SB 504
West Virginia Rural School Protection Act
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Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House of Delegates
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill, the West Virginia Rural School Protection Act, aims to protect rural public schools in West Virginia from closure or consolidation. It establishes stricter standards and procedures for such decisions, requiring detailed impact statements, supermajority votes by county boards of education, and voter ratification. The bill also includes provisions regarding student transportation time limits, restrictions on waivers, and funding to support rural schools.
Key provisions
- Requires a detailed rural school closure impact statement to be prepared and publicly available.
- Requires a two-thirds vote of the county board of education for closure or consolidation.
- Mandates voter ratification through a referendum if the county board approves closure or consolidation.
- Establishes maximum one-way student transportation time limits for elementary, middle, and high school students.
- Restricts the ability of the State Board of Education to waive transportation time limits.
- Creates a ‘rural school preservation weight’ in the state school aid funding formula.
- Requires mitigation plans to address transportation and student support needs during consolidation.
- Requires State Board of Education approval before closure or consolidation can proceed.
Who is affected
- Rural public schools in West Virginia
- Students attending rural public schools
- County Boards of Education
- The State Board of Education
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