SB219

West Virginia SB219 creates a moratorium on school closings and consolidations for at least five years.

West Virginia SB219 establishes a moratorium on public school closings and consolidations for a minimum of five years, starting July 1, 2026. The bill mandates the West Virginia Department of Education to allocate emergency funds to maintain school operations and waive existing policies as needed. During the moratorium, the Board of Education must conduct a statewide inventory on school proximity and travel distances, commission studies on the effects of school size and travel time on academic performance and student well-being, and collaborate with state agencies to survey residents'.