WEST virginia legislature

2016 regular session

Introduced

House Bill 4706

By Delegates Cooper, Duke, Ellington, Evans, Rohrbach, Espinosa, Statler, Blackwell, Hicks, Hornbuckle and Perdue

[Originating in the Committee on Education.]

February 23,  2016

A BILL to amend and reenact '18-2-26a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to regional county board meetings on empowering and equipping boards to attain goals for public education; removing requirements for biennial meetings on shared services; requiring notice to legislative oversight commission; removing requirement for state board approval of meeting format in advance; requiring report of meetings and specifying content; and providing for recommendations by legislative oversight commission to legislature.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That '18-2-26a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

'18-2-26a. Regional meetings on shared services and functions Regional county board meetings on better empowering and equipping county boards to attain the goals for public education; notice, solicitation of input and approval; reports.

            (a) During the months of July and August, 2013, and thereafter biennially within two months following the organizational meetings of county boards required by section one-c, article five of this chapter

            (a) Between August 1 and December 1, 2016, all county superintendents of schools and members of county boards belonging to the same regional educational service agency shall meet together to identify administrative, coordinating and other county level services and functions that may be shared between or among the county boards, especially when resignations, retirements, staffing realignments or similar events may occur. consider whether the laws of this state might better empower and equip the county boards to attain the goals established for public education by the Legislature and the state board.  The meeting shall be a special meeting of each participating county board, to be These meetings shall be special meetings of the county boards called pursuant to section four, article five of this chapter solely for the purposes set forth in this section.

(b) As soon as each meeting is scheduled, the West Virginia School Board Association shall notify the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability and the State Superintendent in writing of the time, place and date of the meeting. The association shall conduct the meetings and for that purpose may consult with the regional educational service agencies. The format of the meetings shall be approved by the state board in advance.

(c) Prior to seeking the approval of the state board for the format of the meetings, In planning the meetings, the association shall solicit input from statewide organizations that have an interest in public education, including organizations representing the interests of parents, business and industry, public school administrators, teachers and service personnel.

(d) By October January 1, following the meetings required by this section, the West Virginia School Board Association shall provide a report of the meetings to the state board and the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability and the state board. The report shall identify ways in which the laws of this state might better empower and equip the county boards to attain the goals established for public education by the Legislature and state board, whether by the enactment of new laws or the amendment or repeal of existing laws. include, but is not limited to, the following items:

(1) Identification of the administrative, coordinating and other county level services and functions that may be shared between or among the county boards;

(2) An analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of sharing services in each instance; and

(3) A process for implementing recommended changes.

(e) Subject to state board approval, the county board member training standards review committee established by section one-a, article five of this chapter may determine that the attendance of a county board member at the a meeting required by subsection (a) of this section shall be approved as training related to boardsmanship and governance effectiveness.

(f) Based upon the report submitted to it under this section, the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability shall make such recommendations to the Legislature as it deems necessary for consideration at the 2017 and 2018 regular legislative sessions with respect to the enactment of new laws, or the amendment or repeal existing laws, to better empower and equip county boards to attain the goals established for public education, including, but not limited to, laws:

(1) Granting more discretion to county boards;

(2) Increasing the responsibility and accountability of county boards;

(3) Building the leadership capacity of county boards;

(4) Encouraging or requiring innovation;

(5) Funding county board operations;

(6) Encouraging or requiring more collaboration between or among county boards, regional educational service agencies and other entities; and

(7) Directing the state board to establish rules, processes or programs to better empower and equip county boards to attain the goals established for public education. Nothing in this section requires the elimination or consolidation of county school districts.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is require regional county board meetings on empowering and equipping boards to attain goals for public education.  The meeting would take place between August 1 and December 1, 2016 and replace the currently required biennial meetings on shared services.  Based on the report on these meetings, the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability will make recommendations it deems necessary to the Legislature for consideration during the 2017 and 2018 regular sessions.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.