The bill amends the Code of West Virginia to establish clear guidelines for microschools and learning pods as alternatives to traditional public schooling. It introduces a new exemption from compulsory school attendance for children participating in these educational settings, defining "learning pod" as a voluntary group of parents organizing their children's education and "microschool" as a tuition-charging school initiated by teachers or entities. Parents or guardians are required to submit a notice of intent to the state superintendent or board, detailing their child's information and the educational program specifics, including assurances of instruction in core subjects and annual assessments. The bill also outlines requirements for instructional providers, including qualifications and the maintenance of academic assessment records for three years.

Additionally, the bill emphasizes that participation in a learning pod or microschool does not affect a child's eligibility for special education services. It mandates that the state board must inform parents and guardians about available services for assessing a child's eligibility for special education upon request. The bill allows learning pods and microschools to submit composite academic assessment results and requires instructors to provide evidence of appropriate instruction if a child does not make acceptable progress for two consecutive years. Furthermore, it ensures that students in microschools have the same rights as those in other non-public schools and clarifies that they cannot be classified as homeschool students, thereby providing a structured framework for the operation of these educational alternatives within the state's educational system.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 18-8-1