House Education Chair Touts More Local Flexibility for School Districts

On The Legislature Today, education bills are making their way through committees. Host Andrea Lannom asks House Education Chairman Del. Paul Espinosa to outline some of that legislation as well as touch on issues that might come up at the statehouse this year.

• Election of state School Board members
• Teacher pay raise
• Potential of STEM Charter Schools
• Free or affordable Community and Technical Colleges
• Additional flexibility for local school districts

This session’s focus on the opioid epidemic continues – members of the West Virginia Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors gathered under the dome. Russ Barber captured their message.
Reporter Roxy Todd brings us the story of one organization tackling a very big problem – the alarming rate of people leaving West Virginia. In fact, in just the past year, more than 15,000 people left the state – about 41 people per day. West Virginia Public Broadcasting explored this issue last year in our Inside Appalachia series called The Struggle to Stay. We heard from people who wanted to stay, but didn’t know if it was feasible, and others who wanted to leave to find opportunities elsewhere. This trend is putting a strain on local businesses, making it tough for employers to find skilled, educated workers.

Reporter Dave Mistich brings us a story from the West Virginia House of Delegates. The chamber passed a bill that would create 100 single-member legislative districts following the 2020 census.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s source for daily legislative news and information. The only live television program covering the West Virginia Legislature, the broadcast features reports from the Senate, House and committee meetings with in-depth interviews and analysis of the legislative process in West Virginia.

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