Bill > SB896

This bill establishes a five-year moratorium on public school closings and consolidations in West Virginia, beginning July 1, 2025, with the goal of better understanding the impacts of school size and location on student outcomes. The Legislature acknowledges that existing data is insufficient to inform statewide education policy, particularly given the diverse demographic and economic contexts of different communities. During this moratorium, the West Virginia Department of Education must undertake several comprehensive studies and actions, including creating a statewide inventory of school proximity and travel distances, implementing an anonymous rating system for schools across multiple domains, validating school assessment data by excluding certain student scores, commissioning independent studies on school size's effects on student mental well-being and academic performance, and surveying both new and long-term residents about their preferences for school proximity and size. The Department must also provide emergency funds to ensure existing schools remain operational and grant necessary waivers to local school improvement councils. At the moratorium's conclusion, the Board of Education is required to submit a detailed report to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance with findings, conclusions, and recommended legislation. If the required studies are not completed within the five-year period, the moratorium will continue indefinitely until all specified actions are finished.