H. B. 4686
(By Delegate Canterbury)
[Introduced February 21, 2006; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §18-5-18b of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to school counselors' reimbursement
for certain educational activities.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §18-5-18b of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 5. COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.
§18-5-18b. School counselors in public schools.
(a) A school counselor means a professional educator who holds
a valid school counselor's certificate in accordance with article
three of this chapter.
(b) Each county board shall provide counseling services for
each pupil enrolled in the public schools of the county.
(c) The school counselor shall work with individual pupils and
groups of pupils in providing developmental, preventive and remedial guidance and counseling programs to meet academic, social,
emotional and physical needs; including programs to identify and
address the problem of potential school dropouts. The school
counselor also may provide consultant services for parents,
teachers and administrators and may use outside referral services,
when appropriate, if no additional cost is incurred by the county
board.
(d) The state board may adopt rules consistent with the
provisions of this section that define the role of a school
counselor based on the "National Standards for School Counseling
Programs" of the American school counselor association. A school
counselor is authorized to perform such services as are not
inconsistent with the provisions of the rule as adopted by the
state board. To the extent that any funds are made available for
this purpose, county boards shall provide training for counselors
and administrators to implement the rule as adopted by the state
board.
(e) Each county board shall develop a comprehensive drop-out
prevention program utilizing the expertise of school counselors and
any other appropriate resources available.
(f) School counselors shall be full-time professional
personnel, shall spend at least seventy-five percent of work time
in a direct counseling relationship with pupils, and shall devote
no more than one fourth of the work day to administrative activities: Provided, That such activities are counselor related.
(g) Nothing in this section prohibits a county board from
exceeding the provisions of this section, or requires any specific
level of funding by the Legislature.
(h) Each county board shall provide counselors release time
and reimbursement for attendance at conferences:
(1) Spring WVSCA School Counselor Academy;
(2) MSCA State Conference;
(3) American School Counselor Meetings;
(4) Fall WV Department of Education (WVDE) Workshops;
(5) Monthly County School Counselors Meetings; and
(6) Tech Prep Workshops.
(I) Each county board shall provide counselors reimbursement
for Graduate Course Work in Counseling, and for State and National
Professional School Counseling Memberships.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide for school
counselor release time and reimbursement for certain school-related
conferences, education and training.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.