WEST virginia legislature

2019 FIRST EXTRAORDINARY session

Introduced

Senate Bill 1034

By Senators Prezioso, Baldwin, Beach, Facemire, Hardesty, Ihlenfeld, Jeffries, Lindsay, Palumbo, Plymale, Romano, Stollings, Unger, and Woelfel

[Introduced May 20, 2019; Referred
to the Committee on Education]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-5-18d; and to amend and reenact §18-5-18e of said code, all relating to studies of issues effecting public school education; authorizing a study of student loan payments tax credits and a loan forgiveness program for teachers; and authorizing a study of class sizes.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 5. COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.

§18-5-18d. Study of student loan tax credits and forgiveness on teacher recruitment and retention.

(a) The Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability shall conduct a study of the impact of a student loan tax credit for payments of principal and interest on eligible higher education loans; and a loan forgiveness to individuals teaching in particular areas of the state or licensure fields experiencing a teacher shortage on the recruitment and retention of high quality teachers. The commission may conduct the study as a whole or may appoint a subcommittee to conduct the study under its direction.

(b) The Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability shall issue a report of its findings and recommendations, together with any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations, on or before January 2, 2020.

§18-5-18e. Study of limits on the number of pupils per teacher in a classroom in elementary and middle schools.

(a) The Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability shall conduct a study of the effect of limits on the number of pupils per teacher in a classroom. The commission may conduct the study as a whole or may appoint a subcommittee to conduct the study under its direction. The study includes, but is not limited to, an examination of the following issues:

(1) The effect on student learning of limits on the number of pupils per teacher in a classroom in elementary classes and in a middle and high school format in which students have different teachers for different subject matter instruction;

(2) The effect on the equity among teachers in a middle school in which the number of pupils per teacher in a classroom is limited for some teachers and not for others, including the additional pay for certain teachers in whose classrooms the limits are exceeded; and

(3) The effect limits on the number of pupils per teacher in a classroom have on the ability of school systems to offer elective courses in secondary schools.

(b) The Legislative Oversight commission on education accountability shall issue a report of its findings and recommendations, together with any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations, on or before January 2, 2003 2020. In making its findings and recommendations the commission:

(1) Shall include, at a minimum, a recommendation on whether the limits on the number of pupils per teacher in a classroom in a middle school format should be removed or capped on a county-wide or individual school basis; and

(2) May not include as a recommendation consideration of imposing limits on the number of pupils per teacher at grade levels above the sixth grade

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to authorize studies of issues effecting public school education including a study of student loan payments tax credits, a loan forgiveness program for teachers and a study of class sizes.

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