Education

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 23, 2026

HB 4777: Establishing Summer Feeding for All Program

This bill establishes the Summer Feeding for All Program to help West Virginia students access nutritious meals during summer and other non-school periods. It requires each county school board to conduct annual surveys assessing students' food access during non-school days, compile community resource lists (including non-profits and religious groups providing meals), and report findings to the Office of Child Nutrition. County boards must also integrate feeding plans into crisis response plans and provide training for potential feeding sites. The Office of Child Nutrition will coordinate the program, share successful initiatives across counties, and assist with resource mapping.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill directly establishes program to ensure K-12 students access nutritious meals during non-school periods, addressing food access barriers to educational access as required by school boards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health

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passed · West Virginia · Senate Feb 2, 2026

SB 388: Requiring public elementary or secondary school make Aitken Bible available to certain classrooms

SB 388 requires all public elementary and secondary schools in West Virginia to make the Aitken Bible available in fourth, eighth, and 10th grade social studies classrooms. Schools may only use private donations to obtain the Bible - public funds cannot be used for this purpose. The bill explicitly applies to public charter schools authorized under West Virginia law. This legislation mandates the availability of the Aitken Bible in specified grades while restricting funding sources for its distribution.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationMandates inclusion of Aitken Bible in social studies curriculum, restricting academic freedom by imposing specific religious content in K-12 classrooms.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 21, 2026

HB 4658: To add to the teacher pay scale the increments of Bachelor’s Plus 30 and Master’s Plus 60 and add that amount in the appropriate increment.

HB 4658 would add a new pay increment for teachers with a Master's degree plus 60 credits (or equivalent) to West Virginia's teacher salary schedule, which currently only includes increments up to Master's plus 15. The bill establishes a base salary amount for this category and an additional $69 per year of experience (up to 35 years), matching the structure of existing increments like "A.B. + 30" and "M.A. + 15." This change would directly increase pay for teachers meeting this specific qualification, including those with a Master's degree and 60 additional credits beyond the degree. The bill does not affect the existing "Bachelor’s Plus 30" increment, which is already listed in the current salary schedule.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAdds Master's +60 pay increment, increasing teacher compensation for advanced qualifications, directly supporting educators through salary structure updates.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncreases teacher pay through new salary increment (Master's +60), directly advancing wage standards for educators per bill's pay structure expansion.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 26, 2026

HB 4818: Relating to providing greater access to unused public buildings for public charter schools

HB 4818 allows public charter schools in West Virginia to lease or purchase unused or underutilized public school buildings owned by county districts. It requires county superintendents to annually report all such properties - including those with enrollment below 70% capacity - to the state education department, which will maintain a public list. Charter schools may request these properties at market rate, with counties obligated to offer them before considering other uses. The bill also gives school boards a right of first refusal if a charter school later seeks to buy a property they leased.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands K-12 educational access by enabling charter schools to lease unused public buildings, increasing physical space options and improving infrastructure access for students.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 15, 2026

SB 412: Relating to required instruction in human growth and development

SB 412 amends West Virginia law requiring health education in public schools (grades 6-12) to specifically include instruction on "human growth and development related to pregnancy and human development inside the womb." This bill directly affects all West Virginia public schools and their health education curricula. The key provision mandates that existing health education courses must now incorporate this specific content about prenatal development and pregnancy. The bill does not change other required health topics like STD prevention, substance abuse, nutrition, or CPR instruction. It focuses solely on adding this new component to the existing health education requirements.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates specific curriculum content in health education, expanding required topics for K-12 students per bill's explicit language.90% confidence

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signed · West Virginia · Senate Jun 25, 2026

SB 502: Women’s Collegiate Sports Protection Act

SB 502 establishes permanent endowments to protect women’s collegiate Olympic sports programs at West Virginia’s public NCAA Division I universities. It requires that only endowment earnings - not principal - fund scholarships, coaching, equipment, and facilities for these programs. The bill creates tax credits (50% of donations) for private contributions and matching funds for institutions that document verified operational savings (e.g., energy efficiency, shared services), while prohibiting cuts to academic programs or Title IX compliance. All endowments must undergo annual audits, and institutions must report on cost savings, donations, and Title IX adherence to the state education commission.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates 50% tax credits for donations to fund women's sports programs, directly providing tax relief to incentivize private contributions toward program funding.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates permanent endowments and tax credits to fund/protect women's collegiate sports programs at public universities, directly strengthening higher education athletic funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Government Spending

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 19, 2026

HB 4136: To require the Department of Education to alter who can certify homeschool portfolios or review them

HB 4136 would require teachers reviewing homeschool portfolios to have specific training in English, math, and science. Currently, any certified teacher can review these portfolios, but this bill adds a mandatory training requirement for reviewers in those core subjects. The change directly affects homeschooling families in West Virginia, as their children's annual academic assessments must now be conducted by teachers meeting this new standard. The Department of Education would need to update its guidelines to implement this requirement.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAdds mandatory subject-specific training for homeschool portfolio reviewers, strengthening assessment quality standards in K-12 education.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 20, 2026

HB 4583: Victims of Communism Day

West Virginia House Bill 4583 establishes November 7 annually as "Victims of Communism Day" for public schools. It requires high school students in U.S. Government classes (mandated under §18-2-9(a)(1)) to receive at least 45 minutes of instruction about communist regimes' impacts, including specific examples like Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution, Stalin's Soviet system, and Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge. The bill mandates that curriculum content cover how victims suffered through poverty, starvation, migration, violence, and speech suppression under these regimes. The State Board of Education must adopt revised social studies standards incorporating these requirements by April 1, 2026, with implementation beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationMandates specific curriculum content on communist regimes, restricting academic freedom in U.S. Government classes per §18-2-9(a)(1)95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 3, 2026

HB 4697: Require that any student in the 11th or 12th grade, who has been placed in a “free/elective/assistant” period, be informed of online college course opportunities available for them

HB 4697 requires West Virginia high schools to inform 11th and 12th grade students placed in "free" or "teacher-assistant" periods about available online college course opportunities. This applies specifically to students not enrolled in a regular class during those periods, such as during unscheduled free time or while assisting teachers. Schools must provide information on accessible online college courses but do not need to guarantee enrollment or cover costs. The bill aims to expand access to college-level coursework for high school students in non-traditional class settings. It adds this requirement to existing education code provisions without altering current course mandates.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands educational access by requiring schools to inform students about online college courses, providing more higher education opportunities during high school without mandating costs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education K-12 Education Teachers

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 223: Creating Community School Parents' Choice Act

SB 223 requires West Virginia county school boards to follow specific steps before closing or consolidating any school (except when a bond issue already covered the closure). Before making a final decision, boards must prepare written reasons with supporting data, hold public hearings with adequate notice, and create an impact statement covering student transportation, financial effects, enrollment, staff impacts, and community consequences. The bill ensures parents and community representatives (through school improvement councils) receive notice and have opportunities to provide input during the process. It applies directly to students, families, school staff, and local communities affected by potential school closures or consolidations. The law includes a 10-year sunset date but focuses on procedural requirements for school board decisions.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates procedural safeguards (data, hearings, impact statements) before school closures/consolidations, protecting educational access and community input in K-12 operations.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice School Transportation

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