This bill amends the Code of West Virginia to establish guidelines for maximum teacher-pupil ratios in classrooms, particularly for grades kindergarten through six. It specifies that county boards of education must ensure that classrooms do not exceed certain pupil limits per teacher, with provisions for early childhood classroom assistants or aides based on the number of pupils. The bill also allows for the employment of full-time or part-time interventionists to meet these requirements, while maintaining that county boards are not mandated to hire interventionists if there are insufficient aides available. Additionally, it sets forth conditions under which the state superintendent can grant exceptions to these ratios in extraordinary circumstances.

A significant addition to the bill is the requirement that when classroom sizes become too large, affecting the ability of teachers to provide one-on-one attention, students must be split into two separate classrooms. This split is intended to ensure that aide coverage is available for both classrooms, thereby improving the teacher-pupil ratio and enhancing individual attention for students. This provision is set to be implemented starting in the 2026-2027 school year, emphasizing the bill's goal of maximizing the effectiveness of classroom aides and improving educational outcomes for students.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 18-5-18a