West Virginia Senate Bill SB762

West Virginia 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/17/25
• Refer: 3/17/25

Caption

Creating Support for Neglected Schools Act

Summary

SB 762 creates the “Support for Neglected Schools Act” by amending the School Building Authority statute governing how state school construction and major-improvement dollars are allocated. The bill keeps the existing framework for the School Building Authority’s administration of state and federal school-facility funds, but adds a new pathway for neglected schools and deferred-maintenance projects. It also preserves and clarifies the authority’s ability to fund statewide educational projects, vocational-technical facilities, emergency needs, and school major-improvement projects, while continuing to require approved facilities plans and consideration of other available funding sources before money is awarded. The bill gives the School Building Authority more explicit direction on how to divide available construction-related funds. It sets aside portions of available money for statewide projects, emergency funding, and multiuse vocational-technical facilities, and directs the remaining funds to be allocated based on need and efficient use of resources. It also reinforces rules on forfeiture of unused allocations, maintenance reporting by county boards, multicounty project preference, review of new school designs, and limits on multi-year project funding. In addition, it authorizes public charter schools to apply directly for building-related funding and allows Local School Improvement Councils to apply independently for deferred-maintenance funding when a school’s needs are severe and local officials have not acted sufficiently.

Impact

SB 762 would amend West Virginia Code §18-9D-15, expanding and reorganizing the School Building Authority’s funding priorities and procedures for school construction and major improvements. It would affect county boards of education, the state board, area vocational education centers, public charter schools, and Local School Improvement Councils by creating new eligibility and application routes, especially for neglected schools and deferred maintenance. The bill would also preserve existing statutory requirements for facilities planning, maintenance reporting, and project approval, while adding new authority for the School Building Authority to allocate funds for charter school facilities and LSIC-initiated applications under specified conditions.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text, the measure appears generally supportive of school infrastructure investment, with a particular emphasis on underserved or neglected facilities. The structure of the bill suggests a policy preference for directing money toward projects with clear need, efficient use of resources, and documented facilities plans. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of formal support or opposition from legislators in the available context.

Contention

The main points of potential contention are likely to be the bill’s new funding priorities and who may apply for money. County boards and other local education authorities may object to the ability of LSICs to apply independently when local officials have not acted, and some may question the standards for determining when a school is sufficiently “neglected” or when deferred maintenance exceeds the 25 percent threshold. The charter school funding provision may also draw scrutiny because it allows charter schools to seek School Building Authority support for facilities, with ownership reversion rules if a charter closes. More broadly, the bill’s detailed allocation rules, forfeiture provisions, and limits on local matching requirements could be debated as either improving accountability or constraining local flexibility.