Bill
HB 5356
The bill would treat Mountaineer Challenge Academy students as full-enrollment for funding and attendance/graduation metrics (if allowed by federal law), while MCA retains state/fe
Title: Modify Funding to Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy
Jurisdiction: West Virginia
Introduced: February 9, 2026
Committee: Finance
Sponsors: Delegates Pritt, Hanshaw, Hornby, Crouse, T. Howell, Street, Jennings, Brooks, Clay, Martin, Toney; with a list of co-sponsors
Purpose
- To modify the funding structure and related regulatory treatment for the Mountaineer Challenge Academy (MCA), a National Guard Youth Challenge program operated in West Virginia as a special alternative education program.
Main Idea
- The bill focuses on changing how MCA is funded and how it is treated for purposes of attendance, graduation calculations, and state education program rules, while affirming MCA’s status as a special alternative education program with certain operational flexibilities.
Key Provisions and Changes
1) General Education Framework (existing §18-2-6)
- The bill references ongoing state board rules on accreditation, standards, diplomas, certificates of proficiency, and alternative education programs. It interacts with provisions related to:
- Certificates of proficiency that accompany diplomas.
- Alternative education program guidelines for disruptive students.
- Pilot projects and definitions for alternative placements and funding considerations.
2) Mountaineer Challenge Academy as a Special Alternative Education Program
- The bill directs development of rules to support MCA as a special alternative education program (pursuant to §15-1B-24).
- Policies would reflect:
- Compliance with National Guard Bureau guidance for MCA operations.
- Enrollment status treatment in funding and attendance calculations for students participating in MCA, subject to federal law constraints.
3) Funding and Attendance/Grauation Calculations
- Key provision (18-2-6(g)(3)) would set forth how MCA students are treated in the county for funding and graduation/attendance metrics:
- Eligibility for “full enrollment status” in the referring county for funding and attendance/graduation-rate calculations (to the extent permitted by federal law).
- If federal law restricts this treatment, the State Board can seek a federal waiver; with a granted waiver, the full enrollment status would apply for those purposes.
- Important Note: This status is for funding and attendance/graduation calculations only; other purposes treat MCA participants as withdrawn from the public school system.
4) Tuition and Federal Funding Allocation
- Under the same MCA funding provision, when a student graduates or earns a high school equivalency via MCA:
- The county board pays tuition to MCA for each such graduate, at an amount equal to 75% to 100% of the per-pupil amount under the school aid formula.
- MCA retains 100% of state and federal funding received per student for those graduates: the county receives only a funding calculation adjustment, while federal funds are kept entirely by MCA (0% remaining with the county, 100% retained by MCA).
5) Operational and Administrative Considerations
- MCA would be governed by a state board rule that aligns with:
- Mountaineer Challenge Academy’s statutory status as a special alternative program.
- Precedence of National Guard Bureau policies for MCA operations.
- On-site boarding and family involvement requirements (through alternative program framework).
- Eligibility for high school equivalency testing under extraordinary circumstances provisions.
Who Would Be Affected
- Mountaineer Challenge Academy (MCA) participants and operations.
- County school boards and funding formulas in districts hosting MCA.
- Students enrolled in MCA and those transitioning back to traditional public schools.
- State board of education and the Department of Education, in implementing new funding and enrollment rules.
- Potential federal funding streams associated with MCA, via waivers if needed.
Timeline/Procedural Notes
- The bill is introduced and referred to the Finance Committee.
- If enacted, the state board would promulgate the necessary rules to implement the funding changes and the MCA-specific provisions.
- Any changes dependent on federal law would require appropriate waivers from the U.S. Department of Education, where applicable.
Impact Outlook
- The proposal alters funding dynamics by creating (and, where necessary, pursuing) a full-enrollment funding treatment for MCA participants for attendance and graduation metrics, while retaining funding control with MCA for graduates.
- It codifies MCA’s status as a special alternative program with a defined framework for operation, funding, and reporting, potentially impacting school accountability measures and collaboration between local counties, MCA, and state governance.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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