West Virginia Senate unanimously passes bill to address violence in elementary schools
An elementary school discipline bill was passed unanimously by the West Virginia State Senate on Monday.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — An elementary school discipline bill was passed unanimously by the West Virginia State Senate on Monday.
Senate Bill 199 addresses concerns about students from kindergarten to sixth grade that exhibit violent behavior toward other students.
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With the new legislation, staff would be permitted to remove the students from the classroom and a series of intervention would take place.
It would offer resources like mental health assistance to the disruptive student through social workers, counselors, school psychologists and the use of a two-week behavioral plan.
"We have heard stories after stories,” State Senator Laura Wakim Chapman said. “We've had teachers come in and talk about how difficult it is to teach to the other students that aren’t being disruptive. This is such an important bill for teachers to give them the support they need so they are able to teach, so that our students are able to learn."
The bill now heads to the House of Delegates.