The House took up an originating education bill, which was advanced to second reading during Monday evening’s floor session.

Earlier Monday, the House Select Committee on Education Reform C advanced House Bill 206 in a 14-8 vote. The originating bill had several changes from the bill that passed out of the Senate. An outline of those major differences can be viewed here.

This bill would cap the number of charter schools at 10 and would provide charter schools to go into effect for the 2021 school year. County school boards would have to approve applications to form charter schools, except in situations where the state school board intervened in the operation of the school system or in cases where the county school board forwarded an application to the state school board.

The originating bill also removed a proposed new section regarding work stoppages and strikes.

The bill also added a proviso saying that increasing allowances for professional student support personnel may be made through public-private partnerships or contracts.

The House advanced House Bill 206 to second reading. The Select Committee on Education Reform C will host a public hearing Wednesday at 8 a.m. in the House Chamber regarding this bill.

These bills were advanced to third reading:

• S.B. 1015– Supplemental appropriation to Secretary of State, General Administrative Fees Account.
• S.B. 1017– Supplemental appropriation to Department of Arts, Culture, and History, Educational Broadcasting Authority.
• S.B. 1020– Supplementing and amending Chapter 31, Acts of the Legislature, 2019, known as Budget Bill.
• S.B. 1021– Decreasing existing appropriation and adding appropriation to Department of Veterans’ Assistance.
• S.B. 1023– Supplementing, amending, increasing, and adding items of appropriations to Attorney General, Consolidated Federal Fund.
• S.B. 1024– Supplemental appropriation to Department of Agriculture Capital Improvements Fund.
• S.B. 1025– Supplemental appropriation to DHHR, Division of Human Services for fiscal year ending June 30, 2019.
• S.B. 1027– Adding new items and increasing existing items to various accounts.
• S.B. 1038– Supplemental appropriation to DHHR, Division of Health’s Central Office.
• H.B. 113-Establishing tax incentives for new business activity in qualified opportunity zones.

These bills were advanced to second reading:

• H.B. 120– Supplemental appropriation to the Department of Transportation.
• H.B. 132– Supplementing and amending existing items of appropriations to the Department of Agriculture.
• H.B. 134– Increasing annual salaries of public school teachers and school service personnel.
• H.B. 144– West Virginia Business Ready Sites Program.
• H.B. 146– Establishing and funding of substance use disorder treatment and recovery facilities.
• H.B. 148– Making a supplementary appropriation to the Executive, Governor’s Office.
• H.B. 149– Making a supplementary appropriation to the Executive, Governor’s Office, Civil Contingent Fund.
• H.B. 150– Making a supplementary appropriation to the Department of Revenue, Office of the Secretary, Home Rule Board Operations Fund.
• H.B. 151– Making a supplementary appropriation to the Department of Arts, Culture and History, Division of Culture and History, Lottery Education Fund.
• H.B. 152– Making a supplementary appropriation by adding a new item and increasing the expenditure to the Department of Revenue, State Budget Office.
• H.B. 153– Making a supplementary appropriation to the Department of Health and Human Resources, Division of Health, Central Office.
• H.B. 156– Making a supplementary appropriation to the Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Environmental Protection.
• H.B. 157– Making a supplementary appropriation to the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, Division of Homeland Security Emergency Management.
• H.B. 158– Improving education by requiring the state board to establish rules for student accountability regarding performance.
• H.B. 159– Relating to information technology access for the blind and visually impaired.
• H.B. 160– Ron Yost Personal Assistance Services Act.
• H.B. 161– Removing or revising obsolete, outdated, antiquated, inoperative, surplus or superseded provisions of code related to the School Building Authority.
• H.B. 162– Removing antiquated, redundant, or expired provisions of the code for the administration of education.
• H.B. 163– Removing sections of code relating to administration of education.
• H.B. 174– increasing and promoting school innovation and flexibility.
• H.B. 192– Removing certain fees for teaching.
• H.B. 193-Relating to a statewide school personnel job bank.

These bills were referred to House Finance:

• H.B. 167– Allowing a tax credit purpose for certain expenses paid by parent or legal guardian of students in providing private or home school.
• H.B. 168– Establishing the West Virginia Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship program.
• H.B. 171– Relating to tax exemptions for certain school supplies, school instructional materials, laptop and tablet computers, and sports equipment.
• H.B. 173– Providing an annual cost-of-living increase for retired teachers and service personnel.

The House adopted H.C.R. 102– Desired Future for Public Education in West Virginia Interim Study.

The House will is adjourned until tomorrow at 1 p.m. House Finance will meet tomorrow at 9 a.m. in 460M and House Rules will meet tomorrow at 12:45 p.m. behind the House Chamber.

A House education subcommittee advanced an originating education bill Monday.

Senate Bill 1039, the Student Success Act, was referenced to the House Subcommittee on Education C. The committee instead took up an originating bill and reported that bill to the House floor in a 14-8 vote.

When another subcommittee member asked why the House was originating the bill, Delegate Paul Espinosa, R-Jefferson, said, “We gauged the interest in 1039 or any changes members may have. It was the will of our caucus to have a fresh start. There were significant changes and the thinking of the education leadership team and members was to start anew.”

The originating bill had several differences from Senate Bill 1039. To see an outline of some of the major differences, visit here.

The originating bill would cap charter schools at 10 and would provide for charter schools to go into effect for the 2021 school year.

The originating bill would provide that before applying to form a charter school, a group would have to have or have submitted an application for a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Higher education institutions also could submit applications to form charter schools.

County school boards would have to approve the applications. The state Board of Education would review an application if a charter contract is in a county where the state board has intervened in the operation of the school system and limited authority of the county board. It also could review applications in an instance where an application is approved by the county school board and the county board forwards that application to the state school board, requesting it to perform an authorizer function.

The bill does not include an appeal process for charter school applications.

The state school board would do up-front work on best practices, develop applications and contract forms and would provide training for applicants and authorizers. The bill also provides that preference may be given to the primary recruitment community, previous enrollment, and siblings. The bill also would provide that a lottery would not override previous attendance areas following any conversion to charter schools.

The originating bill removed a proposed new section regarding work stoppages and strikes.

The originating bill also added a proviso clarifying that increasing allowances for professional student support personnel may be made through public-private partnerships or contracts.

The originating bill replaced the tax credit under the Senate’s bill and would instead give a $200 increase to classroom teachers and librarians for supplies.

Some delegates expressed concerns regarding transportation and funding. Funding would follow students from a public school to a charter school if the student transferred.

The House subcommittee also reported House Concurrent Resolution 103 to the floor. HCR 103 is a study resolution, requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to review the the Albert Yanni Programs of Excellence in Vocational-Technical Education.

These programs were created in 1989 to provide educational incentives for students and educators to achieve excellence in vocational-technical training.

HCR 103 would study these programs to determine their effectiveness and how they could be restructured or repealed.