This bill proposes the elimination of the West Virginia Department of Education, transferring its functions, records, assets, and liabilities to other entities as specified. Effective July 1 of the fiscal year following enactment, the role of the State Superintendent of Schools will be reduced to supervising compliance with state and federal law, with a salary cap aligned with that of a member of the Board of Public Works. The bill establishes a new School Fund within the State Treasury, which will be responsible for administering state and federal education funds, and outlines a new county apportionment formula for distributing these funds based on population and inhabitable land mass.

Additionally, the bill mandates the creation of per-teacher classroom expense accounts, which will be funded by the Legislature and disbursed from county school accounts. It also requires county boards of education to utilize purchase cards for routine expenses, with all transactions made publicly available in a searchable format. The bill includes provisions for severability, ensuring that if any part is deemed invalid, the rest remains effective, and it sets an effective date of July 1 following enactment.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 18-36-1, 18-36-2, 18-36-3, 18-36-4, 18-36-5, 18-36-6, 18-36-7, 18-36-8