Bill Text: WV HB2798 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of a trades based elective course for public high school students
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 9-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-24 - To House Higher Education [HB2798 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2025-HB2798-Introduced.html
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2025 REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
House Bill 2798
By Delegates Willis, Dean, Ellington, Dittman, Stephens, J. Cannon, Hornby, Barnhart, and White
[Introduced February 21, 2025; referred to the Committee on Education]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-2E-14, relating to the establishment of a trades based elective course pilot program; providing for legislative findings and purpose of the pilot program; offering students with a trades based elective course covering all subjects important for a career in the trades; providing for enactment; setting forth qualifications; defining funding for the pilot program; establishing an effective date, and creating a reporting requirement.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 2E. HIGH QUALITY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.
§18-2E-14. Establishment of trades based elective pilot program.
(a) Legislative findings and purpose. – The Legislature finds that empowering students to enter the trades is of paramount importance. This is demonstrated in other areas of our code, such as in §18-2-42 of this code, and the West Virginia Earn a Degree – Graduate Early (EDGE) initiative in §18-13-1 et seq. of this code. Offering a specific, trades based course focusing on subjects to advance a career in the trades will empower students who are interested in this field. Providing a targeted and specific trade-based subjects course as an elective for students in place of another general course will provide students with the opportunity to prepare themselves for a career in the trades. In addition to teaching trade specific subjects, this elective course will help students prepare a résumé and discuss what trades are available for students to enter as a career. Further, existing faculty at community and technical colleges in this state could teach this course, resulting in a lower cost for the implementation of this pilot program.
(b) Enactment. – There is hereby established for all public-school curriculum in West Virginia a trades based elective class geared towards students interested in trades-based careers to be taught at one of the four courses set forth in subsection (d) of this section. This class shall present the topics of English, language arts, science, and all other applicable courses except for math, whose requirements are otherwise set forth in §18-2E-13 of this code. The primary focus of this course is to cover topics already being taught with an emphasis on trades specific information. This elective course shall count for one credit to be applied toward graduation. Public high schools and the schools set forth in subsection (d) of this section shall coordinate with each other, as well as the county Board of Education of that county, for the implementation of that program.
(c) Qualifications. – In order to be able to teach this class, an instructor must meet the same qualifications as needed to teach current trade classes and specific content in the public schools. Students shall be eligible for this class once entering high school. This class can be taken as an elective to meet graduation requirements. Existing faculty at the locations set forth in subsection (d) of this section are qualified to teach this elective course.
(d) Locations. – The locations for the trades based elective course pilot program shall be designated among the various geographic regions of the state, including but not limited to community and technical colleges in the north, south, east, and western parts of the state, as well as the northern and eastern panhandles.
(e) Funding. – Funding for the pilot program shall be taken from existing funds, with the ability for industry grants and private funding to supplement this program.
(f) Effective date. – This section shall take effect on July 1, 2025, to be implemented in the 2025/2026 school year.
(g) Reporting requirement. – The West Virginia State Board of Education shall present a report to LOCEA on or before July 30, 2026, on the effectiveness and implementation of this pilot program. Reporting shall continue on this same schedule for three years, with a summary of the overall success of the program to be presented within each report.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create a trades-based elective pilot program for high school students.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
