SB 896
Creating moratorium on school closings and consolidation
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Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House of Delegates
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill creates a five-year moratorium on school closures and consolidations in West Virginia. It directs the West Virginia Department of Education to conduct several studies, including assessments of student and parent satisfaction, the impact of school size and travel distance on student well-being and academic performance, and the fiscal consequences of consolidation. The bill also requires the Department of Education to establish emergency funds and implement a data collection system to inform future decisions regarding school planning.
Key provisions
- Establishes a five-year moratorium on school closures and consolidations.
- Requires the Department of Education to commission a statewide inventory of school proximity and travel distances.
- Mandates the implementation of a parent and student satisfaction rating system for schools.
- Requires validation of school assessment data to account for student absenteeism and other factors.
- Directs the Board of Education to study the effects of school size and travel distance on student well-being and academic performance.
- Requires the Board of Education to survey new and long-term residents regarding school preferences.
- Calls for an independent study on the impact of school size on the need for remediation and support services.
- Requires the Board of Education to provide a report to the legislature at the end of the moratorium period.
Who is affected
- Students
- Parents
- School Districts
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