FISCAL NOTE
FISCAL NOTE
2025 REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
Senate Bill 89
By Senator Rucker
[Introduced February 12, 2025; referredto the Committee on Education; and then to the Committee on Finance]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §18-5G-14a, relating to creating alternative high-risk population public charter schools; describing students of said schools; and requiring the state board to promulgate a rule for funding.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
## Article 5g. Public Charter Schools.
(a) Alternative high-risk population public charter schools may be authorized and funded pursuant to this article. To be eligible for an alternative high-risk population public charter school, the school must have an unduplicated count of at least 70 percent of their total enrollment, upon first entry to the school, comprised of high-risk students and obtain approval from the Charter School Board certifying the school meets the criteria. "High Risk" students include the following:
(1) Students who have been expelled;
(2) Students who have been suspended more than 10 days in a school year;
(3) Wards of the court or dependents of the court;
(4) Recovered dropouts;
(5) Students who are habitually truant;
(6) Students who have been retained more than once in kindergarten through grade eight;
(7) Students who are credit deficient;
(8) Students who have a high-level transiency such as being enrolled in more than two schools during the past academic year or have changed secondary schools more than two times since entering high school;
(9) Foster youth;
(10) Homeless youth; and
(11) Students who need greater flexibility in scheduling or have circumstances which would benefit from this type of schooling.
(b) The state board shall promulgate a rule pursuant to the provisions of §29A-3B-1 et seq. setting forth requirements for alternative high-risk population charter school funding.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to authorize alternative high risk population public charter schools and provide for rulemaking by state board to determine funding.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.