The House Education Committee advanced several bills, including the following:
House Bill 5048 would allow foster students to engage in virtual learning while waiting to be placed in a foster home. This bill was reported to the floor.
House Bill 5321 would require that the evaluation period for Individualized Education Programs (“IEP”) or 504 services have to happen within 30 days of a foster kid entering foster care or transition homes. This bill was reported to the floor.
House Bill 5354 would allow the Higher Education Policy Commission to create rules for administrative exemptions and a mental health loan program. This bill would also allow the commission to get rid of rules that pertain to purchasing efficiencies and a research trust fund program.
In addition to the Higher Education Policy Commission, this bill would allow the Council for Community and Technical College Education to create a rule for the STAND program and to get rid of a rule about purchasing efficiencies. This bill was reported to the floor.
House Bill 4425 would repeal the code that allows for the athletic eligibility of transfer students.
House Bill 5163 would exempt child-care programs operated by a county board of education from specific licensing requirements. The bill would also establish rules to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of children enrolled in such programs.
House Bill 5537 would get rid of West Virginia code sections that pertain to the Office of Education Performance Audits and Mountain State Digital Literacy Project, a section of professional development for West Virginia public school educators, and a section of the High School Graduation Improvement Act. This bill was advanced to markup and discussion.
An Originating Bill was placed on the agenda today. This originating bill would allow the state Board of Education to create rules for graduation. This bill would allow superintendents flexibility when it comes to making graduation requirements. This bill was advanced to markup and discussion.
This Originating Resolution would pertain to the County School Districts Consolidation. In House Bill 5061, the creation of a plan is spelled out in the bill to consolidate the 55 school districts in WV into bigger districts. This resolution would create a study that investigates the flexibility of consolidating the West Virginia school districts into bigger districts, gathers data on student performance, staffing, and how the Consolidation would occur.
