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The Senate Education Committee Tuesday advanced a bill to help out struggling school districts.
A bill originating in committee Tuesday would appropriate any reduction in state aid from the previous fiscal year to the Department of Education and distribute those funds to the 10 lowest enrollment county school districts.
According to Sen. Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, declining student enrollment returns between $25 million and $30 million back to the general revenue fund each year.
Tarr said the bill requires counties to have a maximum levy to qualify for the additional funds.
“That’s what the bill is designed to do, is to find the schools that are the highest risk for closure, that have good administration, have limited resources and are trying to help themselves,” he said.
Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, said that according to the West Virginia Department of Education, 12 or 13 counties in the state do not have a school levy.
The originating bill was advanced with a reference to the Committee on Finance.
Other Business
Senate Bill 1048 would transfer responsibility of school position eliminations to the state Board of Education.
The inability to reduce workforce size has contributed to the financial hardship of several counties in recent years. Most notably, Hancock County Schools was operating at about 140 positions over formula for two years before its financial crisis necessitated state intervention.
“I’ve heard the phrase, take the politics out of the decisions,” Hank Hager, committee counsel, said. “For example, the county board members, they know the people that are being employed, it’s hard for them to make the cuts that are necessary to balance the budget.”
Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, was one of the lawmakers that asked about the potential loss of local control. Hager clarified that the bill gives the state board final approval of reduction in force plans presented by county school districts.
SB 1048 was advanced with a reference to the Committee on Finance.
Senate Bill 929 would require the State Auditor to issue notice of noncompliance to county boards of education for untimely reports when the board has not filed its financial statement within 90 days of the deadline.
The bill also requires that the state Board of Education plan to resolve state interventions in school districts in under 36 months, and requires a report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability if a longer intervention is required.
Tarr stated that the bill was motivated by a desire to see Hancock County Schools pay back the $8 million loan the legislature has approved for the financially struggling district.
“Also that until it is paid back, that the state Board of Education stays involved with correcting the issues there, and then also sets in a timeline by which they need to get out and have those things fixed,” he said.