By Steven Allen Adams, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A bill championed by House Speaker Roger Hanshaw at the start of the 2022 legislative session to provide additional assistant teachers to some elementary school educators was quickly discussed and adopted Wednesday.
The House Education Committee recommended for passage Wednesday afternoon House Bill 4467, requiring early childhood classroom assistant teachers in certain grade levels and enrollment levels. The bill now heads to the House Finance Committee.
HB 4467 would require assistant teachers in first and second grade classrooms that have more than 12 pupils. State code already requires assistant teacher in pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten programs. The bill gives assistant teachers the same authority as teachers over students in a classroom.
The bill also increases the funding ratio in the School Aid Formula of the number of personnel positions that a county gets to 7.9 positions based on 1,000 students in net enrollment. A fiscal note was unavailable for the bill Wednesday, though counsel for the committee estimated the cost could come to $68 million for the state for both grades and $34.7 million if lawmakers choose to only provide assistant teachers in first grade…