FISCAL NOTE
Date Requested: January 29, 2026
Time Requested: 06:20 PM |
| Agency: |
Education, WV Department of |
|---|
| CBD Number: |
Version: |
Bill Number: |
Resolution Number: |
| 3046 |
Introduced |
HB4955 |
|
|---|
| CBD Subject: |
Education (K12) |
|---|
|
FUND(S):
N/A
Sources of Revenue:
Other Fund County Boards of Education
Legislation creates:
Increases Existing Expenses
Fiscal Note Summary
Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.
The purpose of this bill is to make classroom sizes equal so that aides can be best utilized, and one-on-one time with teachers and students can be maximized without losing the use of an aide. While there is an anticipated cost, the fiscal impact is indeterminable at this time and would be borne by the various county boards of education.
Fiscal Note Detail
| Effect of Proposal |
Fiscal Year |
2026
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
2027
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation) |
| 1. Estmated Total Cost |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Personal Services |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Current Expenses |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Repairs and Alterations |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Assets |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Other |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2. Estimated Total Revenues |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Explanation of above estimates (including long-range effect):
While there is an anticipated cost, the fiscal impact is indeterminable at this time and would be borne by the various county boards of education. The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) believes the intent of the legislation is to eliminate the ability for county boards of education to structure class sizes to avoid situations of employing multiple aides in grades PK-3 in which classroom supports are required at certain class sizes. WVDE does not have the necessary data available to determine whether an aide is employed in a specific classroom, regardless of the class size.
Memorandum
The WVDE believes the wording of the proposed legislation should be reviewed to ensure the following language is not open to interpretation or opinion: “Where classrooms become so large that they affect the time teachers can spend with students in a one-on-one setting, the students in that classroom shall be split into two separate classrooms.” This language could be ambiguous in conjunction with what the WVDE believes is the root of the proposed legislation’s purpose, which is disenabling county boards of education from shifting class sizes in order to not provide classroom supports in some circumstances.
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Tina Payne
Email Address: tina.a.payne@k12.wv.us