This bill aims to amend the school aid formula in West Virginia by establishing a minimum net enrollment of 1,200 students for each county. The definition of "net enrollment" is updated to include not only the number of pupils enrolled in special education, kindergarten, and grades one to twelve but also specifies that for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond, no county's net enrollment can be set below 1,200. Additionally, the bill includes provisions that prevent counties from being penalized for not meeting the required ratio of professional instructional personnel due to increases in net enrollment resulting from this new minimum.

The bill also clarifies the definitions of various educational personnel and their roles within the school system, including professional educators, instructional personnel, and student support personnel. It outlines the calculations for determining net enrollment and includes stipulations for how counties with low enrollment and sparse population density will be treated under the new formula. Overall, the legislation seeks to ensure that funding and resources are appropriately allocated to support educational needs across counties in West Virginia.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 18-9A-2