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High school students to help revitalize state parks
By Jeff Jenkins, WV MetroNews
Career and technical education students in West Virginia are beginning to attack the $50 million in deferred maintenance projects in the state park system.
An interagency agreement between the state Department of Education and state Division of Natural Resources was signed in a ceremony Wednesday morning at the state capitol.
The students are part of student-led...
WV proposes reducing required high school credits, making 90-100 an A
By Ryan Quinn, Charleston Gazette-Mail
The West Virginia Board of Education voted Wednesday to put out for public comment proposals to reduce the state’s required number of credits for high school graduation from 24 to 21, further change social studies requirements and change the non-weighted course grading scale.
The existing board Policy 2510 says 0-64 is an F, 65-74 is a D, 75-84 is...
WV CHIP to shut down in February unless Congress allocates funds
By Erin Beck, Charleston Gazette-mail
The board of directors for the West Virginia Children’s Health Insurance Program voted Wednesday to shut down the CHIP program on Feb. 28, if Congress doesn’t allocate funding to the program soon.
CHIP provides health insurance to children whose parents make too much for Medicaid, but make less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level.
...
WV public school enrollment drops for 5th year straight
By Ryan Quinn, Charleston, Gazette-Mail
West Virginia’s public schools lost about 2,460 students from last school year to this one, dropping the total number to 270,708 and making 2017-18 the fifth straight year of enrollment decreases.
Generally, the state school aid funding formula automatically decreases dollars for county public school systems that lose enrollment. Enrollment numbers from the...
WV backs off exemption from basic teacher skills test
By Ryan Quinn, Charleston Gazette-Mail
The West Virginia Board of Education has backed off from a proposal to exempt education bachelor’s degree holders who meet minimum grade point averages from having to pass the basic knowledge test to become public school teachers.
The state school board proposed the exemption in September when it put that and other suggested changes to its Policy 5202 out for...
SBA faces $105M in school construction requests, has $51M to distribute
By Ryan Quinn. Charleston Gazette-Mail
State School Building Authority board members meet Monday in Charleston, hearing presentations from county public school systems on their funding requests for construction and renovation.
State School Building Authority Finance Director Garry Stewart expects the SBA to have about $51 million to distribute to public school construction and...
PEIA hosts final hearing regarding benefit changes in Charleston
By MetroNews Staff
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Around 80 people attended a public hearing Wednesday at the University of Charleston to criticize proposed changes to health insurance benefits hosted by the Public Employees Insurance Agency.
The PEIA Finance Board listened to multiple public speakers, all of whom voiced opposition to the 2018-2018 benefits plan. The proposal includes a two-percent...