Bill > HB4855

This bill proposes to eliminate the West Virginia Department of Education, effective July 1 of the fiscal year following its enactment, transferring its functions, records, assets, and liabilities to other entities as specified. The bill aims to streamline education administration, increase local control, and centralize fund custody with the State Treasurer, who will manage a new "School Fund" for all state and federal education appropriations, distributing them to county boards of education based on a formula weighted by population and land mass. The Office of the State Superintendent of Schools will be reduced to its constitutional role of supervising compliance and reporting, with other administrative duties like rulemaking and grant management shifting to the State Treasurer, county boards, or other designated entities. Additionally, the bill mandates annual appropriations for teacher classroom expense accounts, to be disbursed from county school funds, and requires county boards and their employees to use purchase cards for routine purchases, with all transactions made publicly searchable by the State Treasurer and county boards to enhance transparency.

Education

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=4855&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill