West Virginia school mapping law

Who has to create school maps in West Virginia?

Each county board of education shall create standardized school safety mapping data that meets a set of minimum requirements. The school safety mapping requirements take effect September 1, 2026. Separately, each county board must run a school safety program, in place before September 1, 2019, with minimum requirements. That program requires providing updated floor plans of the school to first responders, local law enforcement and State Fire Marshals by September 1 of each school year. It also requires room numbers on exterior walls or windows so law enforcement, first responders and State Fire Marshals can identify rooms from outside.

What must the mapping data show?

The data must include accurate floor plans laid over current, verified aerial imagery of the school campus. It must label school structures, such as room names, hallway designations, exterior doors and stairwell numbers, and show the locations of hazards, critical utility controls, key boxes, AEDs and trauma kits. Labeling of the grounds must include parking areas, athletic fields, surrounding roads and neighboring properties. It must be oriented to true north and include a fixed grid with consistent x and y coordinates. The entity producing the data must verify its accuracy with an on-site walk-through of the school buildings and grounds.

What format does the mapping data need?

It must work within the software used by local public safety answering points (911 centers) and public safety agencies, without agencies buying extra software or paying fees to access it. It must be printable, shareable electronically and, if requested, built into interactive mobile platforms in use. It must be viewable and printable from open-source document or image viewers. It must be created, stored and maintained only within the United States, during the mapping process and afterward.

Who receives the mapping data, and who approves it?

The mapping data shall be provided to the state board of education, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM), and local first response agencies including police, fire and EMS. It must be provided at no cost beyond the initial cost of production and stay available to those agencies permanently. Before buying, local school systems must consult and get approval from the primary law enforcement agency serving the district, to make sure the data meets the law's requirements. Under West Virginia's Alyssa's Law section, each county board must make all security data in a school facility, including maps, accessible to a local law enforcement agency. That section sunsets by December 31, 2029.

How is the data kept up to date?

Future updates or changes to the mapping data must conform to and work with the software used by the relevant public safety agencies. Updated floor plans go to first responders, local law enforcement and State Fire Marshals by September 1 of each school year.

Are school maps public records?

Data obtained and kept under the mapping section is not subject to disclosure under West Virginia's Freedom of Information Act.

How can schools pay for mapping?

Subject to available funding, each county board may receive up to $4,500 per school for mapping. The FY2026 budget act set aside $3,100,000 of the Department of Education's $7,443,900 Safe Schools appropriation for school mapping. A March 2026 supplemental appropriation, HB 5694, amended the FY2026 budget, cutting the school mapping set-aside to $2,900,000 and restating the Safe Schools line at $7,243,900. HB 5694 was approved by the Governor on March 17, 2026, effective from passage on March 14, 2026, as Chapter 51 of the 2026 Acts.

What recent bills changed the law?

The mapping section was created by HB 3166 of the 2025 Regular Session, titled "Requirements for School Safety Mapping Data". The Governor approved HB 3166 on April 29, 2025, as Chapter 101 of the 2025 Acts, and it took effect July 11, 2025, with the mapping requirements starting September 1, 2026. 2026 HB 4592, effective June 12, 2026, requires state colleges and universities, not K-12 schools, to create campus safety mapping data; it does not change the K-12 mapping section. West Virginia held no 2026 first special session, so there is no special-session mapping appropriation.