HB2806 H ED AM

White 3336

The Committee on Education moved to amend the bill on page 1, after the enacting clause, by striking out the remainder of the bill and inserting, in lieu thereof, the following:

ARTICLE 2.  state board of education.

§18-2-25e. Supplemental year for COVID-19.

(a) Due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on school operations and student learning, notwithstanding any passing grades a student may receive during the 2021-2022 school year, any student enrolled in a West Virginia public school during the 2021-2022 school year may request to use the 2022-2023 school year as a supplemental school year to retake or supplement the courses the student has already taken.  A student enrolled in a West Virginia public school during the 2021-2022 school year may request the supplemental school year notwithstanding the student satisfying state and district graduation requirements. A retaken course under this section may not count as an additional credit towards graduation unless the student failed the original course. Retaking a course under this section shall count towards full-time enrollment for the student.

(1) In order to apply for a supplemental year, a student shall submit the request to the local board of education by June 15, 2022.

(2) A local board of education may not approve or reject requests on an individual basis, but shall determine, by June 30, 2022, whether to accept or reject all requests: Provided, That the percentage of students opting to take a supplemental school year at any district school may not exceed five percent of the total class enrollment for that school.  

(b)  Any West Virginia nonpublic member school allowing a student enrolled during the 2021-2022 school year to use the 2022-2023 school year as a supplemental school year to retake or supplement the courses the student has already taken may participate in §18-2-25(e)(c) of this code.

(c)  Notwithstanding any rule or regulation of the West Virginia Board of Education or the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission, if a member school provides evidence to the commission documenting a student as utilizing the 2022-2023 school year as a supplemental school year at the member school pursuant to this section, then the student shall have eight consecutive calendar years of eligibility from the date of first entry into sixth grade, and retaking courses pursuant to this section may not otherwise disqualify the student from eligibility: Provided, That the student does not turn 15 before his or her eighth grade sports season, nor 19 before his or her twelfth grade sports season; Provided further, That the student is attending the same member school as he or she attended the 2021-2022 school year.

(d) The commission may propose rules to the state board and the state board may promulgate emergency and legislative rules in accordance with §29A-3B-1 et seq. of this code to carry out the purposes of this section.

(e) Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on education throughout the state has resulted in a critical need to provide supplemental education to West Virginia’s students, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, and this act takes effect upon its passage and approval by the Governor or upon its otherwise becoming a law.

(f) This section shall expire on July 1, 2023.

Adopted

Rejected