House 4693

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 4693

By Delegates Willis, Dean, Eldridge, Hornby, Hanshaw (Mr. Speaker) Ellington, Hite, Hott, Toney, and Stephens

[Introduced January 21, 2026; referred to the Committee on Education then Finance

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §18B-3C-17, relating to the declassification of community and technical college instructors, as well as certain high school instructors; allowing counties to provide additional funding to instructors in areas of critical need; and continuing state funding.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 3C. COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM.

§18B-3C-17. Declassification of community and technical college and certain high school positions; position specific county funding permitted.

(a) Legislative intent. – The Legislature finds that currently, all community and technical college ("CTE") positions are classified together, regardless of specialty or position. Additionally, certain trades-based high school educators teaching CTE courses are also classified together. Because of this, if counties want to provide more funding for positions, the funding is distributed to all classified positions. By declassifying community and technical college teaching positions, as well as similarly situated trades-based high school educator positions, certain areas of critical need may be filled by county funding. For that reason, the Legislature finds that declassification of these positions is necessary.

(b) Declassification of positions. – For purposes of county funding, community and technical college instructor positions are declassified.

(1) A county may provide additional funding to a community and technical college instructor, regardless of any prior classification, for an area of need.

(2) The state portion of funding already provided for community and technical college positions shall continue to be provided.

(3) Trades-based high school instructors teaching CTE courses are also declassified, and subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall also apply to these instructors.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide for the declassification of community and technical college positions, as well as trades-based high school instructors providing CTE instruction. The bill permits counties to provide additional funding to these positions, regardless of classification. Finally, the bill continues state funding for these positions.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.