Education

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 28, 2026

HB 4855: To the elimination of the West Virginia Department of Education and providing direct funding for education

HB 4855 eliminates West Virginia's Department of Education, transferring its functions to the State Treasurer and county school boards. It creates a centralized School Fund at the State Treasurer to hold all state and federal education funds, which counties receive annually based on a formula weighted 67% by population and 33% by land area. The bill also establishes per-teacher classroom expense accounts and requires public transparency for all county school procurement purchases. These changes directly affect county school boards, teachers, and the State Superintendent, who will no longer oversee education programs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates centralized School Fund for direct education funding, establishes per-teacher expense accounts, and mandates procurement transparency - enhancing resource allocation and accountability in K-12 education.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding Teachers

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 39: Requiring heart health program in grades three through six

SB 39 requires West Virginia public schools with students in grades three through six to implement a heart health program. The program must include 12 consecutive weeks of nutrition and aerobic exercise education annually, delivered through flexible formats like books, digital tools, or in-person classes. Schools must align the program with state health standards, track student participation, and report data to the state education department. This directly affects all public schools serving grades three through six in West Virginia, mandating specific health education requirements during the school day.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates heart health programs in K-12 schools, enhancing student wellness through required curriculum and alignment with state education standards.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires heart health education in K-12 schools, promoting preventive public health measures through nutrition/exercise programs aligned with state health standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Student Health

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 28, 2026

HB 4861: Authorizing county boards to designate rural anchor schools.

HB 4861 allows West Virginia county school boards, with state board approval, to designate one or more rural schools as "Rural Anchor Schools" if they meet specific criteria: geographic isolation (rural community, primary neighborhood school), enrollment below the statewide average for their grade level, and demonstrated need to avoid unreasonable transportation/safety issues if closed. The bill requires state aid calculations to treat these schools as if they have at least 150 students for funding purposes, covering fixed operating costs (utilities, maintenance) and core staffing, while keeping actual enrollment counts unchanged for other purposes. Designations last five years with annual reporting on enrollment, student performance, and fund usage, and can be revoked if eligibility or accountability rules are violated. This directly affects eligible rural schools and their funding under the state's public school support program.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAdjusts state aid formula to ensure rural schools receive adequate funding by treating them as having 150+ students, supporting public education budget allocation.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAdjusts state aid calculations to treat rural anchor schools as having 150+ students, ensuring funding to prevent closures and maintain access in rural districts.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Funding Tags Rural Communities

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 15, 2026

SB 409: High School Educator Flexibility Act of 2026

SB 409 creates a new "course-specific teaching permit" allowing certified West Virginia high school teachers to teach specific high-quality courses - even outside their subject-area certification - after completing approved training. The bill defines "high-quality courses" as those with industry credentials, college credit, or standardized exams, and requires teachers to finish 30+ hours of approved professional learning from designated providers. School districts can assign permit-holding teachers to fill staffing gaps in these courses, and the bill guarantees that career-technical education funding won’t be reduced for courses taught by such instructors. This directly affects certified teachers seeking flexibility and school districts managing specialized course staffing.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEnables teachers to teach specialized courses via approved training, expanding access to high-quality courses without lowering standards, supporting K-12 educator flexibility and curriculum options.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Curriculum Teachers

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 4871: Make available vegetarian meal option for students enrolled in schools, provided that such meals comply with all applicable federal nutritional guidelines

HB 4871 requires West Virginia public school districts to offer a vegetarian meal option that meets federal nutrition standards for students enrolled in schools. County school boards must make this option available but can require advance requests (with reasonable deadlines) and are not obligated to provide it if a request isn't submitted in time. The bill does not change existing rules for medical or religious dietary accommodations and allows school districts to set their own implementation procedures for requests and menu planning. It directly affects students seeking vegetarian meals and school nutrition programs operating under federal meal reimbursement programs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates vegetarian meal option meeting federal standards, enhancing student nutritional access within K-12 education.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 92: Relating to enhanced pay for certain teachers

SB 92 creates a market-based pay enhancement for West Virginia teachers in counties where regional home prices exceed the state average. It directly affects certified teachers employed in counties where the median home price in their county plus neighboring border counties is higher than West Virginia’s statewide median. The bill calculates an annual multiplier using regional vs. state median home prices (from National Association of Realtors data), which is applied to each county’s average teacher salary to determine supplemental pay. This enhancement, added to base salaries, requires annual reporting to the State Auditor and is subject to personal income tax. The program begins July 15, 2026, with updates every five years.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates state funds for teacher pay enhancements based on regional home prices, increasing education budget spending through targeted appropriations.92% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates market-based pay enhancement for teachers in high-cost counties, directly supporting educator compensation and addressing regional cost-of-living disparities in K-12 education.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates market-based pay enhancement for teachers, increasing wages in high-cost counties per home price data.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Audits & Accountability Income Tax Teachers

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Feb 24, 2026

SB 619: Creating Stop the Bleed Act

SB 619, the Stop the Bleed Act, requires West Virginia public schools to implement bleeding control programs starting in the 2026-2027 school year. It mandates schools to place bleeding control kits (containing tourniquets, bandages, gauze, gloves, and DHS/ACS instructional materials) in accessible locations, train staff every other year on wound control techniques, and integrate bleeding control education into high school curricula for grades 9-12. The bill also requires annual kit inspections, post-use restocking, and provides civil immunity for school personnel using kits unless gross negligence occurs. Funding may come from private donations or legislative appropriations. This law directly affects all West Virginia county school districts and their students and staff.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates bleeding control curriculum integration in grades 9-12 and staff training, enhancing school safety programs within K-12 education framework.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum School Safety Student Health

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 57: Exempting ad valorem property tax on property used for divine worship, educational, and charitable purposes

SB 57 amends West Virginia law to explicitly include property used for educational and charitable activities on land primarily for divine worship (like churches) under the existing property tax exemption. This means churches operating schools, daycare centers, or community programs on their property will now qualify for full tax exemption on that land, not just the worship space. The bill clarifies that if a portion of religious property serves educational, literary, scientific, or charitable purposes - such as a church-run school or community center - the entire property remains exempt. It directly affects religious organizations and nonprofits using their land for these combined purposes. The change refines existing law (§11-3-9) without creating new exemptions.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill expands tax exemption for religious/charitable properties, reducing state tax revenue and weakening tax base.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill explicitly includes educational activities in property tax exemption, providing tax relief to religious organizations operating schools/programs, supporting educational access for students in those settings.80% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Incentives

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 224: Creating Support for Neglected Schools Act

SB 224 reorganizes how West Virginia allocates existing school construction funds to prioritize facility improvements. It sets aside 10% of available funds for statewide projects (like school construction), 5% specifically for multi-use vocational-technical facilities (including post-secondary programs), and 2% for emergency repairs. The bill requires school authorities and county boards to submit approved 10-year facility plans before receiving funds and prioritizes vocational-technical projects that partner with community colleges. It directly affects school districts, county boards, and vocational centers by changing how they access state funding for facility upgrades.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRedirects existing school construction funds to prioritize facility improvements, vocational programs, and emergency repairs, enhancing infrastructure and access for K-12 schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education School Funding

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

HB 4955: To ensure that classroom sizes are equal without losing a teachers aide

This bill establishes specific class size limits for West Virginia public schools: kindergarten classes must have no more than 20 students per teacher with an aide (for classes over 10 students), and grades 1-3 must have no more than 25 students per teacher with an aide, phased in from the 2023-2024 school year through 2025-2026. It requires counties to maintain these ratios in K-6 classrooms, allowing interventionists as an alternative staffing option for grades 4-6. The law directly affects K-6 teachers and students by mandating smaller class sizes to maximize teacher-student interaction time and support staff utilization.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates specific class size limits (K-3) with aides, directly improving student-teacher ratios in K-12 education per bill's explicit requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Teachers

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