West Virginia Senate passes school discipline bill

West Virginia Senate passes school discipline bill

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — A controversial bill regarding school discipline passed the West Virginia State Senate on Monday with one no vote and one absent.

The only no vote came from Sen. Charles S. Trump IV (R-Morgan) and Sen. David Stover (R-Wyoming) was absent.

Bill proposes replacing Robert C. Byrd statue in West Virginia State Capitol

School discipline has been an issue through the ages, but it’s a balancing act between punishing students and getting them help. In this case, we are talking about our youngest student level. The goal is to limit classroom disruptions so that everyone can learn.

The bill would allow a disruptive or violent student to be removed from an elementary school classroom and placed in counseling, or an alternative setting.

If problems were so severe, parents would be called to take the child home. And if parents aren’t available, law enforcement could be called if the situation seems dangerous or threatening.

Critics say with counseling resources low, none of this will help. The governor has not yet committed to backing the bill but will consider it.

Bill critics say West Virginia already has 1,700 schoolteacher vacancies and a proportional number of school counselor positions that have not been filled.

They say the legislature could go a long way to fixing both problems by passing a significant pay increase to attract more teachers and counselors.

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