WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2024 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 5588

By Delegate Dillon

[Introduced February 12, 2024; Referred to the Committee on Education then Finance]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §31-15-7a, relating to requiring the Economic Development Authority to transfer $9,100,000 to the School Building Authority account assigned to Dingess Elementary School to be used exclusively to remedy the deferred maintenance deficiency at Dingess Elementary School.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 15. WEST VIRGINIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.

§31-15-7a. Funding for Dingess Elementary School  maintenance deficiency.

(a) The Legislature finds that:

Local community schools are a critical part of the social fabric of our state as well as the future of our citizens. The Legislature finds that local education authorities sometimes fail to identify and set aside sufficient funds to maintain such school facilities. The Legislature further finds that early educational opportunities are critical to the long-term economic growth of our communities; and a Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan review by the School Building Authority revealed a deferred maintenance deficit at Dingess Elementary School located in Mingo County. The necessary amount of inflation-adjusted funding required to bring this facility up to code is $9,100,000.

(b) The West Virginia Department of Economic Development shall transfer $9,100,000 to the School Building Authority account assigned to Dingess Elementary School to be used exclusively to remedy the deferred maintenance deficiency at Dingess Elementary School and bring all structural and maintenance into compliance with all applicable code requirements.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require the Economic Development Authority to transfer $9,100,000 to the School Building Authority account assigned to Dingess Elementary School to be used exclusively to remedy the deferred maintenance deficiency at Dingess Elementary School.

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