The bill amends sections of the Code of West Virginia concerning public charter schools, focusing on tuition criteria, personnel employment, and school district responsibilities for student tracking. It establishes that when a student withdraws from a public charter school to return to their home public school district, that district is responsible for tracking the student. Additionally, the bill allows public charter school teachers, regardless of certification or licensing, to proctor state assessments and grants the governing board of a public charter school the authority to remove its members by a vote.

Moreover, the bill introduces provisions for alternative high-risk population public charter schools, defining eligibility criteria for these institutions and requiring the West Virginia Board of Education to create funding rules. It allows public charter schools to submit amendments to their applications at any time, which can be approved or rejected by their authorizers. The bill also permits institutions of higher education to apply for the establishment of virtual or on-campus public charter microschools and encourages collaboration between public charter schools and learning pods or microschools for instructional purposes, thereby expanding educational options and support for diverse learning environments in West Virginia.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 18-5G-3, 18-5G-8, 18-5G-18