Requiring students in public high schools to complete a course of computer science instruction
Summary
House Bill 2668 would require every public high school student in West Virginia, starting with the entering ninth-grade class of 2025-2026, to complete one unit of credit in a state Department of Education-approved computer science course before graduating. The bill does not add to the total number of credits needed for graduation; instead, the computer science credit may count toward one of four existing graduation categories: mathematics, science, career and technical education, or electives.
The bill also allows students who take more than one approved computer science course to use additional credits to satisfy more than one of those graduation categories. In addition, students could begin meeting the computer science requirement as early as eighth grade, and the bill clarifies that an eighth-grade computer science course may satisfy the requirement but would not also count toward the listed high school graduation categories once the student enters ninth grade.
Impact
HB2668 would amend West Virginia education law by adding a new section to require computer science coursework for public high school graduation. It would affect the State Board of Education’s graduation requirements and local school systems by making computer science a mandatory component of the high school curriculum for future ninth-grade cohorts, while preserving the overall credit total needed to graduate. The bill would also interact with existing graduation requirements in math, science, CTE, electives, and personal finance by allowing computer science to substitute for certain credits rather than adding a separate requirement.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the bill appears to have a generally positive, education-focused purpose, emphasizing computer science literacy and workforce readiness. There is no recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials, so no formal opposition or support can be identified from transcripts or roll calls. The framing of the bill suggests it is intended as a curriculum enhancement rather than a controversial mandate.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is whether requiring computer science for all public high school students is an appropriate statewide graduation mandate, especially for schools that may have limited staffing, scheduling flexibility, or access to approved computer science courses. Another possible issue is how the requirement interacts with existing graduation pathways, since the bill allows the credit to count toward math, science, CTE, or electives, and specifies that an eighth-grade course cannot double-count in the same way as a high school course. No specific objections or competing viewpoints are documented in the provided discussion materials.
Supplementing and amending appropriations to the Higher Education Policy Commission, Higher Education Policy Commission – Administration – Control Account