House Bill 3086 aims to amend the school aid formula in West Virginia by establishing a minimum net enrollment of 1,200 students for each county. This bill modifies the definition of "net enrollment" to include various categories of students, such as adults in vocational programs and students in early childhood education, while also ensuring that no county's net enrollment is set below 1,200 for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond. Additionally, it provides specific provisions for calculating funding based on this new minimum enrollment requirement, including protections for counties that may not meet the required ratios of professional instructional personnel due to this adjustment.

The bill also introduces new language regarding the treatment of net enrollment calculations, particularly for counties with low enrollment and sparse population densities. It specifies that any increase in net enrollment resulting from sending students to jointly established schools in other counties will be accounted for in the net enrollment figures. The Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability is tasked with reviewing these provisions every three interim periods to ensure they adequately address the needs of counties with low enrollment. Overall, the bill seeks to modernize the funding framework for public schools in West Virginia by establishing clearer guidelines for enrollment and funding calculations.

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