COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
Senate Bill No. 247
(By Senators Tomblin, Mr. President, and Sprouse,
By Request of the Executive)
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[Originating in the Committee on Education;
reported March 6, 2002.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact article twenty-six, chapter five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended; to amend article two-e, chapter eighteen of said code by adding thereto a new section, designated section three-e; to amend and reenact sections thirteen, fifteen, eighteen, eighteen-a and twenty-two, article five of said chapter; to further amend said article by adding thereto two new sections, designated sections forty-four and forty-five; to amend and reenact section five, article five-a of said chapter; to amend and reenact sections five, five-a and thirteen-b, article nine-a of said chapter; to amend article nine-d of said chapter by adding thereto a new section, designated section nineteen; to amend article twenty-eight of said chapter by adding thereto a new section, designated section seven; to amend and reenact section two, article two, chapter eighteen-a of said code; to amend and reenact sections six and nine, article three of said chapter; and to amend and reenact sections two, three, five, seven-a, eight, eight-a, eight-b, fourteen and sixteen, article four of said chapter, all relating to increasing the salaries of professional and service personnel; education generally; legislative findings; purposes; definitions; governor's cabinet on children and families; powers and duties of the cabinet; children-, youth- and family-related executive budget recommendations; creating children's fund; creating joint commission on children, youth and families; membership of commission; statewide masterplan for children, youth and families; requiring interagency coordinated implementation plans; requiring local service areas and local coordinating councils; sunset provision; student transfers from one district to another; creating the West Virginia science education enhancement initiative competitive grant program; specifying priorities for grant awards; providing procedures for grant application and selection; kindergarten programs; exempting grade levels included in a middle school from maximum pupil teacher ratio; including secretaries in the definition of school employees who may receive training to provide specialized health procedures; including transportation of students to county and multicounty vocational-technical centers as consideration for service personnel ratio waiver; providing for increases in the ratios of professional service personnel per students in net enrollment over certain period; establishing different ratios for counties with high and low student population density; requiring provision of early childhood education programs for children attaining age of four; requiring county boards to develop plan; school calendar; instructional time; scheduling the primary statewide assessment program; providing two hours for faculty senate; requiring the school building authority to provide funding for comprehensive high schools; authorizing state superintendent to waive assessment requirement for parochial schools under certain conditions; allowing superintendent to designate persons to conduct hearings in proceedings related to the denial or revocation of certificates; requiring county boards to provide released time for certain professional educators for certain purposes without jeopardizing certain rights, privileges, benefits or accrual of experience; requiring county staff service personnel development council chair to be a member elected by members; requiring reports regarding staff development council account and the staff development council; increasing the principal's index; updating references to salary schedules used in calculation of salary equity; requiring a board to rescind a transfer of professional personnel in certain instances; creating a new service personnel class title of West Virginia education information system data entry and administrative clerk and assigning pay grade; including mechanics, mechanic assistants and chief mechanics in the same classification category; time limits for duty free lunch and daily planning periods; and right of service person to retain extracurricular assignment.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article twenty-six, chapter five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted; that article two-e, chapter eighteen of said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section three-e; that sections thirteen, fifteen, eighteen, eighteen-a and twenty-two, article five of said chapter be amended and reenacted; that said article be further amended by adding thereto two new sections, designated sections forty-four and forty-five; that section five, article five-a of said chapter be amended and reenacted; that sections five, five-a and thirteen-b, article nine- a of said chapter be amended and reenacted; that article nine-d of said chapter be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section nineteen; that article twenty-eight of said chapter be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section seven; that section two, article two, chapter eighteen-a of said code be amended and reenacted; that sections six and nine, article three of said chapter be amended and reenacted; and that sections two, three, five, seven-a, eight, eight-a, eight-b, fourteen and sixteen, article four of said chapter be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
CHAPTER 5. GENERAL POWERS AND AUTHORITY OF THE GOVERNOR, SECRETARY OF STATE AND ATTORNEY GENERAL; BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS; MISCELLANEOUS AGENCIES, COMMISSIONS, OFFICES, PROGRAMS, ETC.

ARTICLE 26. WEST VIRGINIA CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES ACT.
§5-26-1. Legislative findings; statement of purpose.
(a) The Legislature finds that the early years of life are a critical developmental and educational stage in the total life cycle and declares that parents are the children's first teachers and have the primary responsibility for meeting the needs and addressing the development of their children. Therefore, social programs and services for children, youth and families shall be built upon respect for the integrity of the family and the belief in the strength and the ability of families to thrive and the ability of parents to nurture and provide for their children. However, families can experience severe crises which result in life-threatening situations to children or other family members or can have long-term negative impact on the child.
(b) It is in the best interests of children, youth and families to have access to crisis intervention and stabilization services, with the goal of providing for children's well-being in a permanent situation in the home environment or in the least restrictive setting as close to a home environment as possible.
(c) The Legislature intends to accomplish its goals relating to children, youth and families through a family-centered, comprehensive, community-based system that provides social services, programs and facilities for children, youth and families and is overseen by the highest levels of state government. This will require fundamental changes in the way state government responds to the needs of children, youth and their families.
(d) The Legislature hereby declares that one purpose of this article and the policy of the state is to achieve the coordination of programs and services to children, youth and families through a cabinet in the governor's office. The cabinet shall be independent from any state agency and act as an interagency cabinet. The Legislature intends that the cabinet nurture a flexible system that: (1) Provides for the comprehensive, unified, effective and efficient administration of programs and services to children, youth and families; (2) avoids fragmentation and duplication of programs and services; and (3) facilitates and promotes cooperation among state agencies, as well as regional, local and private service agencies.
(e) It is further the intent of the Legislature, through the cabinet, to emphasize preventive services to children, youth and families in order to avoid the human and financial costs to the state that results from individual and family instability and to benefit the state and society as a whole.
(f) The Legislature declares that participation in the programs authorized or required in this article shall be, as far as practicable, voluntary on the part of any child or family for whom the program is available unless participation is otherwise required under state or federal law or regulations. All outreach shall emphasize the positive nature of the programs. The service delivery system shall be seamless and driven by the needs and preferences of the child and family, shall reflect local community characteristics and resources, shall allow for local input, and shall focus on prevention, education and early intervention. The service providers shall convey an attitude of support, compassion, understanding, friendliness and patience.
(g) The Legislature intends, by this article, to allow diversity and regional, cultural and ethnic sensitivity in the development of programs and services for children, youth and families. To the greatest extent possible, families are to be involved in all aspects of planning and delivery of services to that family, and the community shall be involved in the service delivery system in that community. This is intended to foster strong family and community program ownership while maintaining clear parameters for program goals and purposes through the governor's cabinet on children and families.
(h) The Legislature further finds that there is a need for coordination of federal, state, local and private funds made available for helping children, youth and families, and for holding providers of children, youth and families services accountable. Further, the legislature finds that local coordinating councils for children, youth and families are appropriate to coordinate cross- system efforts for improving the quality and efficiency of children, youth and family programs within the context of a statewide master plan. The Legislature intends that the additional coordination of funds and programs will result in both efficient and high quality programs for early care and education, child and family health care, public education, economic support for low income families and safe and stable families.
(i) Additional findings of the Legislature on early care and education include the following:

(1) Recent research on brain development in young children shows that early experiences are important to future social, emotional, physical and cognitive development;
(2) Research shows a clear link between quality early care and education services and workforce recruitment and retention, high school completion, college-going rate, and an educated and employable workforce;
(3) Investment in early care and education significantly reduces future costs of social programs, crime, and remedial education;
(4) Research has established a clear and compelling connection between the quality of children's learning experiences and later success in school and in life;
(5) Children who receive high-quality early education are less likely to drop out of school, less likely to repeat grades, less likely to need special education and less likely to get into trouble with the law;
(6) On the average, children who participate in early childhood education are better prepared to start school and have higher grade point averages;
(7) As a result of welfare reform, more and more low-income families are required to enter the workforce when their children are young. An overwhelming number of those families need someone to care for their children while they work. For these families, safe, stable and affordable child care may make the difference between climbing out of poverty and falling deeper into it;
(8) The positive effects revealed in these studies have been calculated to yield a significant return on the initial investment. For every dollar invested in high-quality, comprehensive early care and education, society saves seven dollars and sixteen cents in welfare, special education and criminal justice costs; and
(9) Through this article, the Legislature intends to improve the quality of early care and education services, increase the accessibility of such services, and create linkages to help families access services.

§5-26-2. Definitions.
(a) "Cabinet" means the governor's cabinet on children and families.
(b) "Early care and education" means the full range of services and programs used by families to educate and nurture their children from birth to Kindergarten. These programs are funded and administered by a diverse range of public agencies and private providers.
(c) "Early childhood education" means programs for children who have attained the age of four prior to the first day of September of the school year in which the pupil enters the program established in section forty-four, article five, chapter eighteen of this code.
(d) "Executive director" means the executive director of the governor's cabinet on children and families.
(e) "Local service area" means a geographic area, as designated by the cabinet, in which all children, youth and family services are coordinated by a local coordinating council.
(f) "Partner agency" means any agency or department represented in the cabinet's membership and any other agency determined by the cabinet.

§5-26-3. Cabinet established.
(a) There is hereby continued the governor's cabinet on children and families, hereinafter referred to as the "cabinet".
(b) In addition to other administrative heads of government and private citizens that may be appointed by the governor, the cabinet shall include: (1) The secretary of the department of health and human resources; (2) the secretary of the department of military affairs and public safety; (3) the secretary of the department of administration or a designee; (4) the state superintendent of schools; (5) the attorney general; (6) one member of the Senate, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; and (7) one member of the House of Delegates, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates. The legislative members shall serve in an advisory capacity only.
(c) All members of the cabinet appointed by the governor shall serve at the will and pleasure of the governor.
(d) The cabinet shall be chaired by the governor and shall convene at least quarterly. The cabinet shall establish bylaws which govern its decision making.
(e) The governor may appoint an executive director to manage the cabinet's business. The executive director may hire and direct any additional staff necessary

§5-26-4. Powers and duties of cabinet generally.
It is the cabinet's primary duty to coordinate services and resources but not to become a provider of services. In addition to all other powers and duties assigned to the cabinet in this article and elsewhere by law, the

shall have the power and the duty to:
(1) Analyze ways to best utilize the information and evaluations obtained through previously existing or ongoing programs for children, youth and families;
(2)

(3) Provide for the efficient coordination and administration of publicly funded programs and services for all children, youth and families in

other areas that the cabinet determines necessary;

(5) Assure the development of parenting education services and outreach efforts, promote awareness of child developmental stages, including the utilization of media and supportive activities for children and care givers;
(6)

parental involvement in all areas of a child's education and development;
(7) Identify facilities and properties throughout the state that may be required or available for the effective and efficient provision of programs and services to children, youth and families, with an emphasis on utilizing available state facilities, such as public school facilities and facilities within the state system of higher education;
(8) Prepare a proposed budget for the operation of the cabinet to be recommended to the governor for inclusion in the executive budget to be submitted to the Legislature;
(9) Provide public information on services and programs available to children, youth and families;
(10) Address specifically the provision of programs and services to children, youth and families living in the rural areas of the state;
(11) Develop a performance based accountability system which includes the identification and regular reporting of performance measures for programs that serve children, youth and families. The performance based accountability system shall include, where applicable, federally defined standards, the regular monitoring and analysis of public expenditures for children, youth and families, the regular monitoring of key indicators of child and family well- being, and annual reports and analysis of trends in expenditures and key indicators;
(12) Report annually to the Legislature and to such other units the

considers appropriate on issues relating to children, youth and families;
(13) Negotiate written agreements and procedures between and among departments of state government

which assure that children, youth and families are provided with health care, social services, appropriate education, and vocational training, and any other services to which they may be entitled under state and federal law;
(14) Develop and implement rules, regulations, standards and policies governing the internal operation and administration of the cabinet;
(15) Delegate any of the

powers, duties or functions as the cabinet may consider appropriate, expedient and effective;
(16) Solicit and accept proposals in furtherance of any program or service required by this article;
(17) Develop programmatic standards for early care and education programs;
(18) Develop and implement standards including, but not limited to, requiring early care and education services to be year- around, five days per week and ten hours per day, and requiring the services to be consistent with existing federal and state laws which govern early care and education services;
(19) Review any rules and regulations, including licensure requirements, to the extent that they impact on or create barriers to the provision of programs and services to children, youth and families;
(20) Develop and require the implementation of interdisciplinary and interagency standards for all children in the custody of the state, with the goal of providing for children's well-being in the home environment or the least restrictive setting;
(21) Solicit, accept and expend grants, gifts, bequests, donations and other funds made available to the cabinet: Provided, That all unrestricted grants, gifts, bequests and donations shall be deposited in the children's fund created pursuant to section six of this article;
(22) Establish or designate local service areas prior to the first day of January, two thousand three;
(23) For each local service area, establish a local coordinating council on children, youth and families, or designate an existing group to serve as the local coordinating council, which may be the governing board of the local family resource network: Provided, That no more than one local coordinating council may be designated as such for any given local service area and duplicative services and resources shall be realigned, reassigned or eliminated. The councils shall be established or designated prior to the first day of January, two thousand three;
(24) Support local coordinating councils in building community capacity and redesigning services in local communities in a manner consistent with the statewide master plan developed by the cabinet; (25) For each local service area, conduct a needs assessment; survey existing programs; determine and report on gaps in service delivery; make recommendations on how to fill those gaps through realignment or reassignment of resources; and make recommendations for any necessary additional services or programs;
(26) Make recommendations for comprehensive programs for children birth through three using existing funding sources, as well as recommendations for any additional funding;
(27) By the first day of January, two thousand three, have in place in each local service area a functional "one-stop shop" capable of providing referrals to all necessary services for children, youth and families in that local service area;
(28) Provide or contract with any agencies or persons in this state and other states for any facilities, equipment, or service necessary to achieve the purposes of this article;
(29) Ensure, to the maximum extent feasible, the maximum use of federal, local and private funding so as to complement state funding;
(30) Review state laws and rules, and report recommendations to the joint commission on children, youth and families on maximizing opportunities to blend funding and partner across programs to meet the goals outlined in the statewide master plan; and
(31) Exercise any and all other powers, including the adoption of an official seal and to charter public or quasi-public corporations, necessary for the discharge of the cabinet's duties and the implementation of the purposes of this article.
§5-26-5. Powers and duties relating to funding and budgetary needs for children and families.
(a) The executive director for the cabinet shall analyze the budgets of the departments of state government to the extent that they address or impact upon programs and services for children, youth and families, review budgetary needs and revenue sources, and make recommendations to the cabinet and the governor regarding the proposed budget and the redirection of resources prior to the first day of November of each year. Additionally, the executive director shall send copies of the recommendations to the chair of the Senate committee on finance and the chair of the House of Delegates committee on finance. The department of administration shall assist the executive director in analyzing the budgets of the departments of state government.
(b) In making such recommendations, the executive director shall:
(1) Compile and maintain information on federal,

local and private funding, in areas directly benefitting children, youth and families;
(2) Determine if federal funding stream are currently maximized, and if not, how to access additional funding;
(3) Identify current sources of funding that could be redirected to support early care and education; and
(4) Estimate the cost of universal access to needed services for all families with children birth through kindergarten.
(c) Any legislation recommended by the cabinet to the joint commission on children, youth and families shall be accompanied by a proposal or plan for sufficient funding thereof. In exploring all aspects of funding possibilities, the cabinet shall

interagency reimbursement and funding by the families serviced based on ability to pay.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of section nineteen, article two, chapter five-a of this code or any other provision of law to the contrary, the cabinet shall have the ability to transfer funds among, between and within departments in accordance with rules for such purpose adopted by the cabinet notwithstanding the provisions of chapter twenty-nine-a of this code.
(e) The cabinet may develop fiscal incentives for the support of local coordinating councils on children, youth and families and for programs resulting in substantial cost savings, such as programs which avoid unnecessary out of home placement. Any savings resulting from the coordination of programs and services for children, youth and families shall be reinvested for expenditure in areas directly benefitting children, youth and families.
§5-26-6. Children's fund created; purpose.
(a) The cabinet shall establish a children's fund for the purpose of supporting programs and awarding grants, loans and loan guaranties for child abuse and neglect prevention activities and other activities that support and strengthen families. Gifts, bequests or donations for this purpose, in addition to appropriations to the fund, shall be deposited in the state treasury in a special revenue account that is independent from any executive or other department of government, other than the office of the governor.
(b) Each state taxpayer may voluntarily contribute a portion of the taxpayer's state income tax refund to the children's fund by so designating the contribution on the state personal income tax return form. The cabinet shall approve the wording of the designation on the income tax return form, which designation shall appear on tax forms. The tax commissioner shall determine by the first day of July of each year the total amount designated pursuant to this subsection and shall report that amount to the state treasurer, who shall credit that amount to the children's fund.
(c) All interest accruing from investment of moneys in the children's fund shall be credited to the fund. The legislative auditor shall conduct an audit of the fund before the first day of July, two thousand three and at least every three fiscal years thereafter.
(d) Grants, loans and loan guaranties may be awarded from the children's fund by the cabinet for child abuse and neglect prevention activities and other activities that support and strengthen families.

§5-26-7. Legislative findings, purpose and intent; joint commission on children, youth and families created; reports.

(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares:
(1) There are a multitude of programs and services in this state that are all intended to help children, youth and families, but these programs and services are provided or administered by different departments and agencies and there is insufficient coordination among or between these agencies or departments;
(2) Considerable budgetary resources of the state are dedicated to the worthwhile goal of helping children, youth and families, but there currently exists no systematic or comprehensive method for determining exactly how much money is being spent on these various services and programs, who is being served, whether the programs are effective and whether there is unnecessary duplication of effort or avoidable gaps in service delivery;
(3) Active review and involvement by the Legislature can and often does serve as a catalyst in helping to solve longstanding and seemingly intractable problems of impasse, inertia and inter-agency competition; and
(4) The purpose of this section is to establish accountability and foster collaboration, cooperation and coordination among and between the various departments and agencies exercising jurisdiction over the many programs and services intended to help West Virginia's children, youth and families and, further, to eliminate duplication of effort and ineffective expenditures of human and fiscal resources.
(b) It is the intention of the Legislature that the commission created by this section shall review all programs that specifically serve children, youth and families in this state and that all actions taken pursuant to this section serve the following core principles:
(1) That all programs for children, youth and families offered under the state's authority be coordinated to maximize efficiency and minimize waste, duplication of effort and competition among the agencies;
(2) That the various agencies and departments of state government whose programs serve children, youth and families cooperate and communicate with each other in a manner that serves to further the stated purpose and intent of this section;
(3) That programmatic and policy changes contemplated by the various agencies and departments serving children, youth and families and that would impact the statewide master plan or the interagency coordinated implementation plan be communicated in advance of implementation to the commission created in this section;
(4) That programmatic or policy changes necessitated by federal mandate that would impact the statewide master plan or the interagency coordinated implementation plan be communicated to the commission created in this section; and
(5) That in developing or implementing programs that are funded in whole or in part by federal grants or private funds, the various agencies and departments communicate with the commission created in this section in advance about the possible need for future state funding.
(c) There is hereby established a joint legislative commission on children, youth and families.
(d) The commission shall include a total of twelve members, with six members from the Senate and six members from the House of Delegates. The President of the Senate shall appoint the commission's Senate members and designate a Senate co-chair and the Speaker of the House of Delegates shall appoint the commission's members from the House of Delegates and designate a House co-chair. The composition of these appointments shall be broadly representative of the membership of the following legislative committees: The two committees on finance, the two committees on education, the two committees on health and human resources, the two committees on the judiciary and the two committees on government organization.
(e) The commission shall represent the Legislature in assisting the governor in ensuring that the cabinet created by this article is performing its duties and responsibilities in accordance with this article.
(f) The commission shall report to and advise the legislative oversight commission on education accountability and the legislative oversight commission on health and human resources accountability on matters within their respective jurisdictions and shall report annually to the Legislature on its continuing study and review of the various programs and services for children, youth and families in West Virginia.
§5-26-8. Statewide master plan for children, youth and families.
(a) The cabinet shall develop a statewide master plan for children, youth and families. The statewide master plan shall be a multi-year comprehensive strategic plan that will address all major areas of publicly funded services for children, youth and families, and to the extent possible, privately funded services, and shall include sections relating to early care and education; health and nutrition; family economic security; and safe communities, safe schools, and stable families. In developing the statewide master plan, the cabinet shall confer and work cooperatively with applicable federal and state agencies and pursue any necessary waivers or other agreements as may be appropriate to assure that federal, state and local programs are delivered in a non-duplicative and cost effective manner.
(b) The statewide master plan shall be initially focused upon, but is not limited to, creating a seamless service delivery system for early care and education by:
(1) Making early care and education programs more available and accessible by coordinating the department of education's

programs with head start, the department of health and human resources child care and birth to three programs, and any other early care and education programs identified by the cabinet;
(2) Implementing any new administrative structures and financing strategies that the cabinet determines are necessary; and (3) Improving the collaboration and coordination between early care and education programs and the state's system of public and higher education

(4) Promoting positive relationships and sharing of resources between public schools and their communities; and
(5) Conducting and supporting public awareness and parent education campaigns to focus attention on the developmental needs of children and the importance of early care and education.
(c) Additionally, when focusing on early care and education, the statewide master plan should address at least the following:
(1) Which children and families would be served and if any phase-in or prioritization would occur such as implementing the early childhood education program for four-year-olds first, and then extending services to other age groups;
(2) Whether the service delivery system would provide services to all children or broaden access to services among those families based on income or other guidelines;
(3) How the service delivery system would meet the goals of enhancing school readiness and providing work supports for parents;
(4) How comprehensive services would be provided to those families in need of them;
(5) How the service delivery system should promote education objectives and what standards would be required of participating providers and staff;
(6) How early care and education programs will be funded, including federal, state and private sector commitments; and
(7) How the programs and child outcomes will be evaluated.
(d) The cabinet and the partner agencies shall make monthly progress reports to the joint commission on children, youth and families, established by section seven of this article, and quarterly progress reports to the joint finance committee on the progress of the initial statewide master plan. The initial statewide master plan shall be completed and shall be communicated to the joint commission on children, youth and families and the joint finance committee on or before the first day of January,

. Additionally, any revision of the statewide master plan shall be reported to the joint commission on children, youth and families and the joint finance committee prior to the first day of January of the year after the statewide master plan is revised.
(e) The statewide master plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) A detailed description of the agency and individual accountable for the programs of each partner agency;
(2) A detailed description of the performance-based accountability method for holding each partner agency accountable;
(3) A detailed outline of how the statewide master plan will be used to meet the goals and objectives outlined in this article which may include local demonstrations, community block grants, and or pilot projects within limited geographic regions of the state; and
(4) Specific strategies for involving and collaborating with the state board of education, the public and private institutions of higher education, the department of health and human resources, the department of military affairs and public safety, the West Virginia head start association, the children's health insurance agency, the bureau of employment programs,

, the division of public transit of the department of transportation and any other state agencies and non-governmental providers that may be appropriate to assure that a comprehensive system of quality service delivery to children, youth and families is developed for West Virginia.
(f) The statewide master plan for children, youth and families for the state shall be established for periods of not less than two nor more than five years and shall be revised periodically as necessary.
(g) The statewide master plan for children, youth and families for the state shall, in addition to the other requirements of this section, include the implementation for the early childhood education program established pursuant to section forty-four, article five, chapter eighteen of this code.
(h) As part of the statewide master plan, the cabinet should assess all needs and resources for early childhood education in the state including:
(1) Who is served with head start, early childhood education programs and child care funding; and
(2) What supports are available to each type of program and where are the gaps in services across the state.

§5-26-9. Interagency coordinated implementation plans required; review process.

(a) On or before the first day of January, two thousand three, each partner agency shall prepare an interagency coordinated implementation plan for submission to the cabinet. During the development of the initial interagency coordinated implementation plan, the cabinet and each partner agency shall make monthly progress reports to the joint commission on children, youth and families, established by section seven of this article, and quarterly progress reports to the joint finance committee on the progress of each interagency coordinated implementation plan. Not later than the first day of August of each year thereafter, each partner agency shall update their interagency coordinated implementation plan, and report the updated interagency coordinated implementation plan to the joint commission on children, youth and families. When the process provided for in this section is completed, this interagency coordinated implementation plan shall form the agreement between the partner agency and the cabinet, and ultimately, between the partner agency and the children and families of West Virginia on how the partner agencies will use their resources to address the intent of the Legislature, goals and seamless service delivery system set forth in the statewide master plan in section eight of this article.
(b) The interagency coordinated implementation plan shall contain the following:
(1) A complete listing of all programs serving children, youth and families offered, administered or supported by the agency, together with a detailed account of each program's level of funding and funding source;
(2) A detailed outline of how the interagency coordinated implementation plan is aligned with and will be implemented in conjunction with the statewide master plan;
(3) A step-by-step process on how the agency will collaborate or coordinate with the other partner agencies to accomplish the vision, goals and objectives set forth by the statewide master plan. The step-by-step process shall be delineated by objectives and shall set forth a time line for achieving the objectives;
(4) Benchmarks to be used in determining progress toward meeting the goals in the statewide master plan. The benchmarks shall meet the following criteria:
(A) They shall be as objective as possible;
(B) They shall be directly linked to the goals in the statewide master plan;
(C) They shall be measured by the indicators described in this section; and
(D) Where applicable, they shall be used to measure progress in geographic areas of responsibility; and
(5) Such other items, requirements or initiatives required by the cabinet and designed to accomplish the intent of the Legislature and the goals set forth in this article or other public policy goals established by the cabinet.
(c) Each interagency coordinated implementation plan shall be updated annually and shall follow the general guidelines contained in this section.
(d) Development and updating of the interagency coordinated implementation plans is subject to the following:
(1) The ultimate responsibility for developing and updating the interagency coordinated implementation plans resides with the respective partner agencies;
(2) The ultimate responsibility for adopting the final version of the interagency coordinated implementation plans resides with the cabinet;
(3) The cabinet shall review the initial interagency coordinated implementation plans and the annual updates and shall either adopt the plans or return them with specific comments for change or improvement. The cabinet shall continue this process as long as it considers advisable; and
(4) The cabinet shall, as far as practicable, establish uniform processes and forms for the development and submission of the interagency coordinated implementation plans.
(e) The cabinet shall propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code establishing indicators to measure the degree to which the goals and objectives set forth in this article are being addressed and met. The benchmarks established in this section shall be measured by these indicators. The legislative rule shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) The indicators to be used to measure the degree to which the goals and objectives are being met;
(2) Uniform definitions for the various data elements to be used in establishing the indicators;
(3) Guidelines for the collection and reporting of data; and
(4) Sufficient detail within the benchmarks and indicators to:
(A) Provide measurable evidence that the programs targeting the needs of children, youth and families of the state are or are not advancing the objectives of the interagency coordinated implementation plans and the statewide master plan;
(B) Delineate the goals and benchmarks for programs so that the cabinet can measure the degree to which progress is being made toward achieving the goals provided in the statewide master plan;
(C) Distinctly identify specific goals within the statewide master plan or interagency coordinated implementation plan of a partner agency that are not being met, or for which sufficient progress is not being made.
§5-26-10. Local coordinating councils.
Local coordinating councils established or designated by the cabinet shall:
(1) Support local governance structures for the coordination and delivery of like services and programs including early care and education programs in a manner consistent with the statewide master plan;
(2) Develop and submit to the cabinet a local coordinating implementation plan designating specific local goals related to the statewide master plan and strategies for achieving the goals;
(3) Submit specific performance measures related to the local coordinating implementation plan that will be monitored and regularly reported to the cabinet in order to assess local progress and hold local coordinating councils accountable for results;
(4) Broadly represent the primary stakeholders within the local community including service providers, public education, parents, youth, consumers and other community members; and
(5) Allow for the efficient delivery of programs and services on a local or regional basis so that programs and services are provided in or as close to the local community level as possible in accordance with guidelines established by the cabinet.
5-26-11. Termination date.
Pursuant to the provisions of article ten, chapter four of this code, the cabinet shall continue to exist until the first day of July, two thousand five: Provided, That the cabinet shall prepare an annual progress report and shall present the report to the joint commission on children, youth and families. The report shall detail the cabinet's compliance with its purposes, duties and responsibilities as set forth in sections one and four of this article, together with proposed plans for future compliance and proposed programs for the following year.

§18-2E-3e. West Virginia Science Education Enhancement Initiative grant program created; legislative findings and purpose of section.

(a) The Legislature hereby finds and acknowledges that, if remediation is necessary, it should be provided when students are younger and before patterns of failure are established. The Legislature further acknowledges that the people of West Virginia would be better served if the state acted to ensure that all public school students were able to execute science skills at or above grade level upon exiting grade eight, that county boards are in the best position to determine if remediation is necessary for students in grades four through eight and that the counties should have the option of providing summer school for students and may consider student attendance as a factor in determining whether a child is eligible to be promoted to the next grade.
The Legislature further finds that not all students are financially able to pay for summer school, nor do all county schools hold summer school. It is, therefore, the purpose of this section to help the county boards to provide, either individually or cooperatively, free summer school and summer school transportation for those students in grades four through eight who did not perform at grade level during the regular school year. It also is the purpose of this section to help students in grades four through eight who are identified as being in danger of failing to execute science skills at grade level by the end of the school year to receive intensive science instruction during their regularly scheduled science time throughout the regular school year.
(b) Subject to appropriation by the Legislature therefor, the state board shall establish a competitive grant program as set forth in this section to provide science programs for students in grades four through eight who are not performing at grade level. The program shall be designated and known as the "West Virginia Science Education Enhancement Initiative" program.
(c) Priorities for awarding the grants shall include, but are not limited to:
(1) Schools that have science test scores below the state averages; or
(2) Schools that receive federal funds for the improvement of science.
(d) Competitive grant applications must be submitted by the county boards, or by a community collaborative with the county board as a partner with leadership responsibility, and shall describe how the program will:
(1) Employ strategies, proven methods and innovative techniques for student learning, teaching and school management that are based on reliable research and effective practices, and can be replicated in other schools to improve the science skills of students;
(2) Contain measurable goals for the improvement of student science skills and benchmarks for meeting those goals;
(3) Include a plan for the evaluation of student progress toward achieving the state's high standards;
(4) Identify how other federal, state, local and private resources, including volunteers, will be utilized to further the intent of this section;
(5) Link summer improvement programs for science with science instruction and remediation throughout the school year;
(6) Determine the feasibility of collaborating with colleges of education for the purpose of providing educational experiences for prospective teachers;
(7) Identify the use of technology, including computers and calculators, and demonstrate how technology will be integrated into the program; and
(8) Accomplish other objectives as deemed necessary by the state board.
(e) Any county receiving a grant should encourage students in grades four through eight who did not perform at grade level during the regular school year to attend summer school and may consider summer school attendance as a factor in determining whether a child is eligible to be promoted to the next grade. The county board shall provide intensive science instruction during regularly scheduled science time throughout the regular school year to students in grades four through eight who are identified by the classroom teacher as being in danger of failing to execute science skills at grade level by the end of the school year. Nothing in this section prohibits county boards from permitting students to participate in science programs on a student fee basis.
(f) The state board shall approve procedures for the implementation of this section. To assist the state board in developing procedures for the implementation of this section, including the grant application and the grant review and selection process, the state board shall appoint an advisory board consisting of the science education coordinator from the state department of education, a college or university professor of science, a county science curriculum specialist, an elementary teacher and an elementary principal, a middle school teacher with a science certification and a middle school principal, a science teacher with a certificate issued by the national board of professional teaching standards, if available, and a representative from the West Virginia science teachers association, or a representative of the like successor organization should this named organization cease to exist. The procedures shall provide for:
(1) The appointment of a grant review and selection panel by the state board consisting of persons with expertise and practical experience in delivering programs to increase the science skills of young students, not more than one half of whom may be employees of the state department of education, or the state board may designate the advisory board as the grant review and selection panel;
(2) Notice to all schools of the grant competition and the availability of applications on or before the thirtieth day of September, in each fiscal year for which grant funds are available;
(3) A grant application deadline postmarked on or before the fifteenth day of December, in each fiscal year for which grant funds are available;
(4) Notice of grant awards on or before the first day of March, in each fiscal year for which grant funds are available; and
(5) Other such requirements as deemed necessary by the state board.
(g) The state board may fund, from any other funds available for such purposes, the programs required by this section for students in grades four through eight and any programs required by state board rules such as, but not limited to, the following:
(1) Tutoring;
(2) Summer school educational services;
(3) Additional certified personnel to provide intensive instruction in science throughout the school year;
(4) Staff development for teachers; and
(5) Hot meal programs.
(h) Nothing in this section supersedes the individualized education program (IEP) of any student.
(i) Nothing in this section requires any specific level of funding by the Legislature.

§18-5-13. Authority of boards generally.
The boards, subject to the provisions of this chapter and the rules of the state board, have authority:
(1) (a) To control and manage all of the schools and school interests for all school activities and upon all school property, whether owned or leased by the county, including the authority to require that records be kept of all receipts and disbursements of all funds collected or received by any principal, teacher, student or other person in connection with the schools and school interests, any programs, activities or other endeavors of any nature operated or carried on by or in the name of the school, or any organization or body directly connected with the school, to audit the records and to conserve the funds, which shall be considered quasi-public moneys, including securing surety bonds by expenditure of board moneys;
(2) (b) To establish schools, from preschool through high school, inclusive of vocational schools; and to establish schools and programs, or both, for post high school instruction, subject to approval of the state board of education;
(3) (c) To close any school which is unnecessary and to assign the pupils of the school to other schools: Provided, That the closing shall be officially acted upon and teachers and service personnel involved notified on or before the first Monday in April, in the same manner as provided in section four of this article, except in an emergency, subject to the approval of the state superintendent, or under subdivision (5) of this section;
(4) (d) To consolidate schools;
(5) (e) To close any elementary school whose average daily attendance falls below twenty pupils for two months in succession and send the pupils to other schools in the district or to schools in adjoining districts. If the teachers in the closed school are not transferred or reassigned to other schools, they shall receive one month's salary;
(6) (f) (a) (1) To provide at public expense adequate means of transportation, including transportation across county lines for students whose transfer from one district to another is agreed to by both boards as reflected in the minutes of their respective meetings, for all children of school age who live more than two miles distance from school by the nearest available road; to provide at public expense and according to such rules as the board may establish, adequate means of transportation for school children participating in board-approved curricular and extracurricular activities; and to provide in addition thereto at public expense, by rules and within the available revenues, transportation for those within two miles distance; to provide in addition thereto, at no cost to the board and according to rules established by the board, transportation for participants in projects operated, financed, sponsored or approved by the commission on aging: Provided, That all costs and expenses incident in any way to transportation for projects connected with the commission on aging shall be borne by the commission, or the local or county chapter of the commission: Provided, however, That in all cases the school buses owned by the board of education shall be driven or operated only by drivers regularly employed by the board of education: Provided further, That the county board may provide, under rules established by the state board, for the certification of professional employees as drivers of board-owned vehicles with a seating capacity of less than ten passengers used for the transportation of pupils for school-sponsored activities other than transporting students between school and home: And provided further, That the use of the vehicles shall be limited to one for each school-sponsored activity: And provided further, That buses shall be used for extracurricular activities as provided in this section only when the insurance provided for by this section is in effect;
(b) (2) To enter into agreements with one another as reflected in the minutes of their respective meetings to provide, on a cooperative basis, adequate means of transportation across county lines for children of school age subject to the conditions and restrictions of subdivisions (6) and (8) of this section;
(7) (g) (a) (1) To lease school buses operated only by drivers regularly employed by the board to public and private nonprofit organizations or private corporations to transport school-age children to and from camps or educational activities in accordance with rules established by the board. All costs and expenses incurred by or incidental to the transportation of the children shall be borne by the lessee;
(b) (2) To contract with any college or university or officially recognized campus organizations to provide transportation for college or university students, faculty or staff to and from the college or university: Provided, That only college and university students, faculty and staff are being transported. The contract shall include consideration and compensation for bus operators, repairs and other costs of service, insurance and any rules concerning student behavior;
(8) (h) To provide at public expense for insurance against the negligence of the drivers of school buses, trucks or other vehicles operated by the board; and if the transportation of pupils is contracted, then the contract for the transportation shall provide that the contractor shall carry insurance against negligence in an amount specified by the board;
(9) (i) To provide solely from county funds for all regular full-time employees of the board all or any part of the cost of a group plan or plans of insurance coverage not provided or available under the West Virginia public employees insurance act;
(10) (j) To employ teacher aides, to provide in-service training for teacher aides, the training to be in accordance with rules of the state board and, in the case of service personnel assuming duties as teacher aides in exceptional children programs, to provide a four-clock-hour program of training prior to the assignment which shall, in accordance with rules of the state board, consist of training in areas specifically related to the education of exceptional children;
(11) (k) To establish and conduct a self-supporting dormitory for the accommodation of the pupils attending a high school or participating in a post high school program and of persons employed to teach in the high school or post high school program;
(12) (l) To employ legal counsel;
(13) (m) To provide appropriate uniforms for school service personnel;
(14) (n) To provide at public expense and under rules as established by any county board of education for the payment of traveling expenses incurred by any person invited to appear to be interviewed concerning possible employment by the county board of education;
(15) (o) To allow or disallow their designated employees to use publicly provided carriage to travel from their residences to their workplace and return: Provided, That the usage is subject to the supervision of the board and is directly connected with and required by the nature and in the performance of the employee's duties and responsibilities;
(16) (p) To provide, at public expense, adequate public liability insurance, including professional liability insurance for board employees;
(17) (q) To enter into agreements with one another to provide, on a cooperative basis, improvements to the instructional needs of each county. The cooperative agreements may be used to employ specialists in a field of academic study or support functions or services, for the academic study. The agreements are subject to approval by the state board of education;
(18) (r) To provide information about vocational or higher education opportunities to students with handicapping conditions. The board shall provide in writing to the students and their parents or guardians information relating to programs of vocational education and to programs available at state funded institutions of higher education. The information may include sources of available funding, including grants, mentorships and loans for students who wish to attend classes at institutions of higher education;
(19) (s) To enter into agreements with one another, with the approval of the state board, for the transfer and receipt of any and all funds determined to be fair when students are permitted or required to attend school in a county other than the county of their residence; and
(20) (t) To enter into job-sharing arrangements, as defined in section one, article one, chapter eighteen-a of this code, with its professional employees: Provided, That a job sharing arrangement shall meet all the requirements relating to posting, qualifications and seniority, as provided for in article four, chapter eighteen-a of this code: Provided, however, That, notwithstanding any provisions of this code or legislative rule and specifically the provisions of article fifteen, chapter five of this code to the contrary, a county board which enters into a job-sharing arrangement wherein two or more professional employees voluntarily share an authorized full-time position shall provide the mutually agreed upon employee coverage but shall not offer insurance coverage to more than one of the job sharing employees, including any group plan or group plans available under the state public employees insurance act: Provided further, That all employees involved in the job-sharing agreement meet the requirements of subdivision (4), section two, article sixteen, chapter five of this code.
"Quasi-public funds" as used in this section means any money received by any principal, teacher, student or other person for the benefit of the school system as a result of curricular or noncurricular activities.
The board of each county shall expend under rules it establishes for each child an amount not to exceed the proportion of all school funds of the district that each child would be entitled to receive if all the funds were distributed equally among all the children of school age in the district upon a per capita basis.

§18-5-15. Ages of persons to whom schools are open; enrollment of suspended or expelled student.

(a) The board shall provide a school term for its schools which shall be comprised of: (1) An employment term for teachers; and (2) an instructional term for pupils. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the establishment of year-round schools in accordance with rules to be established by the state board.
The employment term for teachers shall be no less than ten months, a month to be defined as twenty employment days exclusive of Saturdays and Sundays: Provided,

That the time between the beginning and closing dates does not exceed forty-three weeks.
Within the employment term there shall be an instructional term for pupils of not less than one hundred eighty nor more than one hundred eighty-five instructional days: Provided,

That the minimum instructional term may be decreased, by order of the state superintendent of schools, in any West Virginia county declared to be a federal disaster area by the federal emergency management agency. Instructional and noninstructional activities may be scheduled during the same employment day. Noninstructional interruptions to the instructional day shall be minimized to allow the classroom teacher to teach. The instructional term shall commence no earlier than the twenty-sixth day of August and shall terminate no later than the eighth day of June: Provided, however, That the state board of education shall evaluate data which shall be submitted by each county by the first of June, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, regarding the climate control conditions, such as air conditioning and related information at each school in the county, and how these conditions impact on the instructional term.
The criterion referenced test mandated in section two, article two-e of this chapter shall not be required to be given during school year one thousand nine hundred ninety-three--ninety-four.
Noninstructional days in the employment term may be used for making up canceled instructional days, curriculum development, preparation for opening and closing of the instructional term, in- service and professional training of teachers, teacher-pupil-parent conferences, professional meetings and other related activities. In addition, each board shall designate and schedule for teachers and service personnel six days to be used by the employee outside the school environment. However, no more than eight noninstructional days, except holidays, may be scheduled prior to the first day of January in a school term.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of the law to the contrary, if the board has canceled instructional days equal to the difference between the total instructional days scheduled and one hundred seventy-eight, each succeeding instructional day canceled shall be rescheduled, utilizing only the remaining noninstructional days, except holidays, following such cancellation, which are available prior to the second day before the end of the employment term established by such county board.
Where the employment term overlaps a teacher's or service personnel's participation in a summer institute or institution of higher education for the purpose of advancement or professional growth, the teacher or service personnel may substitute, with the approval of the county superintendent, such participation for not more than five of the noninstructional days of the employment term.
The board may extend the instructional term beyond one hundred eighty-five instructional days provided the employment term is extended an equal number of days. If the state revenues and regular levies, as provided by law, are insufficient to enable the board of education to provide for the school term, the board may at any general or special election, if petitioned by at least five percent of the qualified voters in the district, submit the question of additional levies to the voters. If at the election a majority of the qualified voters cast their ballots in favor of the additional levy, the board shall fix the term and lay a levy necessary to pay the cost of the additional term. The additional levy fixed by the election shall not continue longer than five years without submission to the voters. The additional rate shall not exceed by more than one hundred percent the maximum school rate prescribed by article eight, chapter eleven of the code, as amended.
(b) (a) The public schools shall be open for the full instructional term to all persons who have attained the entrance age as stated in section five, article two and section eighteen, article five, chapter eighteen of this code: Provided,

That if enrollment to public school is denied by the superintendent, the student may petition the board of education where the student seeks enrollment.
(b) Persons over the age of twenty-one may enter only those programs or classes authorized by the state board of education and deemed appropriate by the county board of education conducting any such program or class: Provided,

§18-5-18. Kindergarten programs.
(a) County boards shall provide by the school year one thousand nine hundred eighty-three--eighty-four, and continue thereafter, kindergarten programs for all children who shall have attained the age of five prior to the first day of September of the school year in which the pupil enters such the kindergarten program and may, pursuant to the provisions of section forty-four, article five, chapter eighteen of this code, establish kindergarten programs designed for children below the age of five. Provided, That beginning with the school year one thousand nine hundred ninety-six--ninety-seven, such The programs for children who shall have attained the age of five shall be full-day everyday programs. Provided, however, That nothing contained herein shall prevent the state superintendent from granting an extension to those counties currently with building or renovation projects that will provide adequate space or counties having at least two percent net enrollment increase over the previous five years. The county board must apply with the supporting data to meet the criteria for which they are eligible on or before the twenty-fifth day of March for the following school year. The state superintendent shall grant or deny the requested waiver on or before the fifteenth day of April of that same year.
(b) Persons employed as kindergarten teachers, as distinguished from paraprofessional personnel, shall be required to hold a certificate valid for teaching at the assigned level as prescribed by regulations established by the state board. The state board shall establish and prescribe guidelines and criteria setting forth the minimum requirements for all paraprofessional personnel employed in kindergarten programs established pursuant to the provisions of this section and no such paraprofessional personnel shall be employed in any kindergarten program unless he meets such minimum requirements.
(c) The state board with the advice of the state superintendent of free schools shall establish and prescribe guidelines and criteria relating to the establishment, operation and successful completion of kindergarten programs in accordance with the other provisions of this section. Guidelines and criteria so established and prescribed also are also intended to serve for the establishment and operation of nonpublic kindergarten programs and shall be used for the evaluation and approval of such programs by the state superintendent, provided application for such evaluation and approval is made in writing to the state board by proper authorities in control of such programs. The state superintendent, of free schools at intervals not to exceed two annually, years shall publish a list of nonpublic kindergarten programs, including Montessori kindergartens

that have been approved in accordance with the provisions of this section. and a list of Montessori kindergartens established and operated in accordance with usual and customary practices for the use of the Montessori method which have teachers who have training or experience, regardless of additional certification, in the use of the Montessori method of instruction for kindergartens shall be deemed considered to be approved. to teach in such kindergartens using the Montessori method without additional certification.
(d) Pursuant to such guidelines and criteria, and only pursuant to such guidelines and criteria, the county boards may establish programs taking kindergarten to the homes of the children involved, using educational television, paraprofessional personnel in addition to and to supplement regularly certified teachers, mobile or permanent classrooms and other means developed to best carry kindergarten to the child in its home and enlist the aid and involvement of its parent or parents in presenting the program to the child; or may develop programs of a more formal kindergarten type, in existing school buildings, or both, as such county board may determine, taking into consideration the cost, the terrain, the existing available facilities, the distances each child may be required to travel, the time each child may be required to be away from home, the child's health, the involvement of parents and such other factors as each county board may find pertinent. Such determinations by any county board shall be final and conclusive.
Funds for implementing the kindergarten programs during the fiscal year one thousand nine hundred seventy-two, and thereafter, shall be allocated to counties from a special appropriation to the state department from the general revenue fund: Provided, That except for expenditures from the general revenue funds for regional kindergarten demonstration centers, in no event shall any state money from the general fund be expended under the provisions of this section unless federal funds are available for the purposes of this section.
Allocations to counties will be made on the basis of approved kindergarten programs. The state board shall establish criteria and standards necessary to guide counties in developing approvable kindergarten programs and shall determine funding levels of said programs on local operating costs.
An additional appropriation shall be made to the state department from the general revenue fund to establish and operate during the fiscal year one thousand nine hundred seventy-two, regional kindergarten demonstration centers in educational regions three, four, five, six and seven, and thereafter in regions one through seven. Said funds shall be allocated to said regions for establishing and operating regional demonstration centers in accordance with criteria and standards established by the state board. Said regional centers shall be established to provide exemplary and innovative kindergarten programs, to provide laboratory experiences for preservice and in-service education for professional personnel and staff development programs for training paraprofessional personnel, to establish organizational and administrative machinery designed to promote cooperation between and among all agencies involved in the education and development of young children and to promote cooperation between counties in providing high cost supervisory, developmental, research and evaluative services not currently available to individual counties.

§18-5-18a. Maximum teacher-pupil ratio.

(a) County boards of education shall provide, by the school year one thousand nine hundred eighty-three--eighty-four, and thereafter, sufficient personnel, equipment and facilities as will ensure that each first and second grade classroom, or classrooms having two or more grades that include either the first or second grades shall not have more than twenty-five pupils for each teacher of the grade or grades and shall not have more than twenty pupils for each kindergarten teacher per session, unless the state superintendent has excepted a specific classroom upon application therefor by a county board.

(b) County boards shall provide by the school year one thousand nine hundred eighty-four--eighty-five, and continue thereafter, sufficient personnel, equipment and facilities as will ensure that each third, fourth, fifth and sixth grade classroom, or classrooms having two or more grades that include one or more of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades, shall not have more than twenty-five pupils for each teacher of the grade or grades

.
(c) Beginning with the school year one thousand nine hundred eighty-six--eighty-seven, and thereafter, No county shall maintain a greater number of classrooms having two or more grades that include one or more of the grade levels referred to in this section than were in existence in said county as of the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred eighty-three: Provided,

That for the prior school years, and only if there is insufficient classroom space available in the school or county, a county may maintain one hundred ten percent of such number of classrooms.
(d) During the school year one thousand nine hundred eighty- four--eighty-five, and thereafter, The state superintendent is authorized, consistent with sound educational policy, (a) to: (1) Permit on a statewide basis, in grades four through six, more than twenty-five pupils per teacher in a classroom for the purposes of instruction in physical education, and (b) to (2) permit more than twenty pupils per teacher in a specific kindergarten classroom and twenty-five pupils per teacher in a specific classroom in grades one four through six during a school year in the event of extraordinary circumstances as determined by the state superintendent after application by a county board of education. The state board shall establish guidelines for the exceptions authorized in this section, but in no event shall the superintendent except classrooms having more than three pupils above the pupil-teacher ratio as set forth in this section.
(e) The requirement for approval of an exception to exceed the twenty pupils per kindergarten teacher per session limit or the twenty-five pupils per teacher limit in grades one four through six is waived in schools where the schoolwide pupil-teacher ratio is twenty-five or less in grades one four through six: Provided,

That a teacher shall not have more than three pupils above the teacher/pupil ratio as set forth in this section. Any kindergarten teacher who has more than twenty pupils per session and any classroom teacher of grades one four through six, who has more than twenty-five pupils shall be paid additional compensation based on the affected classroom teacher's average daily salary divided by twenty for kindergarten teachers or twenty-five for teachers of grades one four through six for every day times the number of additional pupils enrolled up to the maximum pupils permitted in the teacher's classroom. All such additional compensation shall be paid from county funds exclusively.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section to the contrary, commencing with the school year beginning on the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, a teacher in grades one, two or three or classrooms having two or more such grade levels, shall not have more than two pupils above the teacher/pupil ratio as set forth in this section: Provided,

That commencing with the school year beginning on the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six, such teacher shall not have any pupils above the teacher/pupil ratio as set forth in this section.
(g) No provision of this section is intended to limit the number of pupils per teacher in a classroom for the purpose of instruction in choral, band or orchestra music, nor the number of pupils per teacher in a classroom in a middle school.
(h) Each school principal shall assign students equitably among the classroom teachers, taking into consideration reasonable differences due to subject areas and/or grade levels.
(i) The state board shall collect from each county board of education information on class size and the number of pupils per teacher for all classes in grades seven through twelve. The state board shall report such information to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability before the first day of January of each year.
(j) The provisions of this section do not apply to classes, grade five and above, conducted in the middle school format and which have different teachers for different subject matter instruction. The state board shall promulgate a rule in accordance with the provisions of article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a to implement the provisions of this subsection.

§18-5-22. Medical and dental inspection; school nurses; specialized health procedures; establishment of council of school nurses.

(a) County boards shall provide proper medical and dental inspections for all pupils attending the schools of their county and shall further have the authority to take any other action necessary to protect the pupils from infectious diseases, including the authority to require from all school personnel employed in their county, certificates of good health and of physical fitness.
(b) Each county board shall employ full time at least one school nurse for every one thousand five hundred kindergarten through seventh grade pupils in net enrollment or major fraction thereof: Provided, That each county shall employ full time at least one school nurse: Provided, however, That a county board may contract with a public health department for services considered equivalent to those required by this section in accordance with a plan to be approved by the state board: Provided, further, That the state board shall promulgate rules requiring the employment of school nurses in excess of the number required by this section to ensure adequate provision of services to severely handicapped pupils.
(c) Any person employed as a school nurse shall must be a registered professional nurse properly licensed by the West Virginia board of examiners for registered professional nurses in accordance with article seven, chapter thirty of this code.
(d) Specialized health procedures that require the skill, knowledge and judgment of a licensed health professional, shall may be performed only by school nurses, other licensed school health care providers as provided for in this section, or school employees who have been trained and retrained every two years who are subject to the supervision and approval by school nurses. After assessing the health status of the individual student, a school nurse, in collaboration with the student's physician, parents and in some instances an individualized education program team, may delegate certain health care procedures to a school employee who shall be trained pursuant to this section, considered competent, have consultation with, and be monitored or supervised by the school nurse: Provided, That nothing herein shall prohibit in this section prohibits any school employee from providing specialized health procedures or any other prudent action to aid any person who is in acute physical distress or requires emergency assistance. For the purposes of this section "specialized health procedures" means, but is not limited to, catheterization, suctioning of tracheostomy, naso-gastric tube feeding or gastrostomy tube feeding. "School employee" means "teachers", as defined in section one, article one of this chapter and "aides", as defined in section eight, article four, chapter eighteen-a of this code. Commencing with the school year beginning on the first day of July, two thousand two, "school employee" also means "secretary I", "secretary II" and "secretary III", as defined in section eight, article four, chapter eighteen-a of this code.
(e) Any school service employee who elects, or is required by this section, to undergo training or retraining to provide, in the manner specified in this section, the specialized health care procedures for those students for which the selection has been approved by both the principal and the county board, shall receive additional pay of at least one pay grade higher than the highest pay grade for which the employee is paid: Provided, That any training required in this section may be considered in lieu of required in-service training of the school employee and a school employee may not be required to elect to undergo the training or retraining: Provided, however, That commencing with the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred eighty-nine any newly employed school employee in the field of special education shall be is required to undergo the training and retraining as provided for in this section: Provided further, That if an employee who holds a class title of an aide is employed in a school and such the aide has received the training, pursuant to this section, then an employee in the field of special education shall not be is not required to perform the specialized health care procedures.
(f) Each county school nurse, as designated and defined by this section, shall perform a needs assessment. These nurses shall meet on the basis of the area served by their regional educational service agency, prepare recommendations and elect a representative to serve on the council of school nurses established under this section.
(g) There shall be established a council of school nurses which shall be convened by the state board of education. This council shall prepare a procedural manual and shall provide recommendations regarding a training course to the director of the state division of the commissioner of the bureau for public health who shall consult with the state department of education. The state division of health commissioner then has the authority to promulgate rules a rule in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, to implement the training and to create standards used by those school nurses and school employees performing specialized health procedures. The council shall meet every two years to review the certification and training program regarding school employees.
(h) The state board of education shall work in conjunction with county boards to provide training and retraining every two years as recommended by the council of school nurses and implemented by the state division of health the rule promulgated by the commissioner.

§18-5-44. Early childhood education programs.
(a) For the purposes of this section, "early childhood education" means programs for children who have attained the age of four prior to the first day of September of the school year in which the pupil enters the program created in this section.
(b) Findings.
(1) Among other positive outcomes, early childhood education programs have been determined to:
(A) Improve overall readiness when children enter school;
(B) Decrease behavioral problems;
(C) Improve student attendance;
(D) Increase scores on achievement tests;
(E) Decrease the percentage of students repeating a grade; and
(F) Decrease the number of students placed in special education programs.
(2) Quality early childhood education programs improve school performance and low-quality early childhood education programs may have negative effects, especially for at-risk children.
(3) West Virginia has the lowest percentage of its adult population with a college degree and the education level of parents is a strong indicator of how their children will perform in school;
(4) West Virginia currently ranks forty-fourth among the fifty states in the percentage of school children eligible for free and reduced lunches and this percentage is a strong indicator of how the children will perform in school;
(5) For the school year two thousand one - two thousand two, six thousand eight hundred fifty-three students less than five years of age were enrolled in the public schools, a number equal to approximately thirty-three percent of the number of five-year-old students enrolled in kindergarten;
(6) Projections indicate that total student enrollment in West Virginia will decline by as much as eighteen percent, or by approximately fifty thousand students, by the school year two thousand twelve - two thousand thirteen.
(7) In part, because of the dynamics of the state aid formula, county boards will continue to enroll four-year-old students to offset the declining enrollments;
(8) West Virginia has a comprehensive kindergarten program for five-year olds but the program was established in a manner that resulted in unequal implementation among the counties which helped create deficit financial situations for several county school boards;
(9) Expansion of current efforts to implement a comprehensive early childhood education program should avoid the problems encountered in kindergarten implementation;
(10) Because of the dynamics of the state aid formula, counties experiencing growth are at a disadvantage in implementing comprehensive early childhood education programs; and
(11) West Virginia citizens will benefit from the establishment of quality comprehensive early childhood education programs.
(c) Beginning no later than the school year two thousand twelve - two thousand thirteen, and continuing thereafter, county boards shall provide early childhood education programs for all children who have attained the age of four prior to the first day of September of the school year in which the pupil enters the early childhood education program.
(d) The program shall meet the following criteria:
(1) It shall be voluntary, except, upon enrollment, the provisions of section one, article eight of this chapter shall apply to an enrolled student; and
(2) It may be for fewer than five days per week and may be less than full day.
(e) Enrollment of students in head start, or in any other program approved by the state superintendent as provided in subsection (k) of this section, shall be counted toward satisfying the requirement of subsection (c) of this section.
(f) For the purposes of implementation financing, all counties are encouraged to make use of funds from existing sources, including:
(1) Federal funds provided under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act pursuant to 20 U.S.C. § 6301 et seq.;
(2) Federal funds provided for head start pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 9831 et seq.;
(3) Federal funds for temporary assistance to needy families pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 601 et seq.;
(4) Funds provided by the school building authority pursuant to article nine-d of this chapter;
(5) In the case of counties with declining enrollments, funds from the state aid formula above the amount indicated for the number of students actually enrolled in any school year; and
(6) Any other public or private funds.
(g) Prior to the school year beginning two thousand four, each county shall develop a plan for implementing the program required by this section. The plan shall include the following elements:
(1) An analysis of the demographics of the county related to early childhood education program implementation;
(2) An analysis of facility and personnel needs;
(3) Financial requirements for implementation and potential sources of funding to assist implementation;
(4) Details of how the county board will cooperate and collaborate with other early childhood education programs, including, but not limited to head start, to maximize federal and other sources of revenue;
(5) Specific time lines for implementation; and
(6) Such other items as the state board by policy may require.
(h) Prior to the school year beginning two thousand four, a county board shall submit its plan to the governor's cabinet on children and families for approval. The cabinet shall approve the plan if the following conditions are met:
(1) The county has maximized the use of federal and other available funds for early childhood programs;
(2) The county has provided for the maximum implementation of head start programs and other public and private programs approved by the state superintendent pursuant to the terms of subsection (k) of this section; and
(3) The county has complied substantially with the mandates of the master plan, if any, required by section nine, article twenty- six, chapter five of this code.
If the cabinet finds that the county has not met one or more of the requirements of this subsection, but that the county has acted in good faith and the failure to comply was not the primary fault of the county board, then the cabinet shall approve the plan. Any denial by the cabinet may be appealed to the circuit court of the county in which the county board is located.
(i) Prior to the school year beginning two thousand four, the county board shall submit its plan for approval to the state board. The state board shall approve the plan if the county board has complied substantially with the requirements of subsection (g) of this section and has obtained the approval required in subsection (h) of this section.
(j) Every county board shall submit its plan for reapproval by the governor's cabinet on children and families and by the state board at least every two years after the initial approval of the plan and until full implementation of the early childhood education program in the county. As part of the submission, the county board shall provide a detailed statement of the progress made in implementing its plan. The standards and procedures provided for the original approval of the plan apply to any reapproval.
(k) No county board may increase the total number of students enrolled in an early childhood program for the year in which its plan is submitted for approval or reapproval until approval from the governor's cabinet on children and families and the state board has been granted.
(l) The state board annually may grant a county board a waiver for total or partial implementation if the state board finds that all of the following conditions exist:
(1) The county board is unable to comply either because:
(A) It does not have sufficient facilities available; or
(B) It does not and has not had available funds sufficient to implement the program;
(2) The county has not experienced a decline in enrollment at least equal to the total number of students to be enrolled; and
(3) Other agencies of government have not made sufficient funds or facilities available to assist in implementation.
Any county seeking a waiver must apply with the supporting data to meet the criteria for which they are eligible on or before the twenty-fifth day of March for the following school year. The state superintendent shall grant or deny the requested waiver on or before the fifteenth day of April of that same year.
(m) The provisions of subsections (b), (c) and (d), section eighteen, article five of this chapter relating to kindergarten shall apply to early childhood education programs in the same manner in which they apply to kindergarten programs.
(n) On or before the first day of December, two thousand four, and each year thereafter, the state board shall report to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability on the progress of implementation of this section.
(o) During or after the school year beginning in two thousand four, and except as may be required by federal law or regulation, no county shall enroll students who will be less than four years of age prior to the first day of September for the year they enter school.
(p) Neither the state board nor the state department may provide any funds to any county for the purpose of implementing this section unless the county board has a plan approved pursuant to subsections (h), (i), and (j) of this section.
(q) The state board shall promulgate a rule in accordance with the provisions of article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code for the purposes of implementing the provisions of this section. The state board shall consult with the governor's cabinet on children and families in the preparation of the rule.

The rule shall contain the following:
(1) Standards for curriculum;
(2) Standards for preparing students;
(3) Attendance requirements;
(4) Standards for personnel; and
(5) Such other terms as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this section.

(r) The rule shall include the following elements relating to curriculum standards:
(1) A requirement that the curriculum be designed to address the developmental needs of four-year-old children , consistent with prevailing research on how children learn;
(2) A requirement that the curriculum be designed to achieve long range goals for the social, emotional, physical and academic development of young children;
(3) A method for including a broad range of content that is relevant, engaging and meaningful to young children;
(4) A requirement that the curriculum incorporate a wide variety of learning experiences, materials and equipment, and instructional strategies to respond to differences in prior experience, maturation rates and learning styles that young children bring to the classroom;
(5) A requirement that the curriculum be designed to build on what children already know in order to consolidate their learning and foster their acquisition of new concepts and skills;
(6) A requirement that the curriculum meet the recognized standards of the relevant subject matter disciplines;
(7) A requirement that the curriculum engage children actively in the learning process and provide them with opportunities to make meaningful choices;
(8) A requirement that the curriculum emphasize the development of thinking, reasoning, decision-making and problem- solving skills;
(9) A set of clear guidelines for communicating with parents and involving them in decisions about the instructional needs of their children; and
(10) A systematic plan for evaluating program success in meeting the needs of young children and for helping them to be ready to succeed in school.

§18-5-45. School calendar.
(a) As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) Instructional day means a day within the instructional term which meets the following criteria:
(A) Instruction is offered to students for the amounts of time provided by state board rule;
(B) A minimum percentage of students, as defined by state board rule, are present in the county schools;
(C) Instructional time is used for instruction, co-curricular activities and approved extra-curricular activities;
(D) Such other criteria as the state board determines appropriate.
(2) Bank time means time added beyond the required instructional day which may be accumulated and used in larger blocks of time during the school year for instructional or non-instructional activities, as further defined by the state board.
(3) Extra-curricular activities are activities under the supervision of the school such as athletics, non-instructional assemblies, social programs, entertainment and other similar activities, as further defined by the state board.
(4) Co-curricular activities are activities that are closely related to identifiable academic programs or areas of study that serve to complement academic curricula as further defined by the state board.
(b) Findings -
(1) A primary purpose of the school system is to provide instruction for students;
(2) The school calendar, as defined in this section, is designed to define the school term both for employees and for instruction;
(3) The school calendar traditionally has provided for one hundred eighty actual days of instruction but numerous circumstances have combined to cause the actual number of instructional days to be less than one hundred eighty;
(4) The quality and amount of instruction offered during the instructional term is affected by the extra-curricular and co- curricular activities allowed to occur during scheduled instructional time; and
(5) Within reasonable guidelines, the school calendar should be designed at least to guarantee that one hundred eighty actual days of instruction are possible.
(c) The county board shall provide a school term for its schools which shall contain the following:
(1) An employment term for teachers of no less than two hundred days, exclusive of Saturdays and Sundays; and
(2) Within the employment term, an instructional term for students of no less than one hundred eighty separate days.
(d) The instructional term shall commence no earlier than the twenty-sixth day of August and terminate no later than the eighth day of June.
(e) Non-instructional days shall total twenty and shall be comprised of the following:
(1) Seven holidays as specified in section two, article five, chapter eighteen-a of this code;
(2) Election day as specified in section two, article five, chapter eighteen-a of this code;
(3) Six days to be designated by the county board to be used by the employees outside the school environment; and
(4) Four days to be designated by the county board for one or more of the following purposes:
(A) Curriculum development;
(B) Preparation for opening and closing school;
(C) Professional development;
(D) Teacher-pupil-parent conferences;
(E) Professional meetings; and
(F) Making up days when instruction was scheduled but not conducted.
(5) Two days to be designated by the county board to be used by the employees for professional development.
(f) No more than three days described in subdivision (3), subsection (e) of this section may be scheduled prior to the fifteenth day of May of the instructional term.
(g) No more than two days described in subdivision (4), subsection (e) of this section may be scheduled prior to the fifteenth day of May of the instructional term.
(h) The two days described in subdivision (e), subsection (5) shall be scheduled subject to the following:
(1) The days shall be scheduled prior to the first day of April unless otherwise determined by the state board;
(2) The staff development program shall be approved by the state board.
(i) All non-instructional days will be scheduled prior to the eighth day of June.
(j) The state board may not schedule the primary statewide assessment program prior to the fifteenth day of May of the instructional year unless the state board determines that the nature of the test mandate an earlier testing date.
(k) If, on or after the fifteenth day of May, the county board determines that it will not be possible to complete one hundred eighty separate days of instruction, the county board shall schedule instruction on any available non-instructional day, regardless of the purpose for which the day originally was scheduled, and the day will be used for instruction. The provisions of this subsection do not apply to: (i) Holidays; (ii) election day; and (iii) one day described in subdivision (4), subsection (e) of this section: Provided, That the day described in subdivision (4), subsection (e) of this section is used to close the school.
(l) The following applies to bank time:
(1) Bank time may not be used to avoid one hundred eighty separate days of instruction;
(2) Bank time may not be used to lengthen the time provided in law for faculty senates;
(3) The use of bank time for extra-curricular activities will be limited by the state board:
(4) Such other requirements or restrictions as the state board may provide in the rule required to be promulgated by this section.
(m) The following applies to co-curricular activities:
(1) The state board shall determine what activities may be considered co-curricular;
(2) The state board shall determine the amount of instructional time that may be consumed by co-curricular activities;
(3) Such other requirements or restrictions as the state board may provide in the rule required to be promulgated by this section.
(n) The following applies to extra-curricular activities:
(1) Except as provided by subdivision (3) of this subsection, extra-curricular activities shall not be scheduled during instructional time;
(2) The use of bank time for extra-curricular activities will be limited by the state board; and
(3) The state board shall provide for the attendance by students of certain activities sanctioned by the secondary schools activities commission when those activities are related to statewide tournaments or playoffs or are programs required for secondary schools activities commission approval.
(o) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the establishment of year-round schools in accordance with rules to be established by the state board.
(p) Prior to implementing the school calendar, the county board shall secure approval of its proposed calendar from the state board or, if so designated by the state board, from the state superintendent.
(q) The county board may contract with all or part of the personnel for a longer term.
(r) The minimum instructional term may be decreased by order of the state superintendent in any county declared to be a federal disaster area and where the event causing the declaration is substantially related to a loss of instructional days.
(s) Where the employment term overlaps a teacher's or service personnel's participation in a summer institute or institution of higher education for the purpose of advancement or professional growth, the teacher or service personnel may substitute, with the approval of the county superintendent, such participation for not more than five of the non-instructional days of the employment term.
(t) The state board shall promulgate a rule in accordance with the provisions of article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this section.

ARTICLE 5A. LOCAL SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT.

§18-5A-5. Public school faculty senates established; election of officers; powers and duties.

(a) There is established at every public school in this state a faculty senate which shall be comprised of all permanent, full-time professional educators employed at the school who shall all be voting members. Professional educators as used in this section means professional educators as defined in chapter eighteen-a of this code. A quorum of more than one half of the voting members of the faculty shall be present at any meeting of the faculty senate at which official business is conducted. Prior to the beginning of the instructional term each year, but within the employment term, the principal shall convene a meeting of the faculty senate to elect a chair, vice chair and secretary and discuss matters relevant to the beginning of the school year. The vice chair shall preside at meetings when the chair is absent. Meetings of the faculty senate shall be held on a regular basis as determined by a schedule approved by the faculty senate and amended from time to time if needed. Emergency meetings may be held at the call of the chair or a majority of the voting members by petition submitted to the chair and vice chair. An agenda of matters to be considered at a scheduled meeting of the faculty senate shall be available to the members at least two employment days prior to the meeting and in the case of emergency meetings, as soon as possible prior to the meeting. The chair of the faculty senate may appoint such committees as may be desirable to study and submit recommendations to the full faculty senate, but the acts of the faculty senate shall be voted upon by the full body.
(b) In addition to any other powers and duties conferred by law, or authorized by policies adopted by the state or county board of education or bylaws which may be adopted by the faculty senate not inconsistent with law, the powers and duties listed in this subsection are specifically reserved for the faculty senate. The intent of these provisions is neither to restrict nor to require the activities of every faculty senate to the enumerated items except as otherwise stated. Each faculty senate shall organize its activities as it deems most effective and efficient based on school size, departmental structure and other relevant factors.
(1) Each faculty senate shall control funds allocated to the school from legislative appropriations pursuant to section nine, article nine-a of this chapter. From such funds, each classroom teacher and librarian shall be allotted fifty dollars for expenditure during the instructional year for academic materials, supplies or equipment which, in the judgment of the teacher or librarian, will assist him or her in providing instruction in his or her assigned academic subjects or shall be returned to the faculty senate: Provided, That nothing contained herein shall prohibit such funds from being used for programs and materials that, in the opinion of the teacher, enhance student behavior, increase academic achievement, improve self-esteem and address the problems of students at-risk. The remainder of funds shall be expended for academic materials, supplies or equipment in accordance with a budget approved by the faculty senate. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the law to the contrary, funds not expended in one school year shall be available for expenditure in the next school year: Provided, however, That the amount of county funds budgeted in a fiscal year shall not be reduced throughout the year as a result of the faculty appropriations in the same fiscal year for such materials, supplies and equipment. Accounts shall be maintained of the allocations and expenditures of such funds for the purpose of financial audit. Academic materials, supplies or equipment shall be interpreted broadly, but shall not include materials, supplies or equipment which will be used in or connected with interscholastic athletic events.
(2) A faculty senate may establish a process for faculty members to interview new prospective professional educators and paraprofessional employees at the school and submit recommendations regarding employment to the principal, who may also make independent recommendations, for submission to the county superintendent: Provided, That such process shall be chaired by the school principal and must permit the timely employment of persons to perform necessary duties.
(3) A faculty senate may nominate teachers for recognition as outstanding teachers under state and local teacher recognition programs and other personnel at the school, including parents, for recognition under other appropriate recognition programs and may establish such programs for operation at the school.
(4) A faculty senate may submit recommendations to the principal regarding the assignment scheduling of secretaries, clerks, aides and paraprofessionals at the school.
(5) A faculty senate may submit recommendations to the principal regarding establishment of the master curriculum schedule for the next ensuing school year.
(6) A faculty senate may establish a process for the review and comment on sabbatical leave requests submitted by employees at the school pursuant to section eleven, article two of this chapter.
(7) Each faculty senate shall elect three faculty representatives to the local school improvement council established pursuant to section two of this article.
(8) Each faculty senate may nominate a member for election to the county staff development council pursuant to section eight, article three, chapter eighteen-a of this code.
(9) Each faculty senate shall have an opportunity to make recommendations on the selection of faculty to serve as mentors for beginning teachers under beginning teacher internship programs at the school.
(10) A faculty senate may solicit, accept and expend any grants, gifts, bequests, donations and any other funds made available to the faculty senate: Provided, That the faculty senate shall select a member who shall have the duty of maintaining a record of all funds received and expended by the faculty senate, which record shall be kept in the school office and shall be subject to normal auditing procedures.
(11) On or after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-two, any faculty senate may review the evaluation procedure as conducted in their school to ascertain whether such evaluations were conducted in accordance with the written system required pursuant to section twelve, article two, chapter eighteen-a of this code and the general intent of this Legislature regarding meaningful performance evaluations of school personnel. If a majority of members of the faculty senate determine that such evaluations were not so conducted, they shall submit a report in writing to the state board of education: Provided, That nothing herein shall create any new right of access to or review of any individual's evaluations.
(12) Each faculty senate shall be provided by its local board of education at least a two-hour per month block of noninstructional instructional time within the school day: Provided, That any such designated day shall constitute a full instructional day. This time may be utilized and determined at the local school level and shall include, but not be limited to, faculty senate meetings.
(13) Each faculty senate shall develop a strategic plan to manage the integration of special needs students into the regular classroom at their respective schools and submit said strategic plan to the superintendent of the county board of education by the thirtieth day of June, one thousand nine hundred ninety-five, and periodically thereafter pursuant to guidelines developed by the state department of education. Each faculty senate shall encourage the participation of local school improvement councils, parents and the community at large in the development of the strategic plan for each school.
Each strategic plan developed by the faculty senate shall include at least: (A) A mission statement; (B) goals; (C) needs; (D) objectives and activities to implement plans relating to each goal; (E) work in progress to implement the strategic plan; (F) guidelines for the placement of additional staff into integrated classrooms to meet the needs of exceptional needs students without diminishing the services rendered to the other students in integrated classrooms; (G) guidelines for implementation of collaborative planning and instruction; and (H) training for all regular classroom teachers who serve students with exceptional needs in integrated classrooms.

ARTICLE 9A. PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPPORT.

The basic foundation allowance to the county for service personnel shall be the amount of money required to pay the annual state minimum salaries in accordance with the provisions of article four, chapter eighteen-a of this code, to such service personnel employed: Provided, That no county shall receive an allowance for an amount in excess of thirty-four service personnel per one thousand students in adjusted enrollment: Provided, however, That the state superintendent of schools is authorized in accordance with rules and regulations established by the state board and upon request of a county superintendent to waive the maximum ratio of thirty-four service personnel per one thousand students in adjusted enrollment and the twenty percent per year growth cap provided in this section, to the extent appropriations are provided, in those cases where the state superintendent determines that student population density and miles of bus route driven or the transportation of students to a county or a multi-county vocational-technical center justify the waiver, except that no waiver shall be granted to any county whose financial statement shows a net balance in general current expense funds greater than three percent at the end of the previous fiscal year: Provided further, That on or before the first day of each regular session of the Legislature, the state board, through the state superintendent, shall make to the Legislature a full report concerning the number of waivers granted and the fiscal impact related thereto. Every county shall utilize methods other than reduction in force, such as attrition and early retirement, before implementing their reductions in force policy to comply with the limitations of this section.

For any county which has in excess of thirty-four service personnel per one thousand students in adjusted enrollment, the allowance shall be computed based upon the average state minimum pay scale salary of all service personnel in the county: Provided,

§18-9A-5a. Ratio of foundation allowances for professional educators and service personnel to net enrollment.

(a) The purpose of this section is to establish maximum ratios between the numbers of professional educators and service personnel in the counties which are funded through the public school support plan and the net enrollment in the counties, such ratios are in addition to the ratios provided for in sections four and five of this article. It is the intent of the Legislature to adjust these ratios pursuant to legislative act as may be appropriate when additional personnel are needed to perform additional duties.
(b) Commencing with the school year one thousand nine hundred eighty-nine--ninety beginning on the first day of July, two thousand two, and each school year thereafter, in computing the basic foundation allowance to a county for professional educators and the basic foundation allowance to a county for service personnel under sections four and five of this article, a county shall not receive an allowance for such personnel which number per one thousand students in net enrollment is in excess of the number of professional educators and the number of service personnel in the county computed as follows:
Maximum professional

Maximum service

educators per 1000

personnel per 1000

net enrollment the

net enrollment the

For the

preceding year

preceding year

school High density Low density High Density Low density
year County County County County
2002-0374.1074.2543.7444.75
2003-0474.2074.5543.9044.95
2004-0574.3874.8044.0545.20
2005-0674.5075.1544.2045.45
2006-0774.6875.5044.4045.60
2007-0874.9075.9544.6045.75
2008-0975.1076.5044.8045.90
2009-1075.3077.1044.9246.20
2010-1175.4577.5045.0546.60
2011-1275.6077.7545.3046.90
2012-1375.8078.1045.5847.25
2013-1476.0079.0045.9147.55
1998-99

74.0

43.5

Maximum service Maximum service

Personal per 1000 personnel per 1000

Maximum professional net enrollment the net enrollment the

educators per 1000

net enrollment the

preceding year

county

(c) The intent of the increases in the ratios of professional and service personnel to students in net enrollment is to provide additional flexibility to the counties to employ state funded professional and service personnel as in their discretion are needed in their counties.
(c) (d) Every county shall utilize methods other than reductions in force, such as attrition and early retirement, before implementing their reductions in force policy to comply with the limitations of this section.

§18-9A-13b. Allowance for education reserve account.

(a) There is hereby established a general revenue account to be appropriated by the Legislature entitled the "Education Reserve Account".
(b) Commencing with the school year beginning on or after the first day of July, two thousand two, the following applies to funds which will accrue in the succeeding fiscal year from decreases in net and adjusted enrollment used for calculating distributions from the state basic foundation program for the succeeding school year:
(1) Annually by the first day of December, the state superintendent shall certify to the governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates the amount which will accrue in the succeeding fiscal year from decreases in net and adjusted enrollment used for calculating distributions from the state basic foundation program for the succeeding school year;
(2) The governor shall include in the education reserve account of the executive budget for the succeeding fiscal year the amount certified by the state superintendent; and
(3) The governor may not recommend the amount certified by the state superintendent for any appropriation other than the education reserve account.

ARTICLE 9D. SCHOOL BUILDING AUTHORITY.

§18-9D-19. Comprehensive high schools.
(a) The Legislature finds the following:
(1) The decline in student enrollment over the last twenty years has necessitated consolidation of schools in many counties;
(2) It is projected that the decline in student enrollment during the period two thousand two through two thousand twelve may be as great as eighteen percent and will continue the necessity to consolidate schools;
(3) The new consolidated school buildings now being built across the state provide an opportunity for communities to have comprehensive high schools that include space for vocational- technical courses, community college courses and other workforce related courses for the students and the public at large;
(4) Requiring students to be bused to remote vocational centers has sometimes deterred student participation in vocational courses and has sometimes been considered a stigma upon those students attending vocational courses;
(5) Offering vocational, community college and workforce programs in close proximity to each other compliment the high school and the programs; and
(6) The change in ths season for girls' basketball to coincide with boys' basketball has placed significant pressures on the availability of gymnasium space and often has caused practices to be scheduled late in the evenings and on weekends, interfering with time needed for studying and rest.
(b) When planning the construction of a high school which has been approved by the authority, the authority shall provide funding for comprehensive vocational facilities to be located, when feasible, on the same site as the high school and may, in cooperation with the higher education policy commission, established in section one, article one-b, chapter eighteen-b, provide funding for facilities for community and technical college education.
(c) When planning the construction of a high school which has been approved by the authority, the authority shall provide funding sufficient for the construction of at least one auxiliary gymnasium.
(d) Upon application of a county board to construct comprehensive vocational facilities at an existing high school, the authority will cooperate with the county to develop a plan for construction of the comprehensive vocational facility. Upon development of the plan, the authority shall consider funding based on the following criteria:
(1) The distance of any existing vocational facilities from the high schools it serves;
(2) The time required to travel to and from the vocational facility to the high schools it serves;
(3) The ability of the county board to provide local funds for the construction of new comprehensive vocational facilities;
(4) The size of the existing high schools and the demand for vocational technical courses;
(5) The age and physical condition of the existing vocational facilities; and
(6) Such other criteria as the authority shall consider appropriate.

§18-28-7. Waiver of required assessment for certain students attending parochial school.

The state superintendent may waive the assessment requirement for parochial schools set forth in section three of this article if the state superintendent determines that a court of law has held that the assessment requirement would violate a provision of the state or federal constitution.
CHAPTER 18A. SCHOOL PERSONNEL.

ARTICLE 2. SCHOOL PERSONNEL.

§18A-2-2. Employment of teachers; contracts; continuing contract status; how terminated; dismissal for lack of need; released time; failure of teacher to perform contract or violation thereof.

(a) Before entering upon their duties, all teachers shall execute a contract with their boards of education, which contract shall state the salary to be paid and shall be in the form prescribed by the state superintendent of schools. Every such contract shall be signed by the teacher and by the president and secretary of the board of education and when so signed shall be filed, together with the certificate of the teacher, by the secretary of the office of the board.
(b) A teacher's contract, under this section, shall be for a term of not less than one nor more than three years, one of which shall be for completion of a beginning teacher internship pursuant to the provisions of section two-b, article three of this chapter, if applicable; and if, after three years of such employment, the teacher who holds a professional certificate, based on at least a bachelor's degree, has met the qualifications for the same and the board of education enter into a new contract of employment, it shall be a continuing contract: Provided, That any teacher holding a valid certificate with less than a bachelor's degree who is employed in a county beyond the said three-year probationary period shall upon qualifying for said professional certificate based upon a bachelor's degree, if reemployed, be granted continuing contract status: Provided, however, That a teacher holding continuing contract status with one county shall be granted continuing contract status with any other county upon completion of one year of acceptable employment if such employment is during the next succeeding school year or immediately following an approved leave of absence extending no more than one year.
(c) The continuing contract of any teacher shall remain in full force and effect except as modified by mutual consent of the school board and the teacher, unless and until terminated: (1) By a majority vote of the full membership of the board on or before the first Monday of April of the then current year, after written notice, served upon the teacher, return receipt requested, stating cause or causes and an opportunity to be heard at a meeting of the board prior to the board's action thereon; or (2) by written resignation of the teacher before that date, to initiate termination of a continuing contract. Such termination shall take effect at the close of the school year in which the contract is so terminated: Provided, That the contract may be terminated at any time by mutual consent of the school board and the teacher and that this section shall not affect the powers of the school board to suspend or dismiss a principal or teacher pursuant to section eight of this article: Provided, however, That a continuing contract for any teacher holding a certificate valid for more than one year and in full force and effect during the school year one thousand nine hundred eighty-four and one thousand nine hundred eighty-five shall remain in full force and effect: Provided further, That a continuing contract shall not operate to prevent a teacher's dismissal based upon the lack of need for the teacher's services pursuant to the provisions of law relating to the allocation to teachers and pupil-teacher ratios. The written notification of teachers being considered for dismissal for lack of need shall be limited to only those teachers whose consideration for dismissal is based upon known or expected circumstances which will require dismissal for lack of need. An employee who was not provided notice and an opportunity for a hearing pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may not be included on the list. In case of such dismissal, the teachers so dismissed shall be placed upon a preferred list in the order of their length of service with that board, and no teacher shall be employed by the board until each qualified teacher upon the preferred list, in order, shall have been offered the opportunity for reemployment in a position for which they are qualified: And provided further, That he or she has not accepted a teaching position elsewhere. Such reemployment shall be upon a teacher's preexisting continuing contract and shall have the same effect as though the contract had been suspended during the time the teacher was not employed.
(d) In the assignment of position or duties of a teacher under said continuing contract, the board shall have authority to may provide for released time of a teacher for any special professional or governmental assignment without jeopardizing the contractual rights of such teacher or any other rights, privileges or benefits under the provisions of this chapter. Released time shall be provided for any professional educator while serving as a member of the Legislature during any duly constituted session of that body and its interim and statutory committees and commissions without jeopardizing his or her contractual rights or any other rights, privileges, benefits or accrual of experience for placement on the state minimum salary schedule in the following school year under the provisions of this chapter, board policy and law.
(e) Any teacher who fails to fulfill his contract with the board, unless prevented from so doing by personal illness or other just cause or unless released from such contract by the board, or who violates any lawful provision thereof, shall be disqualified to teach in any other public school in the state for a period of the next ensuing school year and the state department of education or board may hold all papers and credentials of such teacher on file for a period of one year for such violation: Provided, That marriage of a teacher shall not be considered a failure to fulfill, or violation of, the contract.
(f) Any classroom teacher, as defined in section one, article one of this chapter, who desires to resign employment with a board of education or request a leave of absence, such resignation or leave of absence to become effective on or before the fifteenth day of July of the same year and after completion of the employment term, may do so at any time during the school year by written notification thereof and any such notification received by a board of education shall automatically extend such teacher's public employee insurance coverage until the thirty-first day of August of the same year.
(g) Any classroom teacher who gives written notice to the county board of education on or before the first day of February of the school year of their resignation or retirement from employment with the board at the conclusion of the school year shall be paid five hundred dollars from the "Early Notification of Retirement" line item established for the department of education for this purpose, subject to appropriation by the Legislature. If the appropriations to the department of education for this purpose are insufficient to compensate all applicable teachers, the department of education shall request a supplemental appropriation in an amount sufficient to compensate all such teachers. Additionally, if funds are still insufficient to compensate all applicable teachers, the priority of payment is for teachers who give written notice the earliest. This payment shall not be counted as part of the final average salary for the purpose of calculating retirement.

§18A-3-6. Grounds for revocation of certificates; recalling certificates for correction.

The state superintendent may, after ten days' notice and upon proper evidence, revoke the certificates or deny for cause any application for certification or for changes in certification of any teacher for drunkenness, untruthfulness, immorality, or for any physical, mental or moral defect which would render him unfit for the proper performance of his duties as a teacher, or for any neglect of duty or refusal to perform the same, or for using fraudulent, unapproved, or insufficient credit, or for any other cause which would have justified the withholding of a certificate when the same was issued. The state superintendent may designate a person or persons to conduct hearings in accordance herewith who shall make recommendations for action by the state superintendent.

It shall be the duty of any county superintendent who knows of any immorality or neglect of duty on the part of any teacher to report the same, together with all the facts and evidence, to the state superintendent for such action as in his judgment may be proper.
If a certificate has been granted through an error, oversight, or misinformation, the state superintendent of schools shall have authority to recall the certificate and make such corrections as will conform to the requirements of law and the state board of education.

§18A-3-9. County service personnel staff development councils.

(a) The Legislature finds the professional expertise and insight of service personnel to be an invaluable ingredient in the development and delivery of staff development programs which meet the needs of service personnel.

(b) Therefore, a service personnel staff development council comprised of representation from the various categories of service personnel employment shall be established in each school district in the state in accordance with rules adopted by the state board of education. Nominations of service personnel to serve on the county service personnel staff development council may be submitted by the six groups, as defined in subsection (e), section one, article one of this chapter, of the district to the county superintendent who shall prepare and distribute ballots and tabulate the votes of the counties service personnel voting on the persons nominated. Each county staff service personnel development council shall consist of two employees from each category of employment one of whom shall be elected as chairperson by the staff development council members. The councils have final authority to propose staff development programs for their peers based upon rules established by statute and the council on service personnel education. The county superintendent or a designee has an advisory, nonvoting role on the council. The county board shall make available an amount equal to one tenth of one percent of the amounts provided in accordance with section five, article nine-a, chapter eighteen of this code and credit the funds to an account to be used by the council to fulfill its objectives. The local board has the final approval of all proposed disbursements. Any funds credited to the council during a fiscal year, but not used by the council, shall be carried over in the council account for use in the next fiscal year. Any carried-over funds shall be separate and apart from, and in addition to, the funds to be credited to the council pursuant to this section.
(c) At the end of each fiscal year, the county board of education shall report to the staff development chairperson the total amount and balance of the staff development council account, the amount appropriated for the recent fiscal year, the amount of funds requested and used by the staff development council, and the amount of funds carried over into the next fiscal year. The county board of education shall further provide to the state superintendent of schools at the end of each fiscal year the names of the service personnel staff development council members, the name of the chairperson, the number of meetings the service personnel staff development council held to plan staff development programs and the number of hours service employees were provided during their employment terms to implement their staff development programs.
ARTICLE 4. SALARIES, WAGES AND OTHER BENEFITS.

§18A-4-2. State minimum salaries for teachers.
(a) Each teacher shall receive the amount prescribed in the "state minimum salary schedule I" as set forth in this section, specific additional amounts prescribed in this section or article, and any county supplement in effect in a county pursuant to section five-a of this article during the contract year: Provided, That beginning on the first day of the second quarter of the teacher's employment term in the school year two thousand one-two thousand two July, two thousand two, and thereafter, each teacher shall receive the amount prescribed in "state minimum salary schedule II" as set forth in this section, specific additional amounts prescribed in this section or article, and any county supplement in effect in a county pursuant to section five-a of this article during the contract year.

STATE MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE I

1. (2)

   (3)

   (4)

   (5)

   (6)

   (7)

   (8)

   (9)

   (10)

   (11)

Years

4^th

3^rd

2^nd

A.B.

M.A.

M.A.

M.A.

Doctorate

Exp.

ClassClass

Class

A.B.

+15

M.A.

+15

+30

+45

0	20,084	20,721	20,976	22,186	22,921	24,629	25,364	26,099	26,834	27,834
1	20,365	21,002	21,257	22,651	23,386	25,094	25,829	26,564	27,299	28,299
2	20,646	21,284	21,539	23,116	23,851	25,559	26,294	27,029	27,764	28,764
3	20,928	21,565	21,820	23,581	24,316	26,024	26,759	27,494	28,229	29,229
4	21,445	22,082	22,338	24,282	25,017	26,725	27,460	28,195	28,930	29,930
5	21,726	22,364	22,619	24,747	25,482	27,190	27,925	28,660	29,395	30,395
6	22,008	22,645	22,900	25,212	25,947	27,655	28,390	29,125	29,860	30,860
7	22,008	22,926	23,182	25,677	26,412	28,120	28,855	29,590	30,325	31,325
8	22,008	23,208	23,463	26,142	26,877	28,585	29,320	30,055	30,790	31,790
9	22,008		23,744	26,607	27,342	29,050	29,785	30,520	31,255	32,255
10	22,008		24,025	27,073	27,808	29,516	30,251	30,986	31,721	32,721
11	22,008			27,538	28,273	29,981	30,716	31,451	32,186	33,186
12	22,008			28,003	28,738	30,446	31,181	31,916	32,651	33,651
13	22,008			28,468	29,203	30,911	31,646	32,381	33,116	34,116
14	22,008					31,376	32,111	32,846	33,581	34,581
15	22,008					31,841	32,576	33,311	34,046	35,046
16	22,008					32,306	33,041	33,776	34,511	35,511
17	22,008							34,241	34,976	35,976
18	22,008							34,706	35,441	36,441
19	22,008							35,171	35,906	36,906

Class

Class

Class

A.B.

+15

M.A.

+15

+30

+45

0	21,888	22,525	22,780	23,990	24,725	26,433	27,168	27,903	28,638	29,638
1	22,205	22,842	23,097	24,491	25,226	26,934	27,669	28,404	29,139	30,139
2	22,522	23,160	23,415	24,992	25,727	27,435	28,170	28,905	29,640	30,640
3	22,840	23,477	23,732	25,493	26,228	27,936	28,671	29,406	30,141	31,141
4	23,393	24,030	24,286	26,230	26,965	28,673	29,408	30,143	30,878	31,878
5	23,710	24,348	24,603	26,731	27,466	29,174	29,909	30,644	31,379	32,379
6	24,028	24,665	24,920	27,232	27,967	29,675	30,410	31,145	31,880	32,880
7		24,982	25,238	27,733	28,468	30,176	30,911	31,646	32,381	33,381
8	22,008	25,300	25,555	28,234	28,969	30,677	31,412	32,147	32,882	33,882
9			25,872	28,735	29,470	31,178	31,913	32,648	33,383	34,383
10	22,008		26,189	29,237	29,972	31,680	32,415	33,150	33,885	34,885
11	22,008			29,738	30,473	32,181	32,916	33,651	34,386	35,386
12	22,008			30,239	30,974	32,682	33,417	34,152	34,887	35,887
13	22,008			30,740	31,475	33,183	33,918	34,653	35,388	36,388
14	22,008					33,684	34,419	35,154	35,889	36,889
15	22,008					34,185	34,920	35,655	36,390	37,390
16	22,008					34,686	35,421	36,156	36,891	37,891
17	22,008							36,657	37,392	38,392
18	22,008							37,158	37,893	38,893
19	22,008							37,659	38,394	39,394

(b) Six hundred dollars shall be paid annually to each classroom teacher who has at least twenty years of teaching experience. The payments: (i) Shall be in addition to any amounts prescribed in the applicable state minimum salary schedule; (ii) shall be paid in equal monthly installments; and (iii) shall be considered a part of the state minimum salaries for teachers.
(c) Effective the first day of July, two thousand one, in In addition to any amounts prescribed in the applicable state minimum salary schedule, each professional educator shall be paid annually the following incremental increases in accordance with their years of experience. The payments shall be paid in equal monthly installments and shall be considered a part of the state minimum salaries for teachers.
Years of Experience

Increment

31

534

32

534

33

534

34

534

35

534

(d) On and after the first day of July, two thousand two, in addition to any amounts prescribed in the applicable state minimum salary schedule, each professional educator shall be paid annually the following incremental increases in accordance with their years of experience. The payments shall be paid in equal monthly installments and shall be considered a part of the state minimum salaries for teachers.
Years of Experience

Increment

29

570

30

570

31

570

32

570

33

570

34

570

35

570

§18A-4-3. State minimum annual salary increments for principals and assistant principals.

In addition to any salary increments for principals and assistant principals, in effect on the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six two thousand two, and paid from local funds, and in addition to the county schedule in effect for teachers, the county board shall pay each principal, a principal's salary increment and each assistant principal an assistant principal's salary increment as prescribed by this section commencing on the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six from state funds appropriated for the salary increments.
State funds for this purpose shall be paid within the West Virginia public school support plan in accordance with article nine-a, chapter eighteen of this code.
The salary increment in this section for each principal shall be determined by multiplying the basic salary for teachers in accordance with the classification of certification and of training of the principal as prescribed in this article, by the appropriate percentage rate prescribed in this section according to the number of teachers supervised.
STATE MINIMUM SALARY INCREMENT
RATES FOR PRINCIPALS
No. of Teachers

SupervisedRates
1-7

6.0%

8-146.5%
15-247.0%
25-387.5%
39-578.0%
58 and up8.5%
Effective the first day of July, two thousand one, in addition to any salary increments for principals and assistant principals, in effect on the first day of January, two thousand one, and paid from local funds, the following schedule shall be used for calculating the salary increment for principals and assistant principals:
STATE MINIMUM SALARY INCREMENT
RATES FOR PRINCIPALS
EFFECTIVE UNTIL JULY 1, 2002
No. of Teachers

SupervisedRates
1-7

9.0%

8-149.5%
15-2410.0%
25-3810.5%
39-5711.0%
58 and up11.5%
STATE MINIMUM SALARY INCREMENT
RATES FOR PRINCIPALS
EFFECTIVE ON AND AFTER JULY 1, 2002
No. of Teachers

SupervisedRates
1-7

10.0%

8-1410.5%
15-2411.0%
25-3811.5%
39-5712.0%
58 and up12.5%
The salary increment in this section for each assistant principal shall be determined in the same manner as that for principals, utilizing the number of teachers supervised by the principal under whose direction the assistant principal works, except that the percentage rate shall be fifty percent of the rate prescribed for the principal.
Salaries for employment beyond the minimum employment term shall be at the same daily rate as the salaries for the minimum employment terms.
For the purpose of determining the number of teachers supervised by a principal, the county board shall use data for the second school month of the prior school term and the number of teachers shall be interpreted to mean the total number of professional educators assigned to each school on a full-time equivalency basis: Provided, That if there is a change in circumstances because of consolidation or catastrophe, the county board shall determine what is a reasonable number of supervised teachers in order to establish the appropriate increment percentage rate.
No county may reduce local funds allocated for salary increments for principals and assistant principals in effect on the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six two thousand two, and used in supplementing the state minimum salaries as provided for in this article, unless forced to do so by defeat of a special levy, or a loss in assessed values or events over which it has no control and for which the county board has received approval from the state board prior to making the reduction.
Nothing in this section prevents a county board from providing, in a uniform manner, salary increments greater than those required by this section.
§18A-4-5. Salary equity among the counties; state salary supplement.
(a) For the purposes of this section, salary equity among the counties means that the salary potential of school employees employed by the various districts throughout the state does not differ by greater than ten percent between those offering the highest salaries and those offering the lowest salaries. In the case of professional educators, the difference shall be calculated utilizing the average of the professional educator salary schedules, degree classifications B.A. through doctorate and the years of experience zero through twenty provided for in the most recent state minimum salary schedule for teachers, in effect in the five counties offering the highest salary schedules compared to the lowest salary schedule in effect among the fifty-five counties. In the case of school service personnel, the difference shall be calculated utilizing the average of the school service personnel salary schedules, pay grades "A" through "H" and the years of experience zero through thirty provided for in the most recent state minimum pay scale pay grade for service personnel, in effect in the five counties offering the highest salary schedules compared to the lowest salary schedule in effect among the fifty-five counties.
For the school year beginning the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, and thereafter, in the counties that jointly support a multicounty vocational school, salary equity funding shall be distributed to nonfiscal agent counties based on: (1) Calculating the amount of salary equity funding each nonfiscal agent county would receive for the employees for which it is charged in the public school support program, as provided in section four, article nine-a, chapter eighteen of this code, if this salary equity funding were distributed to nonfiscal agent counties; and (2) deducting the salary equity funding to be received by the fiscal agent county in the public school support program for those employees for which the nonfiscal agent county is charged in the public school support program.
(b) To assist the state in meeting its objective of salary equity among the counties, as defined in subsection (a) of this section, on and after the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred eighty- four, subject to available state appropriations and the conditions set forth herein, each teacher and school service personnel shall receive a supplemental amount in addition to the amount from the state minimum salary schedules provided for in this article.
State funds for this purpose shall be paid within the West Virginia public school support plan in accordance with article nine-a, chapter eighteen of this code. The amount allocated for salary equity shall be apportioned between teachers and school service personnel in direct proportion to that amount necessary to support the professional salaries and service personnel salaries statewide under sections four and five, article nine-a, chapter eighteen of this code: Provided, That in making this division an adequate amount of state equity funds shall be reserved to finance the appropriate foundation allowances and staffing incentives provided for in article nine-a, chapter eighteen of this code.
Pursuant to this section, each teacher and school service personnel shall receive the amount that is the difference between their authorized state minimum salary and ninety-five percent of the maximum salary schedules prescribed in sections five-a and five-b of this article, reduced by any amount provided by the county as a salary supplement for teachers and school service personnel on the first day of January of the fiscal year immediately preceding that in which the salary equity appropriation is distributed: Provided, That the amount received pursuant to this section shall not be decreased as a result of any county supplement increase instituted after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred eighty-four, until the objective of salary equity is reached: Provided, however, That any amount received pursuant to this section may be reduced proportionately based upon the amount of funds appropriated for this purpose.
No county may reduce any salary supplement that was in effect on the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred eighty-four, except as permitted by sections five-a and five-b of this article.

§18A-4-7a. Employment, promotion and transfer of professional personnel; seniority.

(a) A county board of education shall make decisions affecting the hiring of professional personnel other than classroom teachers on the basis of the applicant with the highest qualifications.
(b) The county board shall make decisions affecting the hiring of new classroom teachers on the basis of the applicant with the highest qualifications.
(c) In judging qualifications for hiring employees pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this section, consideration shall be given to each of the following:
(1) Appropriate certification and/or licensure;
(2) Amount of experience relevant to the position; or, in the case of a classroom teaching position, the amount of teaching experience in the subject area;
(3) The amount of course work and/or degree level in the relevant field and degree level generally;
(4) Academic achievement;
(5) Relevant specialized training;
(6) Past performance evaluations conducted pursuant to section twelve, article two of this chapter; and
(7) Other measures or indicators upon which the relative qualifications of the applicant may fairly be judged.
(d) If one or more permanently employed instructional personnel apply for a classroom teaching position and meet the standards set forth in the job posting, the county board of education shall make decisions affecting the filling of such positions on the basis of the following criteria:
(1) Appropriate certification and/or licensure;
(2) Total amount of teaching experience;
(3) The existence of teaching experience in the required certification area;
(4)  Degree level in the required certification area;
(5) Specialized training directly related to the performance of the job as stated in the job description;
(6) Receiving an overall rating of satisfactory in evaluations over the previous two years; and
(7) Seniority.
(e) In filling positions pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, consideration shall be given to each criterion with each criterion being given equal weight. If the applicant with the most seniority is not selected for the position, upon the request of the applicant a written statement of reasons shall be given to the applicant with suggestions for improving the applicant's qualifications.
(f) The seniority of classroom teachers, as defined in section one, article one of this chapter, with the exception of guidance counselors, shall be determined on the basis of the length of time the employee has been employed as a regular full-time certified and/or licensed professional educator by the county board of education and shall be granted in all areas that the employee is certified and/or licensed.
(g) Upon completion of one hundred thirty-three days of employment in any one school year, substitute teachers, except retired teachers and other retired professional educators employed as substitutes, shall accrue seniority exclusively for the purpose of applying for employment as a permanent, full-time professional employee. One hundred thirty-three days or more of said employment shall be prorated and shall vest as a fraction of the school year worked by the permanent, full-time teacher.
(h) Guidance counselors and all other professional employees, as defined in section one, article one of this chapter, except classroom teachers, shall gain seniority in their nonteaching area of professional employment on the basis of the length of time the employee has been employed by the county board of education in that area: Provided, That if an employee is certified as a classroom teacher, the employee accrues classroom teaching seniority for the time that that employee is employed in another professional area. For the purposes of accruing seniority under this paragraph, employment as principal, supervisor or central office administrator, as defined in section one, article one of this chapter, shall be considered one area of employment.
(i) Employment for a full employment term shall equal one year of seniority, but no employee may accrue more than one year of seniority during any given fiscal year. Employment for less than the full employment term shall be prorated. A random selection system established by the employees and approved by the board shall be used to determine the priority if two or more employees accumulate identical seniority: Provided, That when two or more principals have accumulated identical seniority, decisions on reductions in force shall be based on qualifications.
(j) Whenever a county board is required to reduce the number of professional personnel in its employment, the employee with the least amount of seniority shall be properly notified and released from employment pursuant to the provisions of section two, article two of this chapter. The provisions of this subsection are subject to the following:
(1) All persons employed in a certification area to be reduced who are employed under a temporary permit shall be properly notified and released before a fully certified employee in such a position is subject to release;
(2) An employee subject to release shall be employed in any other professional position where such employee is certified and was previously employed or to any lateral area for which such employee is certified and/or licensed, if such employee's seniority is greater than the seniority of any other employee in that area of certification and/or licensure;
(3) If an employee subject to release holds certification and/or licensure in more than one lateral area and if such employee's seniority is greater than the seniority of any other employee in one or more of those areas of certification and/or licensure, the employee subject to release shall be employed in the professional position held by the employee with the least seniority in any of those areas of certification and/or licensure; and
(4) If, prior to the first day of August of the year a reduction in force is approved, the reason for any particular reduction in force no longer exists as determined by the county board in its sole and exclusive judgment, the board shall rescind the reduction in force or transfer and shall notify the released employee in writing of his or her right to be restored to his or her position of employment. Within five days of being so notified, the released employee shall notify the board, in writing, of his or her intent to resume his or her position of employment or the right to be restored shall terminate. Notwithstanding any other provision of this subdivision, if there is another employee on the preferred recall list with proper certification and higher seniority, that person shall be placed in the position restored as a result of the reduction in force being rescinded.
(k) For the purpose of this article, all positions which meet the definition of classroom teacher as defined in section one, article one of this chapter shall be lateral positions. For all other professional positions the county board of education shall adopt a policy by the thirty-first day of October, one thousand nine hundred ninety-three, and may modify said policy thereafter as necessary, which defines which positions shall be lateral positions. The board shall submit a copy of its policy to the state board within thirty days of adoption or any modification, and the state board shall compile a report and submit same to the legislative oversight commission on education accountability by the thirty-first day of December, one thousand nine hundred ninety-three, and by such date in any succeeding year in which any county board submits a modification of its policy relating to lateral positions. In adopting such a policy, the board shall give consideration to the rank of each position in terms of title, nature of responsibilities, salary level, certification and/or licensure and days in the period of employment.
(l) After the fifth day prior to the beginning of the instructional term, no person employed and assigned to a professional position may transfer to another professional position in the county during that instructional term unless the person holding that position does not have valid certification. The provisions of this subsection are subject to the following:
(1) The person may apply for any posted, vacant positions with the successful applicant assuming the position at the beginning of the next instructional term;
(2) Professional personnel who have been on an approved leave of absence may fill these vacancies upon their return from the approved leave of absence; and
(3) The county board, upon recommendation of the superintendent may fill a position before the next instructional term when it is determined to be in the best interest of the students: Provided, That the county superintendent shall notify the state board of each transfer of a person employed in a professional position to another professional position after the fifth day prior to the beginning of the instructional term. The Legislature finds that it is not in the best interest of the students particularly in the elementary grades to have multiple teachers for any one grade level or course during the instructional term. It is the intent of the Legislature that the filling of positions through transfers of personnel from one professional position to another after the fifth day prior to the beginning of the instructional term should be kept to a minimum.
(m) All professional personnel whose seniority with the county board is insufficient to allow their retention by the county board during a reduction in work force shall be placed upon a preferred recall list. As to any professional position opening within the area where they had previously been employed or to any lateral area for which they have certification and/or licensure, the employee shall be recalled on the basis of seniority if no regular, full-time professional personnel, or those returning from leaves of absence with greater seniority, are qualified, apply for and accept such position.
(n) Before position openings that are known or expected to extend for twenty consecutive employment days or longer for professional personnel may be filled by the board, the board shall be required to notify all qualified professional personnel on the preferred list and give them an opportunity to apply, but failure to apply shall not cause the employee to forfeit any right to recall. The notice shall be sent by certified mail to the last known address of the employee, and it shall be the duty of each professional personnel to notify the board of continued availability annually, of any change in address or of any change in certification and/or licensure.
(o) Openings in established, existing or newly created positions shall be processed as follows:
(1) Boards shall be required to post and date notices which shall be subject to the following:
(A) The notices shall be posted in conspicuous working places for all professional personnel to observe for at least five working days;
(B) The notice shall be posted within twenty working days of the position openings and shall include the job description;
(C) Any special criteria or skills that are required by the position shall be specifically stated in the job description and directly related to the performance of the job;
(D) Postings for vacancies made pursuant to this section shall be written so as to ensure that the largest possible pool of qualified applicants may apply; and
(E) Job postings may not require criteria which are not necessary for the successful performance of the job and may not be written with the intent to favor a specific applicant;
(2) No vacancy shall be filled until after the five-day minimum posting period;
(3) If one or more applicants meets the qualifications listed in the job posting, the successful applicant to fill the vacancy shall be selected by the board within thirty working days of the end of the posting period;
(4) A position held by a certified and/or licensed teacher who has been issued a permit for full-time employment and is working toward certification in the permit area shall not be subject to posting if the certificate is awarded within five years; and
(5) Nothing provided herein shall prevent the county board of education from eliminating a position due to lack of need.
(p) Notwithstanding any other provision of the code to the contrary, where the total number of classroom teaching positions in an elementary school does not increase from one school year to the next, but there exists in that school a need to realign the number of teachers in one or more grade levels, kindergarten through six, teachers at the school may be reassigned to grade levels for which they are certified without that position being posted: Provided, That the employee and the county board of education mutually agree to the reassignment.
(q) Reductions in classroom teaching positions in elementary schools shall be processed as follows:
(1) When the total number of classroom teaching positions in an elementary school needs to be reduced, the reduction shall be made on the basis of seniority with the least senior classroom teacher being recommended for transfer; and
(2) When a specified grade level needs to be reduced and the least senior employee in the school is not in that grade level, the least senior classroom teacher in the grade level that needs to be reduced shall be reassigned to the position made vacant by the transfer of the least senior classroom teacher in the school without that position being posted: Provided, That the employee is certified and/or licensed and agrees to the reassignment.
(r) Any board failing to comply with the provisions of this article may be compelled to do so by mandamus and shall be liable to any party prevailing against the board for court costs and reasonable attorney fees as determined and established by the court. Further, employees denied promotion or employment in violation of this section shall be awarded the job, pay and any applicable benefits retroactive to the date of the violation and payable entirely from local funds. Further, the board shall be liable to any party prevailing against the board for any court reporter costs including copies of transcripts.
(s) The county board shall compile, update annually on the first day of July and make available by electronic or other means to all employees a list of all professional personnel employed by the county, their areas of certification and their seniority.

§18A-4-8. Employment term and class titles of service personnel; definitions.

(a) The purpose of this section is to establish an employment term and class titles for service personnel. The employment term for service personnel may be no less than ten months. A month is defined as twenty employment days: Provided, That the county board may contract with all or part of these service personnel for a longer term. The beginning and closing dates of the ten-month employment term may not exceed forty-three weeks.
(b) Service personnel employed on a yearly or twelve-month basis may be employed by calendar months. Whenever there is a change in job assignment during the school year, the minimum pay scale and any county supplement are applicable.
(c) Service personnel employed in the same classification for more than the two hundred day minimum employment term shall be paid for additional employment at a daily rate of not less than the daily rate paid for the two hundred day minimum employment term.
(d) No service employee, without his or her agreement, may be required to report for work more than five days per week and no part of any working day may be accumulated by the employer for future work assignments, unless the employee agrees thereto.
(e) If an employee whose regular work week is scheduled from Monday through Friday agrees to perform any work assignments on a Saturday or Sunday, the employee shall be paid for at least one-half day of work for each day he or she reports for work, and if the employee works more than three and one-half hours on any Saturday or Sunday, he or she shall be paid for at least a full day of work for each day.
(f) Custodians, aides, maintenance, office and school lunch employees required to work a daily work schedule that is interrupted, that is, who do not work a continuous period in one day, shall be paid additional compensation equal to at least one eighth of their total salary as provided by their state minimum salary and any county pay supplement, and payable entirely from county funds: Provided, That when engaged in duties of transporting students exclusively, aides shall not be regarded as working an interrupted schedule. Maintenance personnel are defined as personnel who hold a classification title other than in a custodial, aide, school lunch, office or transportation category as provided in section one, article one of this chapter.
(g) Upon the change in classification or upon meeting the requirements of an advanced classification of or by any employee, the employee's salary shall be made to comply with the requirements of this article, and to any county salary schedule in excess of the minimum requirements of this article, based upon the employee's advanced classification and allowable years of employment.
(h) An employee's contract as provided in section five, article two of this chapter shall state the appropriate monthly salary the employee is to be paid, based on the class title as provided in this article and any county salary schedule in excess of the minimum requirements of this article.
(i) The column heads of the state minimum pay scale and class titles, set forth in section eight-a of this article, are defined as follows:
(1) "Pay grade" means the monthly salary applicable to class titles of service personnel;
(2) "Years of employment" means the number of years which an employee classified as service personnel has been employed by a board in any position prior to or subsequent to the effective date of this section and including service in the armed forces of the United States, if the employee were employed at the time of his or her induction. For the purpose of section eight-a of this article, years of employment shall be limited to the number of years shown and allowed under the state minimum pay scale as set forth in section eight-a of this article;
(3) "Class title" means the name of the position or job held by service personnel;
(4) "Accountant I" means personnel employed to maintain payroll records and reports and perform one or more operations relating to a phase of the total payroll;
(5) "Accountant II" means personnel employed to maintain accounting records and to be responsible for the accounting process associated with billing, budgets, purchasing and related operations;
(6) "Accountant III" means personnel who are employed in the county board office to manage and supervise accounts payable and/or payroll procedures;
(7) "Accounts payable supervisor" means personnel who are employed in the county board office who have primary responsibility for the accounts payable function, which may include the supervision of other personnel, and who have either completed twelve college hours of accounting courses from an accredited institution of higher education or have at least eight years of experience performing progressively difficult accounting tasks;
(8) "Aide I" means those personnel selected and trained for teacher-aide classifications such as monitor aide, clerical aide, classroom aide or general aide;
(9) "Aide II" means those personnel referred to in the "Aide I" classification who have completed a training program approved by the state board, or who hold a high school diploma or have received a general educational development certificate. Only personnel classified in an Aide II class title may be employed as an aide in any special education program;
(10) "Aide III" means those personnel referred to in the "Aide I" classification who hold a high school diploma or a general educational development certificate and have completed six semester hours of college credit at an institution of higher education or are employed as an aide in a special education program and have one year's experience as an aide in special education;
(11) "Aide IV" means personnel referred to in the "Aide I" classification who hold a high school diploma or a general educational development certificate and who have completed eighteen hours of state board-approved college credit at a regionally accredited institution of higher education, or who have completed fifteen hours of state board-approved college credit at a regionally accredited institution of higher education and successfully completed an in-service training program determined by the state board to be the equivalent of three hours of college credit;
(12) "Audiovisual technician" means personnel employed to perform minor maintenance on audiovisual equipment, films, supplies and the filling of requests for equipment;
(13) "Auditor" means personnel employed to examine and verify accounts of individual schools and to assist schools and school personnel in maintaining complete and accurate records of their accounts;
(14) "Autism mentor" means personnel who work with autistic students and who meet standards and experience to be determined by the state board: Provided, That if any employee has held or holds an aide title and becomes employed as an autism mentor, the employee shall hold a multiclassification status that includes aide and autism mentor titles, in accordance with section eight-b of this article;
(15) "Braille or sign language specialist" means personnel employed to provide braille and/or sign language assistance to students: Provided, That if any employee has held or holds an aide title and becomes employed as a braille or sign language specialist, the employee shall hold a multiclassification status that includes aide and braille or sign language specialist title, in accordance with section eight-b of this article;
(16) "Bus operator" means personnel employed to operate school buses and other school transportation vehicles as provided by the state board;
(17) "Buyer" means personnel employed to review and write specifications, negotiate purchase bids and recommend purchase agreements for materials and services that meet predetermined specifications at the lowest available costs;
(18) "Cabinetmaker" means personnel employed to construct cabinets, tables, bookcases and other furniture;
(19) "Cafeteria manager" means personnel employed to direct the operation of a food services program in a school, including assigning duties to employees, approving requisitions for supplies and repairs, keeping inventories, inspecting areas to maintain high standards of sanitation, preparing financial reports and keeping records pertinent to food services of a school;
(20) "Carpenter I" means personnel classified as a carpenter's helper;
(21) "Carpenter II" means personnel classified as a journeyman carpenter;
(22) "Chief mechanic" means personnel employed to be responsible for directing activities which ensure that student transportation or other board-owned vehicles are properly and safely maintained;
(23) "Clerk I" means personnel employed to perform clerical tasks;
(24) "Clerk II" means personnel employed to perform general clerical tasks, prepare reports and tabulations and operate office machines;
(25) "Computer operator" means qualified personnel employed to operate computers;
(26) "Cook I" means personnel employed as a cook's helper;
(27) "Cook II" means personnel employed to interpret menus, to prepare and serve meals in a food service program of a school and shall include personnel who have been employed as a "Cook I" for a period of four years, if the personnel have not been elevated to this classification within that period of time;
(28) "Cook III" means personnel employed to prepare and serve meals, make reports, prepare requisitions for supplies, order equipment and repairs for a food service program of a school system;
(29) "Crew leader" means personnel employed to organize the work for a crew of maintenance employees to carry out assigned projects;
(30) "Custodian I" means personnel employed to keep buildings clean and free of refuse;
(31) "Custodian II" means personnel employed as a watchman or groundsman;
(32) "Custodian III" means personnel employed to keep buildings clean and free of refuse, to operate the heating or cooling systems and to make minor repairs;
(33) "Custodian IV" means personnel employed as head custodians. In addition to providing services as defined in "custodian III," their duties may include supervising other custodian personnel;
(34) "Director or coordinator of services" means personnel who are assigned to direct a department or division. Nothing in this subdivision may prohibit professional personnel or professional educators as defined in section one, article one of this chapter, from holding this class title, but professional personnel may not be defined or classified as service personnel unless the professional personnel held a service personnel title under this section prior to holding class title of "director or coordinator of services." Directors or coordinators of service positions shall be classified as either a professional personnel or service personnel position for state aid formula funding purposes and funding for directors or coordinators of service positions shall be based upon the employment status of the director or coordinator either as a professional personnel or service personnel;
(35) "Draftsman" means personnel employed to plan, design and produce detailed architectural/engineering drawings;
(36) "Electrician I" means personnel employed as an apprentice electrician helper or who holds an electrician helper license issued by the state fire marshal;
(37) "Electrician II" means personnel employed as an electrician journeyman or who holds a journeyman electrician license issued by the state fire marshal;
(38) "Electronic technician I" means personnel employed at the apprentice level to repair and maintain electronic equipment;
(39) "Electronic technician II" means personnel employed at the journeyman level to repair and maintain electronic equipment;
(40) "Executive secretary" means personnel employed as the county school superintendent's secretary or as a secretary who is assigned to a position characterized by significant administrative duties;
(41) "Food services supervisor" means qualified personnel not defined as professional personnel or professional educators in section one, article one of this chapter, employed to manage and supervise a county school system's food service program. The duties would include preparing in-service training programs for cooks and food service employees, instructing personnel in the areas of quantity cooking with economy and efficiency and keeping aggregate records and reports;
(42) "Foremen" means skilled persons employed for supervision of personnel who work in the areas of repair and maintenance of school property and equipment;
(43) "General maintenance" means personnel employed as helpers to skilled maintenance employees and to perform minor repairs to equipment and buildings of a county school system;
(44) "Glazier" means personnel employed to replace glass or other materials in windows and doors and to do minor carpentry tasks;
(45) "Graphic artist" means personnel employed to prepare graphic illustrations;
(46) "Groundsmen" means personnel employed to perform duties that relate to the appearance, repair and general care of school grounds in a county school system. Additional assignments may include the operation of a small heating plant and routine cleaning duties in buildings;
(47) "Handyman" means personnel employed to perform routine manual tasks in any operation of the county school system;
(48) "Heating and air conditioning mechanic I" means personnel employed at the apprentice level to install, repair and maintain heating and air conditioning plants and related electrical equipment;
(49) "Heating and air conditioning mechanic II" means personnel employed at the journeyman level to install, repair and maintain heating and air conditioning plants and related electrical equipment;
(50) "Heavy equipment operator" means personnel employed to operate heavy equipment;
(51) "Inventory supervisor" means personnel who are employed to supervise or maintain operations in the receipt, storage, inventory and issuance of materials and supplies;
(52) "Key punch operator" means qualified personnel employed to operate key punch machines or verifying machines;
(53) "Locksmith" means personnel employed to repair and maintain locks and safes;
(54) "Lubrication man" means personnel employed to lubricate and service gasoline or diesel-powered equipment of a county school system;
(55) "Machinist" means personnel employed to perform machinist tasks which include the ability to operate a lathe, planer, shaper, threading machine and wheel press. These personnel should also have, the ability to work from blueprints and drawings;
(56) "Mail clerk" means personnel employed to receive, sort, dispatch, deliver or otherwise handle letters, parcels and other mail;
(57) "Maintenance clerk" means personnel employed to maintain and control a stocking facility to keep adequate tools and supplies on hand for daily withdrawal for all school maintenance crafts;
(58) "Mason" means personnel employed to perform tasks connected with brick and block laying and carpentry tasks related to such laying;
(59) "Mechanic" means personnel employed who can independently perform skilled duties in the maintenance and repair of automobiles, school buses and other mechanical and mobile equipment to use in a county school system;
(60) "Mechanic assistant" means personnel employed as a mechanic apprentice and helper;
(61) "Multiclassification" means personnel employed to perform tasks that involve the combination of two or more class titles in this section. In these instances the minimum salary scale shall be the higher pay grade of the class titles involved;
(62) "Office equipment repairman I" means personnel employed as an office equipment repairman apprentice or helper;
(63) "Office equipment repairman II" means personnel responsible for servicing and repairing all office machines and equipment. Personnel are responsible for parts being purchased necessary for the proper operation of a program of continuous maintenance and repair;
(64) "Painter" means personnel employed to perform duties of painting, finishing and decorating of wood, metal and concrete surfaces of buildings, other structures, equipment, machinery and furnishings of a county school system;
(65) "Paraprofessional" means a person certified pursuant to section two-a, article three of this chapter to perform duties in a support capacity including, but not limited to, facilitating in the instruction and direct or indirect supervision of pupils under the direction of a principal, a teacher or another designated professional educator: Provided, That no person employed on the effective date of this section in the position of an aide may be reduced in force or transferred to create a vacancy for the employment of a paraprofessional: Provided, however, That if any employee has held or holds an aide title and becomes employed as a paraprofessional, the employee shall hold a multiclassification status that includes aide and paraprofessional titles in accordance with section eight-b of this article: Provided further, That once an employee who holds an aide title becomes certified as a paraprofessional and is required to perform duties that may not be performed by an aide without paraprofessional certification, he or she shall receive the paraprofessional title pay grade;
(66) "Payroll supervisor" means personnel who are employed in the county board office who have primary responsibility for the payroll function, which may include the supervision of other personnel, and who have either completed twelve college hours of accounting from an accredited institution of higher education or have at least eight years of experience performing progressively difficult accounting tasks;
(67) "Plumber I" means personnel employed as an apprentice plumber and helper;
(68) "Plumber II" means personnel employed as a journeyman plumber;
(69) "Printing operator" means personnel employed to operate duplication equipment, and as required, to cut, collate, staple, bind and shelve materials;
(70) "Printing supervisor" means personnel employed to supervise the operation of a print shop;
(71) "Programmer" means personnel employed to design and prepare programs for computer operation;
(72) "Roofing/sheet metal mechanic" means personnel employed to install, repair, fabricate and maintain roofs, gutters, flashing and duct work for heating and ventilation;
(73) "Sanitation plant operator" means personnel employed to operate and maintain a water or sewage treatment plant to ensure the safety of the plant's effluent for human consumption or environmental protection;
(74) "School bus supervisor" means qualified personnel employed to assist in selecting school bus operators and routing and scheduling of school buses, operate a bus when needed, relay instructions to bus operators, plan emergency routing of buses and promoting good relationships with parents, pupils, bus operators and other employees;
(75) "Secretary I" means personnel employed to transcribe from notes or mechanical equipment, receive callers, perform clerical tasks, prepare reports and operate office machines;
(76) "Secretary II" means personnel employed in any elementary, secondary, kindergarten, nursery, special education, vocational or any other school as a secretary. The duties may include performing general clerical tasks, transcribing from notes or stenotype or mechanical equipment or a sound-producing machine, preparing reports, receiving callers and referring them to proper persons, operating office machines, keeping records and handling routine correspondence. There is nothing implied in this subdivision that would prevent the employees from holding or being elevated to a higher classification;
(77) "Secretary III" means personnel assigned to the county board office administrators in charge of various instructional, maintenance, transportation, food services, operations and health departments, federal programs or departments with particular responsibilities of purchasing and financial control or any personnel who have served in a position which meets the definition of "secretary II" or "secretary III" in this section for eight years;
(78) "Supervisor of maintenance" means skilled personnel not defined as professional personnel or professional educators as in section one, article one of this chapter. The responsibilities would include directing the upkeep of buildings and shops, issuing instructions to subordinates relating to cleaning, repairs and maintenance of all structures and mechanical and electrical equipment of a board;
(79) "Supervisor of transportation" means qualified personnel employed to direct school transportation activities, properly and safely, and to supervise the maintenance and repair of vehicles, buses and other mechanical and mobile equipment used by the county school system;
(80) "Switchboard operator-receptionist" means personnel employed to refer incoming calls, to assume contact with the public, to direct and to give instructions as necessary, to operate switchboard equipment and to provide clerical assistance;
(81) "Truck driver" means personnel employed to operate light or heavy duty gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles;
(82) "Warehouse clerk" means personnel employed to be responsible for receiving, storing, packing and shipping goods;
(83) "Watchman" means personnel employed to protect school property against damage or theft. Additional assignments may include operation of a small heating plant and routine cleaning duties; and
(84) "Welder" means personnel employed to provide acetylene or electric welding services for a school system; and
(85) "WVEIS data entry and administrative clerk" means personnel employed to work under the direction of a school principal to assist the school counselor or counselors in the performance of administrative duties, to perform data entry tasks on the West Virginia education information system, and to perform other administrative duties assigned by the principal.
(j) In addition to the compensation provided for in section eight-a of this article, for service personnel, each service employee is, notwithstanding any provisions in this code to the contrary, entitled to all service personnel employee rights, privileges and benefits provided under this or any other chapter of this code without regard to the employee's hours of employment or the methods or sources of compensation.
(k) Service personnel whose years of employment exceed the number of years shown and provided for under the state minimum pay scale set forth in section eight-a of this article may not be paid less than the amount shown for the maximum years of employment shown and provided for in the classification in which he or she is employed.
(l) The county boards shall review each service personnel employee job classification annually and shall reclassify all service employees as required by the job classifications. The state superintendent of schools may withhold state funds appropriated pursuant to this article for salaries for service personnel who are improperly classified by the county boards. Further, the state superintendent shall order county boards to correct immediately any improper classification matter and with the assistance of the attorney general shall take any legal action necessary against any county board to enforce the order.
(m) No service employee, without his or her written consent, may be reclassified by class title, nor may a service employee, without his or her written consent, be relegated to any condition of employment which would result in a reduction of his or her salary, rate of pay, compensation or benefits earned during the current fiscal year or which would result in a reduction of his or her salary, rate of pay, compensation or benefits for which he or she would qualify by continuing in the same job position and classification held during that fiscal year and subsequent years.
(n) Any board failing to comply with the provisions of this article may be compelled to do so by mandamus, and is liable to any party prevailing against the board for court costs and the prevailing party's reasonable attorney fee, as determined and established by the court.
(o) Notwithstanding any provisions in this code to the contrary, service personnel who hold a continuing contract in a specific job classification and who are physically unable to perform the job's duties as confirmed by a physician chosen by the employee shall be given priority status over any employee not holding a continuing contract in filling other service personnel job vacancies if qualified as provided in section eight-e of this article.
§18A-4-8a. Service personnel minimum monthly salaries.
(1) Until the first day of July, two thousand two, the minimum monthly pay for each service employee whose employment is for a period of more than three and one-half hours a day shall be at least the amounts indicated in the "state minimum pay scale pay grade I" and the minimum monthly pay for each service employee whose employment is for a period of three and one-half hours or less a day shall be at least one-half the amount indicated in the "state minimum pay scale pay grade I" set forth in this section. Provided, That beginning the first day of the second quarter of the employment term in the school year two thousand one--two thousand two Beginning the first day of July, two thousand two, the minimum monthly pay for each service emloyee whose employment is for a period of more than three and one-half hours a day shall be at least the amounts indicated in the "state minimum pay scale pay grade II" and the minimum monthly pay for each service employee whose employment is for a period of three and one-half hours or less a day shall be at least one-half the amount indicated in the "state minimum pay scale pay grade II" set forth in this section.

STATE MINIMUM PAY SCALE PAY GRADE I
Years of
Employment

Pay Grade

A

B C D E F G H

0

1,220

1,240

1,280

1,330

1,380

1,440

1,470

1,540

11,2491,2691,309

1,359

1,409

1,469

1,4991,569

21,278

1,298

1,338

1,388

1,438

1,498

1,5281,598

3

1,307

1,327

1,367

1,417

1,467

1,527

1,557

1,627

41,336

1,356

1,396

1,446

1,496

1,556

1,5861,656

51,365

1,385

1,425

1,475

1,525

1,585

1,6151,685

61,394

1,414

1,454

1,504

1,554

1,6141,6441,714

71,423

1,443

1,483

1,533

1,583

1,6431,6731,743

81,452

1,472

1,512

1,562

1,612

1,6721,7021,772

91,481

1,501

1,541

1,591

1,641

1,701

1,7311,801

101,510

1,530

1,570

1,620

1,670

1,730

1,7601,830

111,539

1,559

1,599

1,649

1,699

1,7591,7891,859

121,568

1,588

1,628

1,678

1,728

1,7881,8181,888

131,597

1,617

1,657

1,707

1,757

1,8171,8471,917

141,626

1,646

1,686

1,736

1,786

1,8461,8761,946

151,655

1,675

1,715

1,765

1,815

1,8751,9051,975

161,684

1,704

1,744

1,794

1,844

1,904

1,9342,004

171,713

1,733

1,773

1,8231,873

1,9331,9632,033

181,742

1,762

1,802

1,852

1,902

1,9621,9922,062

191,771

1,791

1,831

1,881

1,931

1,9912,0212,091

201,800

1,820

1,860

1,910

1,960

2,0202,0502,120

211,829

1,849

1,889

1,939

1,989

2,0492,0792,149

221,858

1,878

1,918

1,968

2,018

2,0782,1082,178

231,887

1,907

1,947

1,997

2,047

2,1072,1372,207

241,916

1,936

1,976

2,026

2,076

2,1362,1662,236

251,945

1,965

2,005

2,055

2,105

2,1652,1952,265

261,974

1,994

2,034

2,084

2,134

2,1942,2242,294

272,003

2,023

2,063

2,113

2,163

2,2232,2532,323

282,0322,0522,092

2,142

2,192

2,2522,2822,352

292,061

2,081

2,121

2,171

2,221

2,2812,3112,381

302,090

2,110

2,150

2,200

2,250

2,3102,3402,410

312,119

2,139

2,179

2,229

2,279

2,3392,3692,439

322,148

2,168

2,208

2,258

2,308

2,3682,3982,468

332,177

2,197

2,237

2,287

2,337

2,3972,4272,497

342,206

2,226

2,266

2,316

2,366

2,4262,4562,526

352,235

2,255

2,295

2,345

2,395

2,4552,4852,555

362,264

2,284

2,324

2,374

2,424

2,4842,5142,584

372,293

2,313

2,353

2,403

2,453

2,5132,5432,613

382,322

2,342

2,382

2,432

2,482

2,5422,5722,642

392,351

2,371

2,411

2,461

2,511

2,5712,6012,671

402,380

2,400

2,440

2,490

2,540

2,6002,6302,700

STATE MINIMUM PAY SCALE PAY GRADE II I
Years of
Employment Pay Grade

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
0	1,295	1,315	1,355	1,405	1,455	1,515	1,545	1,615
1	1,325	1,345	1,385	1,435	1,485	1,545	1,575	1,645
2	1,355	1,375	1,415	1,465	1,515	1,575	1,605	1,675
3	1,385	1,405	1,445	1,495	1,545	1,605	1,635	1,705
4	1,415	1,435	1,475	1,525	1,575	1,635	1,665	1,735
5	1,445	1,465	1,505	1,555	1,605	1,665	1,695	1,765
6	1,475	1,495	1,535	1,585	1,635	1,695	1,725	1,795
7	1,505	1,525	1,565	1,615	1,665	1,725	1,755	1,825
8	1,535	1,555	1,595	1,645	1,695	1,755	1,785	1,855
9	1,565	1,585	1,625	1,675	1,725	1,785	1,815	1,885
10	1,595	1,615	1,655	1,705	1,755	1,815	1,845	1,915
11	1,625	1,645	1,685	1,735	1,785	1,845	1,875	1,945
12	1,655	1,675	1,715	1,765	1,815	1,875	1,905	1,975
13	1,685	1,705	1,745	1,795	1,845	1,905	1,935	2,005
14	1,715	1,735	1,775	1,825	1,875	1,935	1,965	2,035
15	1,745	1,765	1,805	1,855	1,905	1,965	1,995	2,065
16	1,775	1,795	1,835	1,885	1,935	1,995	2,025	2,095
17	1,805	1,825	1,865	1,915	1,965	2,025	2,055	2,125
18	1,835	1,855	1,895	1,945	1,995	2,055	2,085	2,155
19	1,865	1,885	1,925	1,975	2,025	2,085	2,115	2,185
20	1,895	1,915	1,955	2,005	2,055	2,115	2,145	2,215
21	1,925	1,945	1,985	2,035	2,085	2,145	2,175	2,245
22	1,955	1,975	2,015	2,065	2,115	2,175	2,205	2,275
23	1,985	2,005	2,045	2,095	2,145	2,205	2,235	2,305
24	2,015	2,035	2,075	2,125	2,175	2,235	2,265	2,335
25	2,045	2,065	2,105	2,155	2,205	2,265	2,295	2,365
26	2,075	2,095	2,135	2,185	2,235	2,295	2,325	2,395
27	2,105	2,125	2,165	2,215	2,265	2,325	2,355	2,425
28	2,135	2,155	2,195	2,245	2,295	2,355	2,385	2,455
29	2,165	2,185	2,225	2,275	2,325	2,385	2,415	2,485
30	2,195	2,215	2,255	2,305	2,355	2,415	2,445	2,515
31	2,225	2,245	2,285	2,335	2,385	2,445	2,475	2,545
32	2,255	2,275	2,315	2,365	2,415	2,475	2,505	2,575
33	2,285	2,305	2,345	2,395	2,445	2,505	2,535	2,605
34	2,315	2,335	2,375	2,425	2,475	2,535	2,565	2,635
35	2,345	2,365	2,405	2,455	2,505	2,565	2,595	2,665
36	2,375	2,395	2,435	2,485	2,535	2,595	2,625	2,695
37	2,405	2,425	2,465	2,515	2,565	2,625	2,655	2,725
38	2,435	2,455	2,495	2,545	2,595	2,655	2,685	2,755
39	2,465	2,485	2,525	2,575	2,625	2,685	2,715	2,785
40	2,495	2,515	2,555	2,605	2,655	2,715	2,745	2,815

STATE MINIMUM PAY SCALE PAY GRADE II
Years of
Employment

Pay Grade

A

B C D E FGH

0	1,366	1,386	1,426	1,476	1,526	1,586	1,616	1,686
1	1,397	1,417	1,457	1,507	1,557	1,617	1,647	1,717
2	1,428	1,448	1,488	1,538	1,588	1,648	1,678	1,748
3	1,459	1,479	1,519	1,569	1,619	1,679	1,709	1,779
4	1,490	1,510	1,550	1,600	1,650	1,710	1,740	1,810
5	1,521	1,541	1,581	1,631	1,681	1,741	1,771	1,841
6	1,552	1,572	1,612	1,662	1,712	1,772	1,802	1,872
7	1,583	1,603	1,643	1,693	1,743	1,803	1,833	1,903
8	1,614	1,634	1,674	1,724	1,774	1,834	1,864	1,934
9	1,645	1,665	1,705	1,755	1,805	1,865	1,895	1,965
10	1,676	1,696	1,736	1,786	1,836	1,896	1,926	1,996
11	1,707	1,727	1,767	1,817	1,867	1,927	1,957	2,027
12	1,738	1,758	1,798	1,848	1,898	1,958	1,988	2,058
13	1,769	1,789	1,829	1,879	1,929	1,989	2,019	2,089
14	1,800	1,820	1,860	1,910	1,960	2,020	2,050	2,120
15	1,831	1,851	1,891	1,941	1,991	2,051	2,081	2,151
16	1,862	1,882	1,922	1,972	2,022	2,082	2,112	2,182
17	1,893	1,913	1,953	2,003	2,053	2,113	2,143	2,213
18	1,924	1,944	1,984	2,034	2,084	2,144	2,174	2,244
19	1,955	1,975	2,015	2,065	2,115	2,175	2,205	2,275
20	1,986	2,006	2,046	2,096	2,146	2,206	2,236	2,306
21	2,017	2,037	2,077	2,127	2,177	2,237	2,267	2,337
22	2,048	2,068	2,108	2,158	2,208	2,268	2,298	2,368
23	2,079	2,099	2,139	2,189	2,239	2,299	2,329	2,399
24	2,110	2,130	2,170	2,220	2,270	2,330	2,360	2,430
25	2,141	2,161	2,201	2,251	2,301	2,361	2,391	2,461
26	2,172	2,192	2,232	2,282	2,332	2,392	2,422	2,492
27	2,203	2,223	2,263	2,313	2,363	2,423	2,453	2,523
28	2,234	2,254	2,294	2,344	2,394	2,454	2,484	2,554
29	2,265	2,285	2,325	2,375	2,425	2,485	2,515	2,585
30	2,296	2,316	2,356	2,406	2,456	2,516	2,546	2,616
31	2,327	2,347	2,387	2,437	2,487	2,547	2,577	2,647
32	2,358	2,378	2,418	2,468	2,518	2,578	2,608	2,678
33	2,389	2,409	2,449	2,499	2,549	2,609	2,639	2,709
34	2,420	2,440	2,480	2,530	2,580	2,640	2,670	2,740
35	2,451	2,471	2,511	2,561	2,611	2,671	2,701	2,771
36	2,482	2,502	2,542	2,592	2,642	2,702	2,732	2,802
37	2,513	2,533	2,573	2,623	2,673	2,733	2,763	2,833
38	2,544	2,564	2,604	2,654	2,704	2,764	2,794	2,864
39	2,575	2,595	2,635	2,685	2,735	2,795	2,825	2,895
40	2,606	2,626	2,666	2,716	2,766	2,826	2,856	2,926

CLASS TITLE

PAY GRADE

Accountant ID
Accountant IIE
Accountant IIIF
Accounts Payable SupervisorG
Aide IA
Aide IIB
Aide IIIC
Aide IVD
Audiovisual TechnicianC
AuditorG
Autism MentorE
Braille or Sign Language SpecialistE
Bus OperatorD
BuyerF
CabinetmakerG
Cafeteria ManagerD
Carpenter IE
Carpenter IIF
Chief MechanicG
Clerk IB
Clerk IIC
Computer OperatorE
Cook IA
Cook IIB
Cook IIIC
Crew LeaderF
Custodian IA
Custodian IIB
Custodian IIIC
Custodian IVD
Director or Coordinator of ServicesH
DraftsmanD
Electrician IF
Electrician IIG
Electronic Technician IF
Electronic Technician IIG
Executive SecretaryG
Food Services SupervisorG
ForemanG
General MaintenanceC
GlazierD
Graphic ArtistD
GroundsmanB
HandymanB
Heating and Air Conditioning Mechanic IE
Heating and Air Conditioning Mechanic IIG
Heavy Equipment OperatorE
Inventory SupervisorD
Key Punch OperatorB
LocksmithG
Lubrication ManC
MachinistF
Mail ClerkD
Maintenance Clerk C
MasonG
MechanicF
Mechanic AssistantE
Office Equipment Repairman IF
Office Equipment Repairman IIG
PainterE
ParaprofessionalF
Payroll SupervisorG
Plumber IE
Plumber IIG
Printing OperatorB
Printing SupervisorD
ProgrammerH
Roofing/Sheet Metal MechanicF
Sanitation Plant OperatorF
School Bus SupervisorE
Secretary ID
Secretary IIE
Secretary IIIF
Supervisor of MaintenanceH
Supervisor of TransportationH
Switchboard Operator-ReceptionistD
Truck DriverD
Warehouse ClerkC
WatchmanB
WelderF
WVEIS Data Entry and Administrative ClerkB
(2) An additional ten dollars per month shall be added to the minimum monthly pay of each service employee who holds a high school diploma or its equivalent: Provided, That effective the first day of July, two thousand one, an additional twelve dollars per month shall be added to the minimum monthly pay of each service employee who holds a high school diploma or its equivalent.
(3) Until the first day of July, two thousand two, an additional ten dollars per month also shall be added to the minimum monthly pay of each service employee for each of the following, and beginning the first day of July, two thousand two, the ten dollars per month shall be increased to an additional eleven dollars per month for each of subdivisions (A) through (J) of this subsection only, and beginning the first day of July, two thousand two, the ten dollars per month shall be increased to an additional forty dollars per month for each of subdivisions (K) through (N) of this subsection only:
(A) A service employee who holds twelve college hours or comparable credit obtained in a trade or vocational school as approved by the state board;
(B) A service employee who holds twenty-four college hours or comparable credit obtained in a trade or vocational school as approved by the state board;
(C) A service employee who holds thirty-six college hours or comparable credit obtained in a trade or vocational school as approved by the state board;
(D) A service employee who holds forty-eight college hours or comparable credit obtained in a trade or vocational school as approved by the state board;
(E) A service employee who holds sixty college hours or comparable credit obtained in a trade or vocational school as approved by the state board;
(F) A service employee who holds seventy-two college hours or comparable credit obtained in a trade or vocational school as approved by the state board;
(G) Effective the first day of July, two thousand one, A service employee who holds eighty-four college hours or comparable credit obtained in a trade or vocational school as approved by the state board;
(H) Effective the first day of July, two thousand one, A service employee who holds ninety-six college hours or comparable credit obtained in a trade or vocational school as approved by the state board;
(I) Effective the first day of July, two thousand one, A service employee who holds one hundred eight college hours or comparable credit obtained in a trade or vocational school as approved by the state board;
(J) Effective the first day of July, two thousand one, A service employee who holds one hundred twenty college hours or comparable credit obtained in a trade or vocational school as approved by the state board;
(K) A service employee who holds an associate's degree;
(K) (L) Effective the first day of July, two thousand one, A service employee who holds a bachelor's degree; and
(L) (M) Effective the first day of July, two thousand one, A service employee who holds a master's degree;
(N) A service employee who holds a doctorate degree.
(4) Effective the first day of July, two thousand two, an additional eleven dollars per month shall be added to the minimum monthly pay of each service employee for each of the following:
(A) A service employee who holds a bachelor's degree plus fifteen college hours;
(B) A service employee who holds a master's degree plus fifteen college hours;
(C) A service employee who holds a master's degree plus thirty college hours;
(D) A service employee who holds a master's degree plus forty- five college hours; and
(E) A service employee who holds a master's degree plus sixty college hours.
(4) (5) When any part of a school service employee's daily shift of work is performed between the hours of six o'clock p.m. and five o'clock a.m. the following day, the employee shall be paid no less than an additional ten dollars per month and one half of the pay shall be paid with local funds.
(5) (6) Any service employee required to work on any legal school holiday shall be paid at a rate one and one-half times the employee's usual hourly rate.
(6) (7) Any full-time service personnel required to work in excess of their normal working day during any week which contains a school holiday for which they are paid shall be paid for the additional hours or fraction of the additional hours at a rate of one and one-half times their usual hourly rate and paid entirely from county board funds.
(7) (8) No service employee may have his or her daily work schedule changed during the school year without the employee's written consent and the employee's required daily work hours may not be changed to prevent the payment of time and one-half wages or the employment of another employee.
(8) (9) The minimum hourly rate of pay for extra duty assignments as defined in section eight-b of this article shall be no less than one seventh of the employee's daily total salary for each hour the employee is involved in performing the assignment and paid entirely from local funds: Provided, That an alternative minimum hourly rate of pay for performing extra duty assignments within a particular category of employment may be utilized if the alternate hourly rate of pay is approved both by the county board and by the affirmative vote of a two-thirds majority of the regular full-time employees within that classification category of employment within that county: Provided, however, That the vote shall be by secret ballot if requested by a service personnel employee within that classification category within that county. The salary for any fraction of an hour the employee is involved in performing the assignment shall be prorated accordingly. When performing extra duty assignments, employees who are regularly employed on a one-half day salary basis shall receive the same hourly extra duty assignment pay computed as though the employee were employed on a full-day salary basis.
(9) (10) The minimum pay for any service personnel employees engaged in the removal of asbestos material or related duties required for asbestos removal shall be their regular total daily rate of pay and no less than an additional three dollars per hour or no less than five dollars per hour for service personnel supervising asbestos removal responsibilities for each hour these employees are involved in asbestos related duties. Related duties required for asbestos removal include, but are not limited to, travel, preparation of the work site, removal of asbestos decontamination of the work site, placing and removal of equipment and removal of structures from the site. If any member of an asbestos crew is engaged in asbestos related duties outside of the employee's regular employment county, the daily rate of pay shall be no less than the minimum amount as established in the employee's regular employment county for asbestos removal and an additional thirty dollars per each day the employee is engaged in asbestos removal and related duties. The additional pay for asbestos removal and related duties shall be payable entirely from county funds. Before service personnel employees may be utilized in the removal of asbestos material or related duties, they shall have completed a federal Environmental Protection Act approved training program and be licensed. The employer shall provide all necessary protective equipment and maintain all records required by the Environmental Protection Act.
(10) (11) For the purpose of qualifying for additional pay as provided in section eight, article five of this chapter, an aide shall be considered to be exercising the authority of a supervisory aide and control over pupils if the aide is required to supervise, control, direct, monitor, escort or render service to a child or children when not under the direct supervision of certificated professional personnel within the classroom, library, hallway, lunchroom, gymnasium, school building, school grounds or wherever supervision is required. For purposes of this section, "under the direct supervision of certificated professional personnel" means that certificated professional personnel is present, with and accompanying the aide.
§18A-4-8b. Seniority rights for school service personnel.
(a) A county board shall make decisions affecting promotions and the filling of any service personnel positions of employment or jobs occurring throughout the school year that are to be performed by service personnel as provided in section eight of this article, on the basis of seniority, qualifications and evaluation of past service.
(b) Qualifications shall mean that the applicant holds a classification title in his category of employment as provided in this section and must be given first opportunity for promotion and filling vacancies. Other employees then must be considered and shall qualify by meeting the definition of the job title as defined in section eight of this article, that relates to the promotion or vacancy. If requested by the employee, the board must show valid cause why an employee with the most seniority is not promoted or employed in the position for which he or she applies. Applicants shall be considered in the following order:
(1) Regularly employed service personnel;
(2) Service personnel whose employment has been discontinued in accordance with this section;
(3) Professional personnel who held temporary service personnel jobs or positions prior to the ninth day of June, one thousand nine hundred eighty-two, and who apply only for such temporary jobs or positions;
(4) Substitute service personnel; and
(5) New service personnel.
(c) The county board may not prohibit a service employee from retaining or continuing his employment in any positions or jobs held prior to the effective date of this section and thereafter.
(d) A promotion shall be defined as any change in his employment that the employee deems to improve his working circumstance within his classification category of employment and shall include a transfer to another classification category or place of employment if the position is not filled by an employee who holds a title within that classification category of employment. Each class title listed in section eight of this article shall be considered a separate classification category of employment for service personnel, except for those class titles having Roman numeral designations, which shall be considered a single classification of employment. The cafeteria manager class title shall be included in the same classification category as cooks. The executive secretary class title shall be included in the same classification category as secretaries. Paraprofessional, autism mentor and braille or sign language specialist class titles shall be included in the same classification category as aides. The mechanic assistant and chief mechanic class titles shall be included in the same classification category as mechanics.
(e) For purposes of determining seniority under this section an employee's seniority begins on the date that he or she enters into his assigned duties.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter to the contrary, decisions affecting service personnel with respect to extra- duty assignments shall be made in the following manner: An employee with the greatest length of service time in a particular category of employment shall be given priority in accepting extra duty assignments, followed by other fellow employees on a rotating basis according to the length of their service time until all such employees have had an opportunity to perform similar assignments. The cycle then shall be repeated: Provided, That an alternative procedure for making extra-duty assignments within a particular classification category of employment may be utilized if the alternative procedure is approved both by the county board and by an affirmative vote of two thirds of the employees within that classification category of employment. For the purpose of this section, "extra-duty assignments" are defined as irregular jobs that occur periodically or occasionally such as, but not limited to, field trips, athletic events, proms, banquets and band festival trips.
(g) Boards shall be required to post and date notices of all job vacancies of established existing or newly created positions in conspicuous working places for all school service employees to observe for at least five working days. The notice of the job vacancies shall include the job description, the period of employment, the amount of pay and any benefits and other information that is helpful to the employees to understand the particulars of the job. After the five-day minimum posting period all vacancies shall be filled within twenty working days from the posting date notice of any job vacancies of established existing or newly created positions. Job postings for vacancies made pursuant to this section shall be written so as to ensure that the largest possible pool of qualified applicants may apply. Job postings may not require criteria which are not necessary for the successful performance of the job and may not be written with the intent to favor a specific applicant.
(h) All decisions by county boards concerning reduction in work force of service personnel shall be made on the basis of seniority, as provided in this section.
(i) The seniority of any service personnel shall be determined on the basis of the length of time the employee has been employed by the county board within a particular job classification. For the purpose of establishing seniority for a preferred recall list as provided in this section, when an employee has been employed in one or more classifications, the seniority accrued in each previous classification shall be retained by the employee.
(j) If a county board is required to reduce the number of employees within a particular job classification, the employee with the least amount of seniority within that classification or grades of classification shall be properly released and employed in a different grade of that classification if there is a job vacancy: Provided, That if there is no job vacancy for employment within the classification or grades of classification, he or she shall be employed in any other job classification which he or she previously held with the county board if there is a vacancy and shall retain any seniority accrued in the job classification or grade of classification.
(k) If, prior to the first day of August after a reduction in force or transfer is approved, the reason for any particular reduction in force or transfer no longer exists as determined by the county board in its sole and exclusive judgment, the board shall rescind the reduction in force or transfer and shall notify the affected employee in writing of his or her right to be restored to his or her former position of employment. Within five days of being so notified, the affected employee shall notify the board of his or her intent to return to his or her former position of employment or the right of restoration to the former position shall terminate: Provided, That the board shall not rescind the reduction in force of an employee until all employees with more seniority in the classification category on the preferred recall list have been offered the opportunity for recall to regular employment as provided in this section. If there are insufficient vacant positions to permit reemployment of all more senior employees on the preferred recall list within the classification category of the employee who was subject to reduction in force, the position of the released employee shall be posted and filled in accordance with this section.
(l) If two or more employees accumulate identical seniority, the priority shall be determined by a random selection system established by the employees and approved by the county board.
(m) All employees whose seniority with the county board is insufficient to allow their retention by the county board during a reduction in work force shall be placed upon a preferred recall list and shall be recalled to employment by the county board on the basis of seniority.
(n) Employees placed upon the preferred list shall be recalled to any position openings by the county board within the classification(s), where they had previously been employed, or to any lateral position for which the employee is qualified or to a lateral area for which an employee has certification and/or licensure.
(o) Employees on the preferred recall list shall not forfeit their right to recall by the county board if compelling reasons require an employee to refuse an offer of reemployment by the county board.
(p) The county board shall notify all employees on the preferred recall list of all position openings that from time to time exist. The notice shall be sent by certified mail to the last known address of the employee; it is the duty of each such employee to notify the county board of any change in the address of the employee.
(q) No position openings may be filled by the county board, whether temporary or permanent, until all employees on the preferred recall list have been properly notified of existing vacancies and have been given an opportunity to accept reemployment.
(r) An employee released from employment for lack of need as provided in section eight-a or six, article two of this chapter shall be accorded preferred recall status on the first day of July of the succeeding school year if the employee has not been reemployed as a regular employee.
(s) Any board failing to comply with the provisions of this article may be compelled to do so by mandamus and is liable to any party prevailing against the board for court costs and the prevailing party's reasonable attorney fee, as determined and established by the court. Further, employees denied promotion or employment in violation of this section shall be awarded the job, pay and any applicable benefits retroactively to the date of the violation and shall be paid entirely from local funds. Further, the board is liable to any party prevailing against the board for any court reporter costs including copies of transcripts.

§18A-4-14. Duty-free lunch and daily planning period for certain employees.

(1) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of section seven, article two of this chapter, every teacher who is employed for a period of time more than one-half the class periods of the regular school day and every service personnel whose employment is for a period of more than three and one-half hours per day and whose pay is at least the amount indicated in the "state minimum pay scale" as set forth in section eight-a of this article shall be provided a daily lunch recess of not less than thirty consecutive minutes, and such employee shall may not be assigned any responsibilities during this recess. Such recess shall be included in the number of hours worked, and no county shall a county may not increase the number of hours to be worked by an employee as a result of such employee being granted a recess under the provisions of this section.
(2) (b) Every teacher who is regularly employed for a period of time more than one-half the class periods of the regular school day shall be provided at least one planning period within each school instructional day to be used to complete necessary preparations for the instruction of pupils.
(1) Such planning period shall be the length of the usual class period in the school to which such teacher is assigned, and shall be not less than thirty minutes. No teacher may be assigned any responsibilities during this period, and not county shall be the length of the instructional period during which the planning period is assigned, but where the instructional period exceeds fifty minutes, it may be restricted to fifty minutes. If the instructional period during which the planning period is provided exceeds fifty minutes, then the teacher may be assigned other duties during the part of the instructional period which exceeds fifty minutes.
(2) If a school does not have instructional periods, planning periods shall be not less than thirty nor more than fifty minutes. When a school has instructional periods of varying durations, planning periods shall be scheduled, to the extent possible, for comparable durations.
(3) A county may not increase the number of hours to be worked by a teacher as a result of such teacher being granted a planning period subsequent to the adoption of this section (March 13, 1982) effective date of this section.
(c) Principals, and assistant principals, where applicable, shall cooperate in carrying out the provisions of this subsection, including, but not limited to, assuming control of the class period or supervision of students during the time the teacher is engaged in the planning period. Substitute teachers may also be utilized to assist with classroom responsibilities under this subsection. Provided, That Any substitute teacher who is employed to teach a minimum of two consecutive days in the same position shall be granted a planning period pursuant to this section.
(3) (d) Nothing in this section shall may be construed to prevent any teacher from exchanging his or her lunch recess or a planning period or any service personnel from exchanging his or her lunch recess for any compensation or benefit mutually agreed upon by the employee and the county superintendent of schools or his or her agent: Provided, That A teacher and the superintendent or his or her agent may not agree to terms which are different from those available to any other teacher granted rights under this section within the individual school or to terms which in any way discriminate among such teachers within the individual school. and that Service personnel granted rights under this section and the superintendent or his or her agent may not agree to terms which are different from those available to any other service personnel within the same classification category granted rights under this section within the individual school or to terms which in any way discriminate among such service personnel within the same classification category within the individual school.
§18A-4-16. Extracurricular assignments.

(1) The assignment of teachers and service personnel to extracurricular assignments shall be made only by mutual agreement of the employee and the superintendent, or designated representative, subject to board approval. Extracurricular duties shall mean, but not be limited to, any activities that occur at times other than regularly scheduled working hours, which include the instructing, coaching, chaperoning, escorting, providing support services or caring for the needs of students, and which occur on a regularly scheduled basis: Provided, That all school service personnel assignments shall be considered extracurricular assignments, except such assignments as are considered either regular positions, as provided by section eight of this article, or extra-duty assignments, as provided by section eight- b of this article.

(2) The employee and the superintendent, or a designated representative, subject to board approval, shall mutually agree upon the maximum number of hours of extracurricular assignment in each school year for each extracurricular assignment.
(3) The terms and conditions of the agreement between the employee and the board shall be in writing and signed by both parties.
(4) An employee's contract of employment shall be separate from the extracurricular assignment agreement provided for in this section and shall not be conditioned upon the employee's acceptance or continuance of any extracurricular assignment proposed by the superintendent, a designated representative, or the board.
(5) The board shall fill extracurricular school service personnel assignments and vacancies in accordance with section eight-b of this article: Provided, That an alternative procedure for making extracurricular school service personnel assignments within a particular classification category of employment may be utilized if the alternative procedure is approved both by the county board and by an affirmative vote of two thirds of the employees within that classification category of employment.
(6) An employee who was employed in any service personnel extracurricular assignment during the previous school year shall have the option of retaining the assignment if it continues to exist in any succeeding school year. A county board of education may terminate any school service personnel extracurricular assignment for lack of need pursuant to section seven, article two of this chapter. If an extracurricular contract has been terminated and is reestablished in any succeeding school year, it shall be offered to the employee who held the assignment at the time of its termination. If the employee declines the assignment, the extracurricular assignment shall be posted and filled pursuant to section eight-b, article four of this chapter.