FISCAL NOTE
Date Requested: January 15, 2026
Time Requested: 04:36 PM |
| Agency: |
Education, WV State Board of |
|---|
| CBD Number: |
Version: |
Bill Number: |
Resolution Number: |
| 1644 |
Introduced |
HB4383 |
|
|---|
| CBD Subject: |
Education (K12); Health |
|---|
|
FUND(S):
0313
Sources of Revenue:
General 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.
This legislation creates the West Virginia Clean Air in Schools Act of 2026 and requires the phased installation of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) meters in all public school classrooms and instructional spaces across the state. Implementation would occur over three years to distribute costs and allow for incremental deployment and monitoring. Approximately 21,000 instructional spaces—including elementary, middle, and high school classrooms and offices—would require IAQ meters.
Phase 1, to be completed by July 1, 2027, installs IAQ meters in 8,700 elementary classrooms, at an estimated cost of $12,095,000, including device purchases, annual subscription services, and mold inspection staffing.
Phase 2, to be completed by July 1, 2028, installs IAQ meters in 6,150 middle and high school classrooms, increasing the total number of active devices to 14,850. The projected cost for Phase 2 is $9,957,500, including scaled subscription fees based on the total number of deployed devices and annual mold inspections.
Phase 3, to be completed by July 1, 2029, installs IAQ meters in the remaining 6,150 middle and high school classrooms, bringing the total statewide deployment to 21,000 devices. Phase 3 costs are estimated at $10,880,000, including device purchases, full subscription costs, and annual mold inspections.
Across all three phases, the total estimated implementation cost is $32,932,500. After full implementation, annual ongoing costs are estimated at $3,500,000, including subscription fees for all devices and continued mold inspections.
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 |
12,095,000 |
329,325,003 |
| 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):
The bill requires the statewide implementation of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitoring devices in all public-school instructional spaces in West Virginia, including elementary, middle, and high schools, through a three-phase rollout over three fiscal years.
Based on known ratios, approximately 21,000 spaces would require an IAQ meter, comprising 8,700 elementary school spaces and 12,300 middle and high school spaces. Using historical bidding data for similar IAQ monitoring projects and current technology costs, a per-unit cost of $1,200 is assumed. This cost reflects the lower end of the professional-grade IAQ monitoring market, recognizing that device prices vary widely depending on capability and accuracy. In addition to the initial purchase, each IAQ meter is assumed to require an annual maintenance and subscription fee of $150.
Phase 1 of implementation would be completed by July 1, 2027, and would include installing IAQ meters at elementary school locations only. The cost for this phase includes the purchase of 8,700 IAQ meters at $10,440,000, annual subscription costs of $1,305,000 for those devices, and an annual mold inspection program conducted by a hired or contracted staff of three, including transportation costs, estimated at $350,000. The total fiscal impact for Phase 1 is therefore $12,095,000.
Phase 2 would be completed by July 1, 2028, and would include installing IAQ meters in one-half of the middle and high school spaces, totaling 6,150 additional locations. The cost for Phase 2 includes $7,380,000 for the purchase of IAQ meters for these spaces. Annual subscription costs during Phase 2 would apply cumulatively to all devices installed in Phases 1 and 2, totaling 14,850 devices, resulting in annual subscription costs of $2,227,500. The annual mold inspection program would continue at a cost of $350,000. The total fiscal impact for Phase 2 is $9,957,500.
Phase 3 would be completed by July 1, 2029, and would include installing IAQ meters in the remaining half of middle and high school spaces, totaling an additional 6,150 locations. The cost for Phase 3 includes $7,380,000 for device purchases. Annual subscription costs during Phase 3 would apply cumulatively to all 21,000 installed devices, totaling $3,150,000. The annual mold inspection program would again continue at a cost of $350,000. The total fiscal impact for Phase 3 is $10,880,000.
The total one-time cost to purchase IAQ meters for all public-school instructional spaces statewide is estimated at $25,200,000. During the three-year implementation period, cumulative subscription costs total $6,682,500, and mold inspection costs total $1,050,000. As a result, the total implementation cost over the three-year period is estimated at $32,932,500.
Upon full implementation, the bill would result in annual ongoing costs beginning in fiscal year 2030. These ongoing costs include annual subscription and maintenance fees for all 21,000 IAQ meters totaling $3,150,000 per year, as well as continued annual mold inspections by a staff of three, including transportation costs, estimated at $350,000 per year. The total ongoing annual fiscal impact after full implementation is therefore estimated at $3,500,000.
Memorandum
The impact of adding these devices—and the network traffic they generate—to a school’s network is currently unknown. Assessing this would require a full network evaluation at each school, and any associated costs cannot be estimated at this time.
Similarly, the cost of any upgrades identified by the IAQ review process cannot yet be determined.
IAQ meters have a limited lifespan and may need to be replaced after approximately 5 years. This note does not include future replacement costs.
Mold can occur both indoors and outdoors; therefore, assessing indoor mold levels must account for outdoor conditions.
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Tina Payne
Email Address: tina.a.payne@k12.wv.us