The bill introduces the "Sustaining Opportunities for Academics in Rural Schools Act" (SOAR) to enhance educational access in rural West Virginia by establishing rural in-person public charter schools. These schools will cater to students who face a commute of over 45 minutes to the nearest noncharter public school. The legislation outlines a governance structure requiring a distinct governing board for each rural charter school, separate from the sponsoring public charter school, and details the application process for establishing these schools. It also allows existing public charter schools in good standing to submit abbreviated applications for new campuses and mandates that sponsoring schools provide necessary administrative and operational support.

Furthermore, the bill specifies that the initial governing board will consist of four members until a superintendent or designee is appointed, with an ad hoc committee proposing the permanent board's initial members. The permanent governing board will manage the charter contract and school property, while also having authority over personnel decisions, subject to approval from the sponsoring school. The state board is tasked with creating rules for the governance and operation of these boards, including the transition from the ad hoc committee to the permanent board and the management of school property. The bill also allows for the potential change of the sponsoring public charter school if the relationship becomes untenable.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 18-5G-8