HB 4952 establishes two new financing programs within the West Virginia Economic Development Authority to support public charter schools. The Charter School Direct Loan Program provides loans for charter school facility acquisition or improvements, while the Charter School Credit Enhancement Program helps schools secure bonds by reducing financing risks. Both programs create dedicated state treasury funds (the Direct Loan Fund and Credit Enhancement Fund) managed by the Authority, with all funding sourced from charter school repayments - not state general funds. The bill explicitly states these programs do not create state debt, moral obligations, or liabilities for counties or school districts. This directly affects qualifying public charter schools seeking financing for facilities or equipment.
HB 4572 creates a pilot program allowing West Virginia county boards to designate struggling rural public schools as "Rural Innovation Schools" to prevent closures. It provides these schools with specific flexibilities unavailable to traditional public schools, including class-size waivers, staffing flexibility (like certification exemptions and bypassing seniority rules), calendar/scheduling adjustments, budget repurposing authority, and curricular choices - while keeping them under county board governance. Schools must meet criteria like low enrollment, geographic isolation, or recent closure threats to qualify, and must enter a performance agreement with the state charter school board for three-year reviews. The program also allows schools closed within the past two years to apply for reopening under these provisions if facilities are safe and viable.
HB 4720 amends West Virginia's charter school application rules to specifically support rural schools. It requires new or converted public charter schools in rural areas to submit detailed applications including student achievement goals, plans for serving underperforming students, governance structures, and specific strategies for supporting students with disabilities and English language learners. The bill mandates 25+ application components covering enrollment plans, budgets, facility details, discipline procedures, and cocurricular programs. This directly affects rural school districts seeking to establish or convert schools into public charters under state education law. The focus is on ensuring charter schools in rural communities have concrete academic and operational plans before approval.
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.
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.
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.
SB 605 would provide a tax credit to West Virginia resident parents or legal guardians who homeschool or enroll their children in private schools meeting state education standards. The credit equals the amount a student eligible for the HOPE Scholarship would receive, covering kindergarten through 12th grade. Families already receiving the HOPE Scholarship are excluded from this credit. The State Tax Commissioner will establish rules for claiming the credit, but the State Board of Education cannot impose additional regulations on homeschooled children.
HB 4063 requires West Virginia's State Board of Education to create and deploy an online portal called the "School Choice Portal" by August 2026. The portal will allow families using non-public school options (such as homeschooling) to electronically submit required notices and reports, including a Notice of Intent, with features like secure access, dashboards for families and school boards, and submission acknowledgments. It must work across all 55 counties, include input from stakeholders like homeschoolers and microschools, and clearly label optional information. The bill mandates the portal be operational for the 2026-2027 school year and requires the Board to report child listings to the relevant county.
HB 4817 changes the name of West Virginia's "Charter Schools Stimulus Fund" to the "Charter Schools Startup Fund" and modifies its administration. The bill requires charter school applicants to submit applications directly to the West Virginia Professional Charter School Board, expands eligible uses of funds to cover startup costs like personnel, instructional materials, equipment, and building renovations, and eliminates prior financial capacity requirements. It mandates repayment with interest if schools fail to open within 30 months after receiving grants (up to $300,000 initially, plus $100,000 later), with the Board managing distributions based on funding availability. This bill directly affects new and existing charter school applicants and schools seeking startup financial support in West Virginia.
HB 4914, the West Virginia Education Freedom and Parental Empowerment Act, creates education savings accounts (ESAs) funded by federal block grants to give parents direct control over K-12 education spending. It requires state funds to be allocated equally per student into parent-controlled accounts, usable for tuition at private/charter schools, tutoring, materials, and other qualified educational expenses. The bill dissolves the State Board of Education’s regulatory powers over K-12 education, limiting it to only transferring federal funds to the State Treasurer, who administers the program and tracks spending. This directly affects all West Virginia K-12 students and their families by shifting educational funding and decision-making from state authorities to parents.
