This bill amends the Code of West Virginia to establish a homeless education coordinator position in counties designated as urban or rural by the state board. Specifically, it creates a new section, 18-8A-5, which mandates that each urban county employ a full-time coordinator and each rural county employ a part-time coordinator. The bill outlines the responsibilities of the homeless education coordinator, which include identifying homeless children and youth, ensuring their enrollment and access to educational opportunities, coordinating referrals to necessary services, and disseminating information about their educational rights.

Additionally, the bill deletes the previous requirement for the county attendance director to serve as the liaison for homeless children and youth, thereby transferring this responsibility to the newly established homeless education coordinator. The coordinator will also be tasked with training school personnel on the rights and needs of homeless students, expediting school placement decisions, and ensuring compliance with relevant laws, such as the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Overall, the bill aims to enhance support for homeless students and improve their educational outcomes.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 18-8-4, 18-8A-5