The
subcommittee and committee dockets have been fairly light this week. Lots of
legislation has either passed or been defeated and much of the focus has been
on the recently released budget proposals.
On Monday,
SB291 (Carrico) was unanimously reported and referred to the Appropriations
Committee. This legislation imposes certain
evaluation requirements, including evaluation by a Teacher of the Visually
Impaired, for students with visual impairment.
Tuesday morning the House Education Reform subcommittee met to discuss
SB172, SB276, SB324, SB499 and SB539.
SB172 (Stuart) was conformed to HB410 (Anderson) and unanimously
reported. The legislation requires each non-interscholastic youth sports
program utilizing public school property to either establish policies and
procedures based on either the local school division's policies and procedures
or the Board of Education's guidelines regarding the identification and
handling of suspected concussions in student-athletes or follow the policies
and procedures regarding the identification and handling of suspected
concussions required of local school divisions in existing law.
SB276 (Favola) allows the local
school board to require that current students of an existing public school that
is to be converted and their siblings be given enrollment priority over the
open enrollment lottery. This legislation was reported.
SB324 (Miller) relating to A-F school grading was conformed to HB1229
(Landes) to delay the implementation of school grading by one year. The bill
was reported 5-2.
SB499
(Hanger) was tabled by the subcommittee on a 5-2 vote. This legislation allowed
for the delay of transfer to the Opportunity Educational Institution by one
year.
Finally,
SB539 (Howell) was unanimously tabled by the subcommittee. The legislation
required the Secretary of Education to report on the Commonwealth’s activities
relating to Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Career Readiness.
Tuesday
afternoon the Senate Committee on Local Government met and discussed a few
bills of interest to VSBA.
HB594
(BaCote) and HB1080 (Garrett) were rolled together and conformed to SB163. This
legislation extends the Commission on Local Government Mandates Review to July
1, 2018. Additionally, it expands the membership to seven members and adds two
non-government appointees with a background in business.
HB1011
(Byron) also reported from the committee. It extends the Commission on Local
Government Mandates Review to July 1, 2018.
This
morning the full House Education committee briefly met to act on items from
Tuesday’s subcommittee.
SB172
(Stuart) was reported unanimously with the substitute.
SB324
(Miller) was reported unanimously with the substitute.
SB276
(Favola) was reported 21-1 with the substitute.
Immediately
following the full committee the Elementary and Secondary Education
subcommittee met for its final meeting.
Due to
concerns from stakeholders SB588 (Black) was stricken from the docket by the
patron.
SB107
(Stanley) was reported and referred to the Appropriations committee. This bill
establishes a STEM grant program.
The donations must be used by the qualified schools to support STEM
programs. Qualified schools are public elementary and secondary schools where
at least 40 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Grants
are capped at $50,000 per organization per year.
SB168 (Stanley) was reported and referred to the Appropriations
committee. This bill provides a grant of $5,000 to new and experienced teachers
who relocate to either a school where at least 40 percent of the students
qualify for free or reduced lunch or to a school in a locality with a
population of 50,000 or less.
SB672
(Favola) allows the Board of the Virginia School
for the Deaf and Blind (VSDB) to create criteria and procedures for all
out-of-state students to attend VSDB. There will be a tuition charged to these
out-of-state students. This bill was
reported unanimously from the subcommittee.
SB155 (Miller) was tabled by the
subcommittee. This legislation required at least 20 minutes of physical activity
per day or an average of 100 minutes per week for students in grades
kindergarten through five.
SB562 (Locke) reported unanimously from
the subcommittee. This bill allows the school board that partners with a
college partnership laboratory school to charge tuition to students enrolled in
the college partnership laboratory school who do not reside within the
partnering division.
SB153 (Stuart) was reported
8-1 from the subcommittee. This bill only impacts Planning District 16 that
includes Stafford, Fredericksburg, Caroline, King George and Spotsylvania. It expands eligibility
for services through the Comprehensive Services for At-Risk Youth and Families
program to students who transfer from an approved private school special
education program to a public school special education program for the purpose
of providing special education and related services when the public school
special educational program is able to provide services comparable to those of an
approved private school special educational program.
