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Vocational Math Bill Passes Senate

Photo courtesy of WV Legislative Photography

WHEELING - A bill establishing vocational math classes in West Virginia high schools for students seeking prospective careers in the trades has passed both chambers of the West Virginia Legislature - and not one member cast a dissenting vote.

House Bill 3055, introduced by Delegate Jimmy Willis, R-Brooke, passed the West Virginia Senate Wednesday with a unanimous vote of 34-0. Last week, members of the House of Delegates approved the measure 97-0.

HB 3055, however, has not completed its legislative process. The Senate slightly amended the bill before its vote, and now the House will have to concur with its changes. That is expected to happen today or Friday, according to Willis.

He explained the West Virginia Board of Education had expressed concerns with the language in the bill, and whether the students in the class would still get the appropriate math credit they needed.

Willis said he sat down with State School Superintendent David L. Roach and they addressed the issue.

The bill now calls for the restructuring of existing technical transition math classes to meet the need.

"The Senate added the amendment, and we now have to bring it back over and vote on it," Willis added.

The bill is the first piece of legislation to be passed in both chambers by Willis, a freshman delegate.

"I am honored to have had unanimous support in both chambers," he said. "Now I am excited for the legislation to be enacted, and to have the next generation of blue-collar workers be prepared for the workforce."

The legislation states the vocational math class would "pertain to math curriculum in the fields of fractions, conversion from fractions to decimals, application of measurement, reading blueprints, geometry pertaining to workforce math and other math skills needed to succeed in the trades."