H. B. 2552

(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss (By Request))
[Introduced March 14, 1997; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]

A BILL to amend article two, chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section nineteen, relating to establishing a pilot school bus project in Raleigh County; providing for volunteer school bus monitors to assist on kindergarten and elementary school bus runs; compensation for expenses incurred; not school service personnel employees; board of education to report to Legislature to recommend discontinuance of project or expansion statewide.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article two, chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section nineteen, to read as follows:

ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

§18-2-19. Pilot school bus project to provide volunteer school bus monitors on kindergarten and elementary school bus runs.
(a) The purpose of the Legislature in enacting this section is to create a framework to establish a project to provide volunteer school bus monitors on kindergarten and elementary school bus runs which will address legislative findings that:
(1) There is an increasing need for greater safety and security in the transport of our state's children to and from school, and that a volunteer school bus monitor project would help to address this need; and
(2) There is increased need for parents, seniors, and other members of the community to take a more active role in our state's public school system, and that a volunteer school bus monitor project would help to address this need.
(b) The state board of education shall develop and establish a pilot project in Raleigh County to place a volunteer school bus monitor on every school bus transporting children to and from kindergarten and elementary school. The duties of a volunteer school bus monitor are to assist the school bus driver in maintaining safety and security on the bus, and to disembark the bus at each stop to ensure the safety of children boarding or disembarking the bus. The school bus driver shall exercise authority and control over the volunteer school bus monitor and children while they are traveling on, boarding or disembarking the bus. To compensate volunteer school bus monitors for travel expenses and other expenses incurred while participating in this project, volunteer school bus monitors shall receive six dollars for every hour of credited service in the project. Volunteer school bus monitors shall receive one hour of service credit for a morning school bus run and one hour of service credit for an afternoon school bus run. Notwithstanding any provision in this chapter to the contrary, volunteer school bus monitors are not school service personnel and are not entitled to any of the rights or benefits incident thereto.
(c) The pilot project shall commence no later than the first day of September, one thousand nine hundred ninety-seven, and continue until the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, unless sooner terminated by the Legislature. On the first day of the regular legislative session, one thousand nine hundred ninety-eight, the state board of education shall report to the governor and the Legislature on the progress of the project, whether it should be continued or discontinued, with any recommended modifications in the project and any action necessary by the Legislature to improve the success of the project. On the first day of the regular legislative session, one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, the board of education shall report to the governor and the Legislature as to whether the findings in this section are being addressed and recommend whether the pilot project shall be expanded statewide, with specific recommendations for project support and administration, development and other relevant policy issues.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish a pilot school bus project in Raleigh County which will provide volunteer school bus monitors on kindergarten and elementary school bus runs to improve security and safety.

Section nineteen is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.