To declassify Community and Technical Education (“CTE”) teaching positions to allow for counties to provide additional funding for certain positions.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Mark Dean and 8 co-sponsors

The bill lets counties separately fund declassified CTE and trades-based high school positions in critical need areas while state funding remains intact.

To House Finance

#counties #education(higher)

Summary of HB 4693 (2026, West Virginia)

Purpose and intent

The bill aims to declassify certain teaching positions within West Virginia’s Community and Technical College System (CTE) and in related high school settings.

The goal of declassification is to enable counties to provide targeted, additional funding for positions identified as in areas of critical need, without being constrained by a single, uniform classification for all such roles.

State funding for these positions would continue alongside local (county) funding if declassified.

Key provisions and changes

Declassification scope

Community and Technical College Instructor positions are declassified for purposes of county funding.
Trades-based high school instructors who teach CTE courses are also declassified, aligning with the same intent to address local workforce needs.

County funding authority

Counties may provide additional funding to a declassified CTE position or to trades-based high school instructors teaching CTE courses, specifically in areas of critical need.
The added county funding can be allocated to individual positions, rather than being spread across all classified positions.

State funding

The portion of state funding already allocated for community and technical college positions continues to be provided, maintaining ongoing state support regardless of declassification.

Classification and funding mechanics

The bill preserves the existing state funding framework while allowing county-allocated funds to be targeted to specific positions that are declassified.
The change is focused on local flexibility to address shortages or gaps in particular programs or trades, rather than altering overall state funding levels.

Who and what is affected

Affected entities:

Community and Technical Colleges (CTE positions)
Trades-based high school instructors teaching CTE courses

Affected by declassification:

Local counties, which gain authority to fund specific positions beyond the uniform classification framework

Funding dynamics:

Counties can concentrate additional resources on identified positions in need
State funding for these positions remains in place as-is

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduced in January 2026; referred to House committees (Education, then Finance).

The bill underwent committee consideration, with a substitute version moving forward (as of the latest action: “By substitute, do pass, but first to Finance”).

If enacted, the declassification would become part of the Code of West Virginia, specifically adding a new section to Article 3C of Chapter 18B (§18B-3C-17).

Implementation would depend on final legislative approval and any necessary regulations or guidance to administer declassification and county funding flows.

Practical implications

The bill provides counties with greater flexibility to fund specific CTE roles that are in short supply or deemed critical to local workforce needs.

By keeping state funding intact, it avoids reducing state support for CTE positions while enabling more targeted local investments.

The measure is designed to improve program capacity and relevance by aligning funding with local labor market demands.

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary for a policy brief, a legislative briefing document, or a layperson-friendly explainer with examples of how a county might allocate funds under the new framework.