CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Senate Bill 890 would change the basic school instruction standard from 200 days to a minimum of 900 hours. County school boards could opt to do it.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh, has passed the full senate and is being considered by the House Education Committee. Members have heard two days of testimony this week.
There are questions about how the change would impact retirement. House Education Chair Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, said they are working with retirement experts to make changes needed. That part of the bill is still a work in progress.
“The contract for teachers,” Statler said. “Which also I have some amendments that came into play that were looking at—hours versus days does affect the retirement, so we have to look at that and see how to sync all that up.”
Statler is not convinced education time and services will be lost. One system in the state told Statler if they went to a four-day schedule, the fifth day of those weeks the staff would still be required to report.
“We’ll also bring in the rest of the staff,” Statler said. “The cooks will be coming in, the bus drivers will be on duty, and the aides will be coming in, so technically you could do some other things using the people around the system.”
Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia, said the bill creates a major concern if districts go to four days of school a week, some of the most vulnerable students wouldn’t have things like school lunches and access to services.
“I’ve tried to encourage our folks over there on the House Education Committee not to take it up,” Oliverio said. “It drastically reduces the amount of instruction time—my math, and no one disagrees with my math, shows about 23 fewer days of instruction.”
Oliverio said education outcomes are improving because of things like the Third Grade Success Act, requiring aids in grades 1 through 3 classrooms at a cost of about $100 million to the taxpayer. Lowering the time required in the classroom is moving the public education system in the wrong direction.
“I’ve had people come to me and ask why don’t have school all year long, why don’t we have programs after school, why don’t we have more programs in the summer, or programs during winter break,” Oliverio said. “I don’t like the bill, and we’ll see where it goes from here.”
Some of the most vulnerable will be impacted the most. Not only lunches, but there are special needs students that rely on the care they receive when they go to school. Also, the time lost working with teachers and socializing with other students.
“Then I think of the students with disabilities,” Oliverio said. “Often times the only place where they really get full services is in the school system, where they’re prepared to do that, and again, it’s taking 23 days a year away from the student with disabilities.”
The bill is expected to be on the House Education Committee agenda Friday.