The bill aims to amend the Code of West Virginia regarding classroom sizes to enhance the utilization of aides and maximize one-on-one time between teachers and students. It establishes specific maximum teacher-pupil ratios for various grade levels, including kindergarten and grades one through six, while allowing for exceptions under certain circumstances. The bill also permits county boards of education to employ interventionists in lieu of aides, with provisions for part-time interventionists if full-time ones are unavailable. Additionally, it mandates equitable student assignment among teachers and requires the state board to collect and report class size data for grades seven through twelve.

A significant new provision is introduced in subsection (j), which states that if classroom sizes become too large, affecting the time teachers can spend with students individually, the students must be split into two separate classrooms. This split is intended to ensure that aide coverage is available for both classrooms and is set to be implemented starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The overall goal of the bill is to create a better teacher-pupil ratio and ensure that each student receives adequate individual attention from both teachers and aides.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 18-5-18a