Education

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 29, 2026

HB 4961: Cap the amount of family income eligible for Hope Scholarships

HB 4961 would limit eligibility for West Virginia's Hope Scholarship program by capping family income at $150,000 in the taxable year of application. This change directly affects parents applying for the scholarship to cover K-12 education expenses for their children. The bill amends existing law to require that a parent's combined federal adjusted gross income must be below $150,000, replacing any previous income threshold. It does not alter other program requirements, such as qualifying education expenses or application procedures.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesCaps income eligibility for state scholarship program, reducing state expenditure on education funding by limiting qualified applicants.85% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts K-12 scholarship access by capping family income at $150k, limiting eligibility for Hope Scholarships per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Student Financial Aid

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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 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 · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 215: Creating WV Constitutional Schools Act of 2026

SB 215, the West Virginia Constitutional Schools Act of 2026, requires public schools in West Virginia to implement daily prayer or meditation time, include a specific pledge honoring both U.S. and West Virginia flags, and provide students and parents with the state constitution for review. It mandates removing mandatory state "Next Generation" curriculum standards by the 2026/2027 school year, allowing districts to choose classical or locally developed standards instead. The bill also replaces statewide standardized testing with district-level testing choices, offers national assessments like the SAT or CLT for parents, and limits statewide testing to random samples for policy research. These changes directly affect all public K-12 schools in West Virginia beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationMandates removal of mandatory state curriculum standards, directly limiting educational requirements.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum School Choice Testing & Assessment

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 27, 2026

SB 618: Prohibiting public funds from supporting low-earning outcome postsecondary degree programs

Senate Bill 618 prohibits West Virginia state and local public funds from supporting postsecondary degree programs identified as having "low-earning outcomes" under federal standards. It requires the Higher Education Policy Council to adopt rules blocking state funding - covering student aid, operational costs, grants, and facilities - from such programs and to annually report on blocked programs and fiscal impacts. This directly affects public universities and colleges receiving state funding, as well as students enrolled in designated programs. The bill implements a policy change by tying state education funding eligibility to graduate earnings data, rather than program content or accreditation.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesDefunds specific higher education programs by restricting state funding allocation for low-earning outcome degrees, directly limiting public spending on targeted programs.95% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationDefunds specific higher education programs with low-earning outcomes, restricting state funding for such programs per bill language.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 15, 2026

HB 4373: To implement a Property Tax Poverty Exemption - School Excess Levy

This bill creates a property tax exemption for homeowners in West Virginia whose household income meets federal poverty guidelines. It directly affects low-income homeowners who occupy their property as their primary residence and pay school excess levies (the portion of property taxes funding schools beyond regular levies). To qualify, applicants must file an annual application between July 1 and December 1 with proof of income, residency, and property ownership, and meet residency requirements (two years in WV or specific return-from-out-of-state rules). The exemption applies only to school excess levy taxes - not regular property taxes - and must be renewed yearly.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides property tax exemption for low-income homeowners meeting poverty guidelines, reducing their tax burden on school excess levies.95% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationExempts low-income homeowners from school excess levies, reducing local school funding sources. Directly impacts school revenue streams without advancing educational access or funding.85% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingProvides property tax relief to low-income homeowners, reducing housing costs and increasing affordability for primary residence owners.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Sales Tax Tax Incentives School Funding Affordable Housing Housing Finance Property Taxes

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 122: Repealing athletic eligibility of transfer students

SB 122 would repeal a West Virginia law requiring the State Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC) to automatically allow high school transfer students to retain athletic eligibility after moving schools. This bill directly affects high school athletes who transfer between schools, as it removes a mandatory rule that previously required WVSSAC to permit their continued participation. The key provision eliminates the requirement forcing WVSSAC to modify its rules to guarantee eligibility, instead giving the commission discretion to decide whether to allow transfer students to compete. The bill does not create new eligibility rules but changes the Commission's authority to determine them.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRepeals automatic eligibility rule, restricting transfer students' access to athletic programs within K-12 schools, limiting a specific educational opportunity.90% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

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

HB 4034: To display the Ten Commandments in public schools

HB 4034 requires all West Virginia public elementary and secondary schools to display a specific version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The bill mandates a durable poster or framed copy at least 16x20 inches, using the exact biblical text provided in the bill (including phrases like "I AM the LORD thy God"), legible from anywhere in the classroom. Schools must accept private donations meeting these standards if they lack compliant displays, and may replace non-compliant existing displays using public funds or donations. The law does not permit additional content on the displayed text.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationMandates religious display in classrooms, restricting secular curriculum freedom per education policy indicators90% confidence

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introduced · West Virginia · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 89: Providing members of State Teachers Retirement System are absent from service while serving as officer with statewide professional teaching association

This bill modifies West Virginia's State Teachers Retirement System rules to address members serving as officers in statewide teaching associations. It allows these members to be considered "absent from service" while holding such roles, meaning their teaching service time won't count toward retirement credit during that period. However, they must make double the usual retirement contributions for the absence duration (e.g., if they normally pay 10% of salary, they pay 20% during this service). The provision applies only to those serving as officers before January 1, 2025, and service credit for this absence is capped at 10 years.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill reduces teacher retirement benefits by requiring double contributions without service credit, increasing financial burden during leadership roles.85% confidence

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 15, 2026

SB 414: Keep Accreditation About Academics Act

SB 414, the "Keep Accreditation About Academics Act," prohibits accrediting agencies from considering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in accreditation decisions for West Virginia public colleges and universities. The bill defines DEI as any practice involving differential treatment based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics and bans accrediting agencies from collecting, reviewing, or requiring such initiatives. It allows students, employees, or the Attorney General to sue accrediting agencies for violations, with penalties including triple damages and attorney fees. The law directly affects West Virginia's public higher education institutions and their accreditors by restricting how accreditation decisions are made. This bill aims to limit accreditation processes to academic standards alone, removing DEI considerations from evaluation criteria.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill explicitly bans DEI initiatives from accreditation decisions, restricting their consideration in higher education evaluation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Higher Education

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