The proposed bill aims to establish the West Virginia Constitutional Schools Act of 2026, which introduces several new requirements for schools in the state. Key provisions include the designation of a daily time for prayer or meditation, the inclusion of the Pledge of Allegiance to both the U.S. and West Virginia flags at the start of each school day, and the distribution of the West Virginia Constitution to students and parents at the beginning of the school year. Additionally, the preamble of the Constitution must be read over the intercom during the first week of school.

Significantly, the bill mandates the removal of the West Virginia Department of Education's "Next Generation" standards starting in the 2026/2027 school year, allowing districts to adopt their own classical curriculum standards or create their own. It also proposes the elimination of mandatory state general summative assessment testing, replacing it with district-level testing choices, and limits statewide testing to a statistical random sample for policy research. Furthermore, county boards of education are encouraged to offer various testing services, such as the SAT or CLT, to help parents assess their children's performance on national tests.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 18-36-1