes effect for the 2026-2027 school year.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases state spending on public education by raising teacher salaries from $36,597 to $50,000 annually, directly funding a public service.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationRaises minimum teacher salary from $36,597 to $50,000, directly supporting educator compensation and retention in K-12 public schools.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRaises minimum teacher salary from $36,597 to $50,000, directly increasing wages for public school teachers under Labor & Employment standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Teachers Minimum Wage

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Feb 11, 2026

SB 910: Removing unintended limitation on excused absences for students in certain extracurriculars

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.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves absence cap for approved educational extracurriculars (SkillsUSA, FBLA, etc.), enabling student participation without penalty and aligning with educational access/program enhancement.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Student Health Teachers

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Feb 9, 2026

SB 870: Providing $10,000 pay raise to teachers across five years

SB 870 proposes a $10,000 total pay increase for West Virginia teachers over five years, distributed through annual adjustments to the state minimum salary schedule based on experience and education level. It also mandates a 25% pay raise for school service personnel (such as aides and support staff) over the same five-year period. The bill amends existing law to establish new salary tiers, with specific pay amounts listed for different experience levels and qualifications (e.g., starting at $39,057 for teachers with zero experience and a master's degree). This policy directly affects all public school teachers and support staff in West Virginia, aiming to increase base compensation through structured, incremental raises.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates state funds for teacher and support staff pay raises through budget appropriations, increasing public education spending per legislative mandate.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates $10k teacher pay raises over 5 years and 25% raises for support staff, directly advancing educator compensation and retention in K-12 education.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill mandates 25% pay raise for school staff and $10k teacher pay increase over 5 years, directly boosting wages for education workers under Labor & Employment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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passed · West Virginia · Senate Mar 2, 2026

SB 802: Relating to school preparation days

SB 802 requires West Virginia public schools to schedule two "Leave Teachers Alone" days before the school year begins, which teachers can use for activities that improve instruction. The bill prohibits county boards from requiring teachers to use school preparation days (for opening and closing) for any purpose other than those specific tasks. These changes directly affect public school teachers and county boards of education across West Virginia. The bill amends the state's school calendar law to give teachers more autonomy over professional development time without administrative mandates.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides dedicated 'Leave Teachers Alone' days for instruction improvement, directly supporting educator effectiveness and instructional quality per bill language.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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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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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 5, 2026

HB 5248: To create an initiative to provide minorities and males with an incentive to join the public education field

HB 5248 creates a statewide initiative to recruit minorities, males, and individuals from rural, isolated, or impoverished areas into public education careers in West Virginia. The bill requires the State Board of Education and county school boards to develop outreach programs (including informational materials and website content) about teacher preparation programs. It also establishes a scholarship fund to support individuals from these underrepresented groups pursuing teaching careers, with academic ability as the primary selection criterion. The scholarship aims to address teacher shortages by incentivizing new educators from these specific demographics.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes scholarship fund and outreach programs to recruit underrepresented groups into teaching careers, directly advancing K-12 educator diversity and workforce development.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Financial Aid Teachers

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Feb 11, 2026

SB 801: Increasing each school district's basic foundation program

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases state funding for school districts through adjusted educator/staff ratios, directly allocating more public budget to education programs.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases state funding via higher educator/support staff ratios per 1,000 students, directly advancing K-12 resource allocation and staffing requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding Student Health Teachers

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 2, 2026

HB 5051: To modify the teacher retirement system so that Tier 2 teachers may use annual/sick leave towards retirement

HB 5051 would amend West Virginia's Teachers Retirement System to allow Tier 2 teachers to convert their accrued annual and sick leave into additional retirement service credit. Currently, the system permits some employees to use leave for retirement benefits at a two-days-of-leave-to-one-day-of-service ratio, but Tier 2 teachers were excluded from this provision. This bill would extend that benefit to Tier 2 teachers, enabling them to earn extra retirement credit by using unused leave. The change would directly affect current and future Tier 2 teachers in West Virginia's public school system, increasing their retirement benefits through existing leave balances.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExtends retirement benefits to Tier 2 teachers, strengthening educator support through enhanced retirement credit for unused leave.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExtends retirement benefits to Tier 2 teachers by converting leave to service credit, expanding employment-related benefits for public sector workers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 14, 2026

HB 4086: West Virginia Teachers Retirement system

HB 4086 would allow teachers who first joined West Virginia's Teachers Retirement System on or after July 1, 2015, to convert their accrued annual and sick leave into additional retirement service credit. Specifically, each day of accrued leave would count as one day of service toward their retirement benefits. This would increase the amount of retirement benefits these teachers receive based on their total credited service. The bill amends existing law to extend this benefit to newer members of the Teachers Retirement System, rather than just those who joined before 2015. The bill was introduced in the House on January 14, 2026, and referred to the Committee on Education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill enhances retirement benefits for teachers by converting accrued leave to service credit, directly supporting educator compensation and retention within education policy.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill expands retirement benefits for teachers by converting accrued leave into service credit, directly increasing worker benefits under employment standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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