This bill amends the Code of West Virginia to enhance the school aid formula, particularly by providing additional support for schools under specific circumstances. A significant change is the introduction of a weight of 1.5 for special education enrollment in the calculation of service personnel funding, aimed at increasing financial resources for hiring special education aides. The bill also modifies the foundation allowance for service personnel, increasing the number of personnel per 1,000 students in various density counties, with new ratios established for high, medium, low, and sparse-density counties. Additionally, it outlines changes to the foundation allowance for instructional programs and technology, requiring counties to allocate funds according to their strategic improvement plans and limiting the increase of non-instructional personnel in central offices.

Moreover, the bill mandates that the Governor include in each budget the reappropriation of any unused accumulated balance within the Department of Education to support educational initiatives. It allocates up to $1,000,000 from a total of $15,000,000 to county boards for contracting with organizations that enhance math and science education and assist underqualified teachers. The bill also establishes a grant program by the state board with specific application requirements and evaluation mandates. It introduces provisions for counties experiencing extraordinary enrollment growth to receive additional funding, while ensuring that public charter schools receive direct funding based on enrollment increases. Overall, the bill aims to provide robust financial support to schools facing enrollment challenges and enhance educational quality through targeted funding initiatives.

Statutes affected:
Originating in Committee: 18-9A-2, 18-9A-5, 18-9A-10, 18-9A-15