West Virginia Code § 18A-2-9

Duties and responsibilities of school principals; assistant principals
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(a) Upon the recommendation of the county superintendent of schools, the county board of
education shall employ and assign, through written contract, public school principals who
shall be the principal instructional leader of the school and shall supervise the management
and the operation of the school or schools to which they are assigned to improve student
performance and progress. The principals shall hold valid administrative certificates
appropriate for their assignments.
(b)(1) Beginning on July 1, 1994, the prerequisites for issuance ouf an administrative
certificate for principals shall include that the person has successfully completed at least six
credit hours of approved course work in public school management techniques at an
accredited institution of higher education and has successfully completed education and
training in evaluation skills approved by the state board.
(2) Beginning on July 1, 2019, the prerequisites forl issuance of an administrative certificate
for principals shall include that the person hass successfully completed at least six credit
hours of approved course work in public school instructional leadership and management
techniques at an accredited institution of hiigher education, including, but not limited to, the
standards for high quality schools, tghe school accreditation process and strategic planning
for continuous improvement.
(c) Prior to employment as a principal or assistant principal, or in another administrative
position the duties of which require conducting personnel performance evaluations, the
principal, assistant or administrator shall successfully complete education and training in
evaluation skills approved by the state board.
(d) Under theV supervision of the superintendent and in accordance with the rules and
regulations of the county board of education, the principal:
(1) Shall assume administrative and instructional leadership responsibility for the planning,
management, operation, and evaluation of the total educational program of the school or
schools to which he or she is assigned.
(2) May submit recommendations to the superintendent regarding the appointment,
assignment, promotion, transfer and dismissal of all personnel assigned to the school or
schools under said principal's control. The recommendations shall be submitted in writing as
prescribed by the superintendent; and
(3) Shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the superintendent pursuant to
the rules and regulations of the county board of education.
(e) Upon recommendation of the county superintendent of schools, the county board of
education shall, when needed, employ and assign, through written contract, assistant
principals who shall work under the direction of the school principal. Such assistant
principals shall hold valid administrative certificates appropriate for their assignments.
(f) The assignment of principals and assistant principals by each county board of education is
subject to the following:
(1) A certificated principal shall be assigned to each school;
(2) A principal may not be assigned more than two schools;
(3) No additional schools may be assigned to the principal of a school where enrollment
exceeds four hundred students;
(4) A principal assigned to more than one school may not be assigned any teaching duties
except on a temporary emergency basis;
(5) A principal shall be assigned full-time at each school whose net enrollment equals or
exceeds one hundred seventy students and may not be assigned any teaching duties except
on a temporary emergency basis;
(6) A principal assigned on a full-time basis to a school whose net enrollment is more than
seventy-five students but less than one hundred seventy students shall have a minimum of
twenty hours per week for nonteaching duties;
(7) A principal assigned on a fuell-time basis to a school with seventy-five students or less
shall have a minimum of ten hours per week for nonteaching duties;
(8) Nothing in this section prohibits a county board of education from assigning a full-time
principal to a school with a net enrollment of less than one hundred seventy students; and
(9) The State Board of Education may not deny a county board of education the right to
place a principal in a school with less than one hundred seventy students.

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