TITLE 126

LEGISLATIVE RULE

BOARD OF EDUCATION

SERIES 96

High School Diploma for Veterans (4355)

126-96-1. General.

1.1. Scope - This legislative rule establishes the procedures and regulations for providing a high school diploma to veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam Conflict.

1.2. Authority - W. Va. Constitution, Article XII, 2; W.Va. Code 18-2-34.

1.3. Filing Date - July 14, 2000

1.4. Effective Date - August 14, 2000

126-96-2. Applicability.

2.1. West Virginia Code 18-2-34 requires the state board to promulgate rules for the identification of eligible veterans and for the awarding of high school diplomas to those veterans who served in World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam Conflict but who did not graduate from high school.

2.2. This policy, High School Diplomas for Veterans, prescribes the procedures for identifying veterans eligible to obtain a high school diploma and for the awarding of the high school diploma. The policy also provides for the application process for said diploma and specifies the credentials required to receive the high school diploma.

126-96-3. Definitions.

3.1. "World War I veteran" means any veteran who performed wartime service between April 6, 1917 and November 11, 1918 or has been awarded the World War I Victory Medal.

3.2. "World War II veteran" means any veteran who performed wartime service between September 16, 1940 and December 31, 1946.

3.3. "Korean Conflict veteran" means any veteran who performed military service between June 27,1950 and January 31, 1955.

3.4. "Vietnam Conflict veteran" means any veteran who performed military service between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975.

126-96-4. Administration.

4.1. The West Virginia Board of Education and the West Virginia Veterans' Council shall jointly administer the program for the High School Diploma for Veterans.

126-96-5. Application.

5.1. The Office of Veterans Affairs will notify veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam Conflict of the availability of the diploma for veterans. This notification will include the application form to receive such diploma, as designed by the West Virginia Board of Education and the Office of Veterans Affairs.

5.1.1. This application form shall include:

a. veteran's military service and personal information;

b. high school information including the name of the high school attended and the county in which located, the years attended high school, the year left high school to enter the service, the year that would have been the graduation year;

c. the veteran's preference to receive the diploma from the county of current residence or the county of the high school attended.

5.1.2. The veteran will return the completed application form to the Director of the Office of Veterans Affairs. Upon verifying the application, the Director of the Office of Veterans Affairs will forward the application to the West Virginia Department of Education.

5.1.3. West Virginia Department of Education staff will notify the appropriate county of the veteran's preference to receive the diploma from the county of current residence or the county of the high school attended.

126-96-6. Awarding of the High School Diploma

6.1. Awarding counties are to partner with a local Veterans Affairs Office or other veterans' organization to provide appropriate ceremonies for veterans receiving this diploma. These ceremonies may be held as part of the county's high school graduation ceremony or as a separate ceremony.

6.2. The diploma to be awarded to veterans through this program is the awarding county's standard diploma.