The SOAR Act: From Introduction to Law – Protecting Rural Schools
When I introduced Senate Bill 63 in January 2026, rural West Virginia was facing an ongoing crisis: forced school consolidations that closed neighborhood schools, forced young children onto hours-long, dangerous bus rides over snowy mountain roads, and eroded community ties. The introduced version of SB 63 created the Sustaining Opportunities for Academics in Rural Schools (SOAR) Act with these core protections:
- Allowed parents and community leaders to petition to stop a county board’s decision to close or consolidate a school when the change would require students to travel more than 45 minutes by bus one way.
- Established a process for converting closing schools into rural in-person public charter schools operated by community-based groups, preserving local control and keeping education close to home.
- Provided clear criteria and timelines so rural families had a real voice and realistic chance to save their schools without bankrupting districts.
Through committee work, floor debates, and negotiations, we strengthened and refined the bill. The enrolled version sent to the governor kept the heart of the introduced bill while adding practical safeguards and flexibility:
- Maintained the 45-minute bus-ride threshold as a trigger for community intervention, ensuring long, hazardous commutes remain a key factor in closure decisions.
- Clarified and streamlined the petition and approval process so parents and local leaders can act quickly and effectively to convert threatened schools into community-based charters.
- Added provisions for county boards to collaborate with charter operators, protecting district finances while preserving local schools as safe, community-centered learning environments.
- Ensured rural charter schools remain public, tuition-free, and accountable, with the same academic standards as traditional schools.
The result is a law that gives rural families real options — stopping unnecessary closures, shortening dangerous commutes, and keeping education rooted in the communities that need it most. As the author of SB 63, I fought every step of the way to protect our kids, our schools, and our way of life in West Virginia. The SOAR Act is now a powerful tool for parents and communities — and with your support, we’ll continue using it to make school closures a thing of the past.
Help our kids SOAR — learn more, get involved, or contact me today at RobertKarnes.com or 304-997-2625. Together, we’ll keep West Virginia’s rural schools open and thriving.
At the time this was written, we are waiting on the governor’s signature.