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Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Senate sends school Guardian bill to House; fate of rival bills remains uncertain
Mar. 20—dbeard @ MORGANTOWN — The state Senate sent its bill to put contracted Guardians into public schools over to the House of Delegates on Thursday, but what will become of it remains a question. A different House bill with similar intent that the delegates sent to the Senate last week is languishing in Senate Education. Last year, the two sides failed to reconcile their differences and the rival bills died in conference committee on the last day of the session. On Thursday, the Senate passed SB 450 with a 34-0 vote. It would create the West Virginia Guardian Program It would permit a county school board to contract with retired law enforcement officers to provide security on school campuses. The Guardian would be authorized to carry a weapon after meeting specified requirements. The bill spells out required training and testing. The Guardian would not be a law enforcement officer and could detain a suspect but would have no power to arrest. The bill would require a potential Guardian to pay $50 for a permit from the county sheriff. The sheriff would use the money for the permitting program. Any surplus funds at the end of the fiscal year could be used for other law enforcement purposes and operating needs of the sheriff's office. County participation would be voluntary, subject to available funding. No state money would be provided. But head scratching ensues because last week the House passed HB 2164 in a 93-0 vote. It includes a slightly tweaked version of SB 450 along with the House approach. The House approach says public and charter schools, along with private and religious schools, may employ school safety officers. SSOs must also be former law enforcement officers and may carry firearms. They may detain but not arrest a suspect. The hiring school must cover the equipment costs and provide insurance coverage. The bill prescribes training for the SSOs. The House tweak to SB 450 is that it cuts a Senate provision providing qualified immunity from civil and criminal liability for the school and the Guardian. It substitutes an insurance requirement. Bringing on an officer is optional under both bills, based on the school's desire and finances. But HB 2164 is more expansive by giving schools a choice between hiring or contracting officers. The Dominion Post asked the House of Delegates press office about their intentions for the bills. House Education chair Joe Ellington, R-Mercer, said that because HB 2164 is more comprehensive, he believes the House version should be the vehicle for the legislation. He did not indicate if there is any compromise deal or plan in the works.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Elementary student discipline bill passes WV House after tweaks get most lawmakers on board
Del. Joe Ellington, R-Mercer, speaks about a bill that would give elementary teachers more authority to remove disruptive and violent students. (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography) The West Virginia House of Delegates overwhelmingly approved a bill Monday that would give elementary teachers more authority to remove disruptive and violent students. The measure, which failed to pass last year, is a response to teachers asking lawmakers for help in dealing with a growing problem of school discipline. Violent attacks on teachers are occurring most commonly in kindergarten classrooms, leading many educators to say these children have been victims of child abuse and/or the state's substance abuse crisis. 'House Bill 2515 specifies the requirements for when a grade kindergarten through sixth teacher determines that the behavior of a student is violent, threatening or intimidating toward staff or peers, or creates an unsafe learning environment or impedes on other students' ability to learn in a safe environment,' said House Education Committee Chair Joe Ellington, R-Mercer. If the student is removed from a classroom a total of three times in one month for disruptive behaviors, the principal would determine if the student receives in- or out-of-school suspension or 'may be considered for placement in an alternative learning center if one is available within the school district.' The measure has faced criticism that too many expelled students would be forced to learn online at home because fewer than half of the state's 55 counties have alternate learning centers. House members have edited the bill over the last week; it now calls on counties to create alternative learning centers to address the behaviors of chronically disruptive students. It still does not come with proposed funding to build those centers or hire additional staff in schools. While some House Republicans have promised a forthcoming bill on resources for school mental health resources, Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, said that funding should have come first during the session. The bill passed the House 92-4; Pushkin voted against it. 'I certainly understand the need for this type of bill … and I do appreciate that this is a better bill than we had last year,' he said. 'My concern is, without the appropriate resources, there's still gonna be a lot of kids to fall through the cracks. The resource should have come first. We're not addressing the underlying issues.' Pushkin was also concerned that this year's budget constraints could hinder any spending on school mental health resources. The new version would also allow for the expulsion of a student, but only if repeated behavior occurs. Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, an elementary school teacher, has prioritized elementary discipline legislation over the last two years, and the Senate Education Committee will take up her version Tuesday. 'I really think that they made a lot of really good changes to the bill and made it a lot better than what it was last year,' she said. 'I took a couple of things out that I wasn't in agreement with … I feel like it's a better bill that can get everybody in the school involved in helping these kids.' Grady would like students who are disciplined for the first time for disruptive behavior to see a school counselor, school social worker or psychologist and set up a behavior plan to be implemented for a two-week period. 'Sometimes you might have one instance where they do something and then they change that behavior whenever you set up a plan for them. And sometimes you have the repeat offenders, which is really less than maybe 1% of students. That's what this is trying to deal with,' she said. Both the Senate and House versions mandate that student discipline cannot conflict with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and students who are removed from school must be evaluated for a possible disability that could be the root of the behavioral issues. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
