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 key provision allows for a weight of 1.5 for special education enrollment when calculating service personnel funding, aimed at increasing resources for 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-density, medium-density, low-density, and sparse-density counties. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of technology integration specialists and includes provisions for funding teacher and leader induction and professional growth, ensuring that no county receives less than its total allocation from previous years for these purposes.

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 specific educational initiatives. It allocates up to $1,000,000 from a total of $15,000,000 to county boards for contracting with organizations that improve math and science education and assist underqualified teachers. The bill establishes a grant program by the state board with specific application requirements and evaluation mandates. It also introduces provisions for counties experiencing extraordinary enrollment growth to receive additional funding, while specifying that those below certain thresholds will not qualify. Furthermore, it includes a new rule for calculating enrollment increases for public charter schools, ensuring they receive direct funding from the Department of Education. Overall, the bill aims to provide robust financial support to educational institutions facing growth and enhance the quality of education through targeted funding initiatives.

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