Senate Education & Health Committee Meeting- 2/22/2024

The Senate Education and Health Committee met Thursday, February 23, 2024, and considered the following bills related to K-12 education. To review the entire committee docket, click here.

HB 98 (Green) Requires each local school board to accept participation in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps as fulfillment of any physical education requirements applicable to students in grades nine through 12.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 22.1-253.13:1, as it shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia, relating to public secondary schools; satisfaction of physical education requirements; participation in Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

The bill reported on a vote of 13-2.

HB 121 (Sullivan, Jr.) Requires the Board of Education to include in the Standards of Learning for health education for grade nine and grade 10 an in-person or online severe allergic reaction awareness training that includes certain topics enumerated in the bill.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 22.1-274.2:1, relating to grade nine and grade 10 health education Standards of Learning instruction; severe allergic reaction awareness training.

The bill reported with substitute on a vote of 13-2.

HB 131 (Convers Fowler) Requires the Department of Education to continue to maintain until July 1, 2029, a learning needs dashboard that includes an interactive bar chart feature to compare annual pass rates and an interactive scatterplot feature to compare changes in pass rates between select years on history and social sciences, mathematics, reading, science, and writing Standards of Learning assessments on a statewide basis and for specific local school divisions, public elementary and secondary schools, and student subgroups.

This is a Section 1 bill and does not amend or reenact any sections of the Code of Virginia. The bill reported on a vote of 14-1.

HB 168 (Keys Gamarra) Requires the Department of Education to develop and make available to each school board a resource document containing guidance and best practices for providing the necessary supports and services to homeless students, including guidance and best practices relating to (i) decisions regarding whether and when such a student should remain enrolled in a school in a previous school division of residence, (ii) wrap-around supports and services for such students that include the parents when they are available and specific wrap-around supports and services for such students who may have experienced additional trauma prior to becoming homeless, and (iii) any other means by which such students can be best served and protected, particularly those homeless children and youths at risk of becoming victims of human trafficking.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 22.1-3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Department of Education; resource document on supports and services for homeless students.

The bill reported on a vote of 14-1.

HB 224 (Henson) Went by for the week.

HB 253 (Cole) Requires each school board to permit any student enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school in the local school division who provides acceptable proof of identification, if requested, and who signs up in accordance with the sign-up procedures for the respective school board meeting or is physically present at a school board meeting to submit oral comments during any public comment portion of such meeting.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 22.1-79 of the Code of Virginia, relating to school boards; meetings; public comment or citizen participation; enrolled students.

The bill was reported with amendment by a 15-0 vote.

HB 360 (Simonds) Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to biennially calculate, compare, and report to the Board of Education and the General Assembly the differences between the fixed staffing ratios in the Standards of Quality funding formula and the actual staffing ratios in local school divisions in the Commonwealth so that such fixed staffing ratios can be regularly adjusted as needed to more closely approximate such actual staffing ratios.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 22.1-23 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Superintendent of Public Instruction; duties; fixed and actual school staffing ratios.

The bill reported and was referred to the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee on a vote of 15-0.

HB 501 (Cohen) Requires any divisionwide or public elementary or secondary school-specific school building evacuation plan, policy, or protocol to include provisions that seek to maximize the opportunity for students with mobility impairments to evacuate the school building alongside their non-mobility-impaired peers.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 22.1-137.4, relating to school building evacuation plans, policies, and protocols; students with mobility impairments.

The bill reported on a vote of 15-0.

HB 599 (Simonds) Permits any school board, with the concurrence of the local governing body, to establish a capital reserve fund as a savings account into which it exclusively deposits the local operating funds that remain unexpended at the end of the year for future school division capital expenditures at no additional cost to local taxpayers, subject to certain conditions enumerated in the bill.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 22.1-100 and 22.1-100.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to school boards; unexpended local funds; capital reserve fund permitted.

The bill reported on a vote of 15-0.

HB 603 (Price) Requires health instruction provided to elementary and secondary school students to include certain topics relating to mental health that are enumerated in the bill, including (i) general themes of social and emotional learning, including self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, relationship skills, and social awareness; (ii) signs and symptoms of common mental health challenges; and (iii) mental health wellness and healthy strategies for coping with stress and negative feelings, including conflict resolution skills.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 22.1-207 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public schools; health instruction; certain topics relating to mental health.

The bill reported on a vote of 11-4.

HB 659 (Ballard) Requires the Board of Education to develop and make available to each school board guidance on best practices relating to open school enrollment, including on several topics enumerated in the bill.

 A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 22.1-7.1:1, relating to Board of Education; guidance on best practices for open school enrollment policies.

The bill was Passed by Indefinitely on a 9-5 vote.

HB 777 (Callsen) Provides that in the event that a student in a kinship care arrangement moves into a different school division during the school year as a result of safely returning home, being emancipated, or transitioning to a new kinship care arrangement, such student shall be deemed to continue to reside in the previous school division of residence for the remainder of the school year for the purpose of tuition-free enrollment and attendance. The bill also provides that certain provisions of law relating to continuity of public school enrollment and attendance for students in foster care apply to a student who has transitioned out of foster care and whose custody has been transferred to the student's parent or prior legal guardian or who has been emancipated.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 22.1-3 and 22.1-3.4 of the Code of Virginia, relating to enrollment of and provision of free public education for certain students. 

The bill reported on a vote of 15-0.

HB 919 (Srinivasan) Directs the Department, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Department of Medical Assistance Services, to develop, adopt, and distribute to each school board a model memorandum of understanding between a school board and a nationally recognized school-based telehealth provider that sets forth the parameters for the provision of mental health teletherapy to public school students enrolled in the local school division by such provider. Current law only requires the development, adoption, and distribution of a model memorandum of understanding between a school board and a public or private community mental health services provider. The bill also permits each school board to adopt policies and procedures to increase the accessibility of school-based mental health services for students enrolled in each school division that may not have access to mental health services otherwise by providing or expanding virtual mental health resources and establishing or expanding a partnership with a community mental health service provider or a nationally recognized school-based telehealth provider that provides mental health teletherapy to students.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 22.1-272.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to school boards; model memorandum of understanding; partnerships with certain mental health service providers; provision and expansion of virtual mental health services.

The bill reported on a vote of 14-1.

HB 963 (Earley)  Requires the Department of Education to survey each school board to determine (i) whether it has an existing policy or practice relating to the donation of excess food, as that term is defined in relevant law, from public elementary or secondary schools in the local school division to local food banks or shelters that serve meals or otherwise provide food to individuals in need and (ii) if so, how such policy or practice is implemented and the impact that it has on the local community. The bill requires the Department of Education, after completing such survey, to compile in a guidance document or Superintendent's Memo and distribute to each school board a list of resources and best practices on the subject of excess food donation.

A BILL to require the Department of Education to survey each local school division to determine best practices relating to the donation of excess food. This bill would not amend or reenact the Code of Virginia. The bill was Passed by Indefinitely on a vote of 12-3.

HB 1039 (Bennett-Parker) Permits any local school board to adopt and implement policies for the possession and administration of undesignated nasal or injectable glucagon in each public elementary or secondary school in the local school division, provided that such policies are consistent with the guidance outlined in the most recent revision of the Diabetes Management In School: Manual for Unlicensed Personnel published by the Department of Education and include guidance on several items enumerated in the bill. The bill also permits any public elementary or secondary school to maintain a supply of nasal or injectable glucagon in any secure location that is immediately accessible to any school nurse or other employee trained in the administration of nasal and injectable glucagon prescribed to the school by a prescriber. The bill requires any such school to ensure that such a supply consists of at least two doses. The bill permits any school nurse or other authorized employee who is trained in the administration of nasal and injectable glucagon consistent with the guidance outlined in the most recent revision of the Diabetes Management In School: Manual for Unlicensed Personnel published by the Department to administer nasal or injectable glucagon from undesignated inventory with parental consent and if the student's prescribed glucagon is not available on school grounds or has expired. The bill permits any school board to accept donations of nasal or injectable glucagon from a wholesale distributor of glucagon or donations of money from any individual to purchase nasal or injectable glucagon for the purpose of maintenance and administration in a public school in the local school division as permitted pursuant to the aforementioned provisions of the bill.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 22.1-274.2 and 54.1-3408 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public elementary and secondary schools; possession and administration of undesignated glucagon; school board policies; donations.

The bill reported on a vote of 15-0.

HB 1473 (Clark) Requires the Department of Education to develop, in collaboration with the Department of Health, a fentanyl education and awareness informational one-sheet designed to promote awareness of the dangers associated with and the prevalence of fentanyl and provide essential information on fentanyl overdose prevention and preparedness among high school-age students. The bill requires the Department of Education to make available to each school board and post in a publicly accessible location on its website such informational one-sheet and to annually review and update such informational one-sheet in collaboration with the Department of Health to ensure its currency and accuracy. The bill requires each public high school or secondary school that includes grades nine through 12 to annually distribute such informational one-sheet to each student in grades nine through 12 within the first two weeks of the school year. This bill incorporates HB 1007.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 22.1-206.01, relating to Department of Education; development and distribution of fentanyl education and awareness informational one-sheet; requirements.

The bill reported on a vote of 15-0.

To view a copy of the full committee agenda, click here. To view a recorded live-stream of the committee meeting, click here.

Senate Bill 14 Reports from House Finance Committee

The House Finance Committee reported Senate Bill 14 (McPike) yesterday afternoon by a vote of 13-8 after committee members amended the legislation to include the unincorporated towns that operate a school division in the legislation that authorizes all counties and cities to impose an additional local sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent with the revenue used only for capital projects for the construction or renovation of schools if such levy is approved in a voter referendum. Under current law, only Charlotte, Gloucester, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Patrick, and Pittsylvania Counties and the City of Danville are authorized to impose such a tax.

The bill will not move to the House floor for debate and a vote early next week. The House companion to SB 14, HB 805, passed in the House earlier this month. VSBA's Government Relations team will continue to update you on this, and other, pieces of legislation of importance to school board members throughout the session which is scheduled to adjourn Sine Die on March 9, 2024.

House Bill 805 Reports to Senate Floor

House Bill 805 which is sponsored by Delegate Sam Rasoul cleared the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee this morning on a vote of 11-7. This legislation authorizes all counties and cities to impose an additional local sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent with the revenue used only for capital projects for the construction or renovation of schools if such levy is approved in a voter referendum. Under current law, only Charlotte, Gloucester, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Patrick, and Pittsylvania Counties and the City of Danville are authorized to impose such a tax.

The Senate companion, Senate Bill 14, sponsored by Senator Jeremy McPike will be heard this afternoon in the House Finance Committee which will meet 15 minutes after adjournment of the full House. The school construction 1% bill has been a priority for VSBA in past sessions. We will continue to update as this legislation is heard in the House committee.

House Education Committee Meeting- 2/21/24

The House Education Committee met Wednesday, February 21, 2024, and considered the following pieces of legislation related to K-12 Education. 

SB 105 (Lucas) Renames the National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund as the National Board Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund, expands eligibility for incentive grant awards from such Fund pursuant to such Program from solely teachers who have obtained national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to (i) all public school staff who are candidates for initial national certification or maintenance of national certification to cover certain costs of obtaining or maintaining such certification and (ii) all public school staff who have successfully obtained or maintained such certification. The bill also declares as eligible for an annual incentive grant award in the amount of $7,500 all public school staff who have obtained or maintained such certification. Current law declares as eligible for an annual incentive grant award of $5,000 in the first year and $2,500 in each subsequent year all teachers who have obtained or maintained such certification. The bill also establishes the At-Risk Program for the purpose of supporting programs and services for students who are educationally at risk, including prevention, intervention, or remediation activities required pursuant to relevant law, teacher recruitment programs and initiatives, programs for English language learners, the hiring of additional school counselors and other support staff, and other programs relating to increasing the success of disadvantaged students in completing a high school degree and providing opportunities to encourage further education and training. The bill also contains provisions relating to certain funding requirements for the At-Risk Program. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Education to (a) develop and implement a data collection process related to English language learner expenditures and student English proficiency levels to begin to address the recommendations of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission's 2023 review of Virginia's K-12 Funding Formula and (b) develop, in coordination with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services or any other relevant stakeholders, a plan for revised special education staffing requirements that addresses the staffing needs of each special education program in each school division. The bill provides for the inclusion of the provisions of the first enactment in the general appropriation act beginning July 1, 2026. 

The bill reported with a substitute 19-0.

SB 220 (Favola) Makes several changes relating to special education and related services for children with disabilities in public elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth, including requiring (i) the Department of Education to (a) review and update all forms and worksheets relating to referral, evaluation, reevaluation, and eligibility, and to review and update guidance on the implementation of all such forms and worksheets; (b) develop guidance for students and parents on and processes relating to the alternative path to earning a standard diploma through credit accommodations, including special permission credit accommodations for locally awarded verified credits; and (c) review and consider updating its regulations to include parent and student input as required content in an individualized education program (IEP), define "short-term objectives" for the purpose of IEP content, and include, as appropriate, short-term objectives derived from measurable goals as content in an IEP; (ii) each public elementary or secondary school, after a child with a disability graduates from, ages out of, or otherwise leaves any such school, to retain the special education records of such child for at least seven years; (iii) each education preparation program offered by a public or private institution of higher education or alternative certification program that provides training for any student seeking initial licensure by the Board of Education with certain endorsements as specified in the bill to (a) include a program of coursework and require all such students to demonstrate mastery in instructional practices to support specially designed instruction, as that term is defined in the bill, in inclusive settings and (b) ensure that coursework and, as available, field practice opportunities that build knowledge of instructional practices to support specially designed instruction in inclusive settings are a focus of the education preparation program; and (iv) each school board to notify the parent of any student with disabilities who has an IEP and who fails to meet the graduation requirements of such student's right to a free and appropriate education to age 21, as provided in relevant law. The bill requires the Department of Education to submit to the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by November 1, 2024 an initial report on its progress toward improving services to students with disabilities, including estimated costs, requirements, and the timeline to implement a Virginia Individualized Education Program data system and template and plans, estimated costs, and timelines for the implementation of other provisions of the bill relating to the development and provision of high quality professional development and instructional practices to support the provision of specially designed instruction in inclusive settings. The bill also requires each school board to adopt by January 1, 2028 policies relating to the utilization of the components of the Virginia Individualized Education Program data system and template or a local alternative. Finally, the bill directs the Virginia Commission on Youth to study and make recommendations to the General Assembly by November 1, 2025 on Virginia's special education dispute resolution system.

The bill reported with a substitute 19-0.

SB 225 (Pekarsky)  Requires each local school board to develop and implement a policy to require the annual notification of the parent of each student enrolled in the local school division, to be sent by email and SMS text message within 30 calendar days succeeding the first day of each school year, of the parent's legal responsibility to safely store any firearm present in the household, risks associated with improperly stored firearms, statistics relating to firearm-related accidents, injuries, and death among youth, and other tips and strategies. The bill requires each school board to make such parental notification available in multiple languages on its website.

The bill reported with a substitute 14-6.

SB 314 (Roem) Requires the Department of Education to establish and appoint such members as it deems necessary or appropriate to the Farm to School Program Task Force for the purpose of increasing student access throughout the Commonwealth to high-quality farm to school programs, defined in the bill as programs (i) whereby public schools purchase and feature prominently in school meals locally produced food or (ii) that involve experiential student learning opportunities relating to local food and agriculture, including school and community garden programs and local farm visits. The bill requires the Task Force to collaborate with local school boards, community-based organizations, farmers, relevant state and local agencies, and other relevant stakeholders to (a) assess existing farm to school programs within the Commonwealth to identify and disseminate to each local school board best practices for implementing and sustaining such programs, (b) establish and distribute to each local school board a guidance document for the establishment and operation of school garden programs, (c) provide information and resources to each local school board to assist it in leveraging grant funds to support farm to school programs, and (d) collect such data and make such policy recommendations to local school boards, the Board of Education, and the General Assembly as it deems appropriate.

The bill reported with a substitute 19-1.

SB 352 (Peake) Establishes universal licensure by reciprocity as a category of teacher licensure in the Commonwealth for teachers who hold a valid out-of-state teaching license with full credentials and without deficiencies that has been in force for at least three years prior to and is in force at the time of application and meet other provisions set forth in the bill. The bill also permits the division superintendent rather than the Board of Education, as in current law, to issue a career and technical education teacher a provisional license to allow time for the teacher to attain the industry certification credential required by law. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Education to compile, publicly post on its website, and update as necessary, data on teacher licensure standards and requirements for each state for the purposes of facilitating the determination of the compatibility of out-of-state teacher licenses with requirements for teacher licensure and licensure by reciprocity in the Commonwealth and increasing transparency of such licensure requirements.

The bill reported with a substitute 19-0.

SB 435 (Suetterlein) Requires the Board of Education to permit school boards to administer, during the 2024-2026 school years, assessments as alternatives to the through-year growth assessment system established by the Board, provided that any such alternative assessment is aligned to the Standards of Learning.

The bill reported 20-0.

SB 441 (Durant) Requires each school board to respond within 10 business days of receiving any request for employment verification of a former employee of the school board when such verification is requested by another school board.

The bill reported with a substitute 20-0.

SB 498 (Carroll Foy)  Requires each division superintendent or his designee to notify the parent of each student in the local school division of any school-connected overdose, defined as any verified overdose that occurs on school premises during or after regular school hours or during school-sanctioned activities whether on or off school premises, within 24 hours of learning of the overdose. The bill requires such notification to include as much information as is known about the circumstances surrounding the overdose, to the extent that the disclosure of any such information is not prohibited by any applicable law, rule, or regulation relating to the disclosure and protection of a minor's personal, confidential, or otherwise sensitive information. The bill requires the Board of Education to establish guidelines for school-connected overdose response and parental notification policies, including (a) a model action plan for each school board to follow in responding to the overdose, including communicating and coordinating with the Department of Education and the local law-enforcement liaison or local law-enforcement agency that employs the school resource officers for such school division, and (b) criteria for issuing the parental notification to ensure sensitivity to the privacy interests of any affected individuals.

The bill reported with a substitute 19-0.

SB 608 (Aird) Requires the Department of Education to establish the Office of Community Schools as an office within the Department for the purpose of supporting the development and growth of community schools throughout the Commonwealth in accordance with the Virginia Community School Framework and, subject to the appropriation of funds, requires the Office to establish and administer the Community School Development and Implementation Planning Grant for the purpose of providing grants to school boards that seek to designate any school within the local school division as a community school to assist with the planning and implementation of such designation over a period of three to five years.

The bill reported with a substitute 13-7.

To review the entire committee docket for the February 21, 2024 meeting, click here. To view a recording of the February 21, 2024 meeting, click here.

Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee Releases Approved Budget Amendments

The Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee have released committee approved budget amendments for Senate Bill 30 (Lucas). The listing of amendments below are not a complete list of all approved budget amendments. To view a complete list of all committee approved amendments by the Senate, click here.

Item 1 #3s- This amendment provides $22,048 each year from the general fund for the costs of the Commission on Artificial Intelligence.

Item 1 #6s- This amendment provides $12,090 GF each year to support Senate Bill 389, which re-establishes the Virginia Autism Advisory Council. The membership is higher than on the previous Council before it expired.

Item 22 #1s- This amendment provides $100,000 the first year from the general fund to support a review of Virginia's special education dispute resolution system. Funds allocated in the first year may be carried over to the second year to support this initiative.

Item 116 #1s- This amendment updates language included in the introduced budget related to a stakeholder work group on teacher compensation.

Item 117 #1s- This amendment redirects $7.2 million GF each year mental health and telehealth services in the introduced budget to other education initiatives.

Item 117 #3s- This amendment provides $300,000 GF each year and two positions to support the Joint Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education Funding through increased staffing and contracted services.

Item 117 #5s- This amendment restores $1.0 million GF the first year and $1.9 million GF the second year to the Office of School Quality and requires certain reporting requirements.

Item 125 #1s- This amendment provides $198.6 million GF the first year and $202.0 million GF the second year to remove the support position cap used in Basic Aid funding. The removal of the support cap requires the amount of support positions to be funded based on the linear weighted average methodology for positions per pupil and funded salaries within Basic Aid.

Item 125 #2s- This amendment provides $142.7 million GF the first year and $259.2 million GF the second year for a 3% salary increase each year for teachers and instructional positions.

Item 125 #3s- This amendment provides $121.3 million the first year and $121.8 million the second year from the general fund to restore and reforecast the general fund payments provided in lieu of the K-12 dedicated sales tax on grocery and personal hygiene products that would have been collected had the tax not been eliminated effective January 1, 2023. The amount of these general fund payments is updated to $272.4 million the first year and $273.5 million in the second year. These payments reduce the state share of basic aid by $151.1 million the first year and $151.7 million the second year.

Item 125 #4s- This amendment provides $12.8 million GF the first year and $13.9 million GF the second year to increase the ratio for English language learners from 20 to 22 per 1,000 students.

Item 125 #5s- This amendment provides $88.0 million GF and $25.0 million NGF from 2024 Lottery proceeds the first year and $112.6 million GF the second year to increase the maximum percentage for the At-Risk Add On from 36.0 to 45.2 percent.

Item 125 #6s- This amendment provides $67.5 million GF the first year and $102.3 million GF the second year in additional revenue sources.

Item 125 #15s- This amendment provides $62.2 million GF the first year and $155.8 million GF the second year to account for sales tax base expansion.

Item 125 #18s- This amendment provides $3.2 million GF the first year and $3.6 million GF the second year to increase the per meal reimbursement amount from $0.22 to $0.30 for the state funded incentive program to maximize federal school nutrition revenues and increase participation in the school breakfast program.

Item 125 #22s- This amendment authorizes the Department of Education to offer school construction loans from the Literary Fund.

Item 3-1.01 #1s- This amendment transfers estimated tax revenue dedicated to the PreK-12 Priority Fund to the general fund for the purpose of funding public education initiatives that support student needs.

Item 3-5.03 #1s- This amendment increases the K-12 sales tax transfer for appropriation in Direct Aid from the sale tax base expansion in Part 4.

House Budget Amendments Released

The House Appropriations Committee has released budget amendments to House Bill 30 (Torian). The following list of amendments to the K-12 budget with detailed summaries are below. Please note, this is not the full list of all House budget amendments. To view the entire list of budget amendments, click here.

Item 1 #8h- This amendment redirects existing appropriation to the Joint Committee to Study Fair School Funding Reform established by House Joint Resolution 67.

Item 117 #5h- This amendment directs the Superintendent of Public Instruction to enter into statewide contracts with telehealth providers through which school divisions may purchase mental health services. This amendment also eliminates $14.8 million over the biennium from the introduced budget that was proposed to (i) fund a statewide contract to provide mental health services to middle and high school students in participating school divisions via a telehealth platform, and (ii) establish a chief school mental health officer position at the Department of Education.

Item 117 #7h- This amendment provides $200,000 from the general fund in the first year to develop educational resources as required by House Bill 134.

Item 117 #9h- This amendment provides $2.2 million each year from the general fund to develop and disseminate professional development in inclusive practices and establishes regional special education family resource centers.

Item 120 #1h- This amendment level funds the Office of School Quality. The introduced budget proposed a reduction of $1.9 million each year. The General Assembly provided $2.4 million and 18 additional positions in fiscal year 2024 to implement a new school improvement model as recommended in the 2020 JLARC report "Operations and Performance of the Department of Education.

Item 124 #2h- This amendment provides $5.0 million each year from the general fund for the Community Schools Development and Implementation Planning Grant program as established in House Bill 625.

Item 124 #10h- This amendment provides $750,000 in each year from the general fund for the Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Cambridge Assessment International Education Exam Fee Reduction Program.

Item 125 #1h- This amendment eliminates $60.0 million proposed to be transferred from the general fund to the College Partnership Laboratory School Fund. In addition, the amendment maintains language from the existing Appropriation Act that limits the use of the Fund to public four-year institutions. An amendment to Item 137 in the Caboose Bill maintains $20.0 million in the fund for use throughout the biennium.

Item 125 #10h- This amendment provides $207.1 million the first year and $417.8 million the second year from the general fund to provide the state's share of two 3 3/8 percent salary increases provided on July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025. This implements the provisions of House Bill 187 for the 2024-26 biennium, which establishes a methodology for funding the state's share of compensation adjustments as needed to increase Virginia's average teacher salary to at least the National average teacher salary, by the end of fiscal year 2028.

The projected national average salary is based on NEA's estimated national average salary in fiscal year 2023, then adjusted for inflation in subsequent years. The projected Virginia average salary is based on NEA's calculated Virginia average salary in fiscal year 2022, then adjusted for state funded compensation increases in fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2024.

Item 125 #12h- This amendment provides $196.3 million the first year and $188.2 million the second year from the general fund to (i) consolidate SOQ Prevention, Intervention, and Remediation and At-Risk Add-On incentive funding into a single SOQ At-Risk Add-On funding program, (ii) transitions the proxy used to estimate the number of at-risk students from federal free lunch rates to federal Identified Student Percentage rates, using a multiplier of 1.35, and (ii) distributes a 6.0 percent add on to basic aid funding per at-risk student, and (iv) distributes an additional add on between 0 percent and 42.5 percent to basic aid funding per At-Risk student based on the concentration of At-Risk students in the school division relative to all other school divisions. This amendment implements House Bills 624 and 825, and address in part recommendations 8, 9, and 10 from JLARC's 2023 report, "Virginia's K-12 Funding Formula."

Item 125 #13h- This amendment provides $51.3 million the first year and $43.7 million the second year to implement House Bills 624 and 1247, establishing staffing ratios per English Learner student based on student proficiency level, in lieu of the current standard that provides one position per 50 identified EL students.

Item 472 #1h- This amendment advances the deadline for school divisions to obligate ARPA-SLRF ventilation improvement grants in January 2022 from December 31, 2024 to July 1, 2024. The amendment directs any remaining unobligated amounts to be used to offset general fund support for the Child Care Subsidy Program to ensure these federal pandemic relief funds will be expended prior to their expiration on December 31, 2024. Item 125.10 assumes $25.0 million in ARPA-SLRF will be reverted to support the Child Care Subsidy Program as a result of this action.

Item 4-8.01 #1h- This amendment establishes a process to ensure that legislatively mandated reports and studies are submitted on time. In addition, the amendment directs the Governor to recommend to the General Assembly mandated reports and studies for elimination, consolidation or alternate means of fulfillment. Finally, the amendment eliminates proposed language that would have permitted the Governor to postpone or defer legislatively directed reports or studies.

Budget Sunday Streaming Links

Today is the day, Budget Sunday! Watch the House Appropriations Committee unveil their budget at 1p today, https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/committees/commstream.html and the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee at 4p today, https://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3.

Senate Finance and Appropriations to Meet at 4:00 p.m.

The Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee will meet at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 18, 2024, to unveil their 2024-2026 Biennial Budget. To view the meeting of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee meeting, click here. 

Senate Education & Health Committee- 2/15/24

The Senate Education and Health Committee met Thursday, February 15, 2024, to consider legislation that has crossed over from the House of Delegates. The following bills pertaining to K-12 Education were on the committee's docket.

HB 355 (Cole) Requires each school board to provide written verification of employment within 10 working days of receipt of any request for employment verification from a former employee of the school board.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 22.1-296.5, relating to school boards; teachers; terms of employment; employment verification; requirement.

The committee conformed the bill to SB 441 (Durant) by voice vote. The bill reported with substitute by a vote of 15-0.

HB 462 (Runion) Clarifies that joint or regional schools such as academic year Governor's schools are eligible to participate in the Public School Construction Grants Program (the Program) and that school divisions may used grants received pursuant to the Program for construction, additions, infrastructure, site acquisition, and renovations for buildings and facilities used for career and technical education programs provided at a regional comprehensive school.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 22.1-175.1 and 22.1-175.4 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program and Fund; career and technical education programs eligible.

The committee conformed the bill toe SB 474 (Obenshain) by voice vote. The bill reported with a substitute by a vote of 15-0.

HB 498 (Cohen) Requires each local school board to develop and implement a policy to require the annual notification of the parent of each student enrolled in the local school division, to be sent by email and, if applicable, SMS text message within 30 calendar days succeeding the first day of each school year, of the parent's legal responsibility to safely store any firearm present in the household, risks associated with improperly stored firearms, statistics relating to firearm-related accidents, injuries, and death among youth, and other tips and strategies. The bill requires each school board to make such parental notification available in multiple languages on its website.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 22.1-79.3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to school board policies; parental notification; safe storage of firearms in the household.

The committee reported the bill on a vote of 9-6.

HB 647 (Coyner) Clarifies several provisions of the Virginia Literacy Act (the Act), enacted during the 2022 Regular Session of the General Assembly and effective with the 2024-2025 school year, including (i) clarifying that the term "evidence-based literacy instruction" does not include practices that instruct students to gain meaning from print through the use of (a) three-cueing, which includes semantic, syntactic, and graphophonic cues; (b) meaning, structure, and visual cues; or (c) visual memory for word recognition; (ii) removing the option to use a literacy screener approved by the Department of Education for certain purposes enumerated in the Act; (iii) requiring the Department to develop a list of core literacy curricula for students in kindergarten through grade five and supplemental instruction practices and programs and intervention programs for students in kindergarten through grade eight that consist of evidence-based literacy instruction aligned with science-based reading research; and (iv) requiring each divisionwide literacy plan to address how the local school board will align (a) core reading and literacy curriculum for students in kindergarten through grade five and (b) screening, supplemental instruction, and interventions for students in kindergarten through grade eight with evidence-based literacy instruction practices aligned with science-based reading research.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 22.1-1, 22.1-253.13:1, and 22.1-253.13:6, as they shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia, relating to public education; student literacy measures.

The committee reported the bill on a vote of 13-0.

HB 1076 (Rasoul) Requires the Board of Education to permit school boards to administer, during the 2024-2025 school year, locally developed or adopted assessments as alternatives to the through-year growth assessment system established by the Board, provided that any such alternative assessment is aligned to the Standards of Learning.

The bill was conformed to SB 435 (Suetterlein). The bill reported with a substitute on a vote of 14-1.

HB 1317 (Cole) Requires the superintendent of any school division to, upon receiving notification of the disposition in a delinquency case concerning a student who is not enrolled in such school division, forward such notification to the superintendent of the school division where such student is enrolled or where such student intends to enroll, as evidenced by the receipt of a request from the other school division for such student's scholastic records. Current law only permits the superintendent of any such school division to forward such notification to the superintendent of the school division in which the student is currently enrolled. The bill also requires a copy of the complete student disciplinary records of any student transferring from one school division to another to be transferred to the school division to which such student is transferring, upon request from such school division.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 16.1-305.1 and 22.1-289 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public schools; transfer and management of scholastic records; disclosure of information in court notices; transfer of disciplinary records; requirements.

The bill reported on a vote of 13-0.

HB 1504 (Seibold) Requires the Board of Education to establish guidelines for school-connected overdose response and parental notification policies to aid local school boards in the implementation of such policies. The bill requires such guidelines to include (i) a model action plan for each school board to follow in responding to any school-connected overdose, including communicating and coordinating with the Department of Education and the applicable law-enforcement liaison or the local law-enforcement agency that employs such school division's school resources officers and (ii) criteria for issuing parental notification to ensure sensitivity to the privacy interests of affected individuals and compliance with any applicable law, rules, or regulations relating to the disclosure and protection of a minor's personal, confidential, or otherwise sensitive information.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 22.1-272.1:1, relating to Board of Education; guidelines on school-connected overdose policies; response and parental notification.

The bill was conformed to SB 498 (Carroll Foy). The bill reported with a substitute 15-0.

To review all bills on the committee's docket, click here. To view an archived recording of the February 15, 2024, meeting of the committee, click here. To review House bills conformed to Senate bills, click here and type Senate bill number into legislation search box or you can click on the members name where you can find a listing of all legislation the member has introduced this session and the legislation's current status in the 2024 session.

Grow Your Own Grants Announced by VDOE

RICHMOND - Today the Virginia Department of Education awarded its second round of Grow Your Own Grants totaling $1.52 million to 24 school divisions to assist in creating registered teacher apprenticeship programs to help recruit and train well-prepared future teachers within their communities.  A focused approach to helping school divisions deal with teacher recruitment challenges, Grow Your Own programs help future teachers work towards their bachelor’s degrees and fulfill all licensure requirements, so that upon completion of the program participants will be ready to accept a full-time teaching position in their communities.

The VDOE has partnered with the National Center for Grow Your Own to become a national leader in helping develop effective registered apprenticeship programs to assist school divisions in recruiting teacher candidates from their local communities. Under this model, aspiring Virginia teacher candidates can include paraprofessionals and other staff already working in the schools, dual-enrolled graduating high school seniors, or career switchers with an interest in classroom teaching. Twenty-eight Virginia school divisions have launched Grow Your Own registered teacher apprenticeship programs during the 2023-2024 school year. 

Click here, to view the entire announcement from the Virginia Department of Education.

House and Senate Budget Writers to Unveil Chamber Spending Plans

On Sunday, February 18, 2024, the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee will unveil their respective chamber's 2024-2026 spending plans for the Commonwealth of Virginia. These plans will be the blueprints for a final budget package that will be sent to Governor Glenn Youngkin at the end of the 2024 session in early March. 

The House Appropriations Committee will meet on Sunday 2/18/24 at 1:00 p.m. to unveil their 2024-2026 spending priorities while the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee has yet to announce the time of their meeting. We will update the blog and VSBA Social Media outlets when we learn of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee meeting time.

We anticipate vast changes from Governor Youngkin's budget plan that was released in December 2023 in both the House and Senate versions of the budget. To review member budget amendments for consideration by each chamber's money writing committee, click here. To view Governor Youngkin's proposed 2024-2026 budget, click here.

You can watch the meeting of each committee online via live stream by clicking on the links below. Following the budget unveilings, the VSBA Government Relations team will provide in-depth analysis on the House and Senate budgets on this blog early in the week of February 19, 2024. 

Agenda- February 18, 2024 Meeting- House Appropriations Committee Meeting

Live Stream to the February 18, 2024 Meeting- House Appropriations Committee Meeting

Agenda (TBD)- February 18, 2024 Meeting- Senate Finance Appropriations Committee Meeting

Live Stream to the February 18, 2024 Meeting- Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee Meeting

House Education Committee Meeting- 2/14/24

The House Education Committee meeting met briefly this morning following the 2024 Crossover deadline of the Virginia General Assembly this morning and took action on the following pieces of legislation relating to K-12 Public Education.

SB 235 (Hashmi) Provides that nothing in the law requiring the Department of Education to develop and make available to each school board model policies for ensuring parental notification of any instructional material that includes sexually explicit content and requiring each school board to adopt policies that are consistent with but may be more comprehensive than such model policies or that is in such model policies or school board policies shall be construed to permit the censoring of books in any public elementary or secondary school.

The bill reported from committee 12-9.

SB 379 (Boysko) Requires the Board of Education to develop Standards of Learning and curriculum guidelines for research-based hazing prevention instruction to be provided to as a part of physical or health education provided to students in grade nine or 10. The bill requires such hazing prevention instruction to include age-appropriate, extensive, and current education about hazing, including (i) examples of hazing; (ii) the dangers of hazing, including the consequences of alcohol intoxication; and (iii) school policies and laws related to hazing, including criminal penalties and bystander intervention. The bill requires such research-based hazing prevention instruction to be offered in-person but requires each school board to provide options for virtual participation for any student who is enrolled in an online or virtual physical or health education program. Finally, the bill requires each school board to provide such research-based hazing prevention instruction beginning with the school year following the Board's adoption of revised Standards of Learning for physical and health education for grades nine and 10 incorporating such research-based hazing prevention instruction and directs the Board to, in the intermediary time, develop and post on its website guidance documents for the purpose of making such research-based hazing prevention instruction available to local school boards.

The bill reported from committee 12-9.

SB 443 (Durant) Requires the superintendent of any school division to, upon receiving notification of the disposition in a delinquency case concerning a student who is not enrolled in such school division, forward such notification to the superintendent of the school division where such student is enrolled or where such student intends to enroll, as evidenced by the receipt of a request from the other school division for such student's scholastic records. Current law only permits the superintendent of any such school division to forward such notification to the superintendent of the school division in which the student is currently enrolled. The bill also requires a copy of the complete student disciplinary records of any student transferring from one school division to another to be transferred to the school division to which such student is transferring, upon request from such school division.

The bill reported from committee 21-0.

SB 624 (Lucas) Clarifies several provisions of the Virginia Literacy Act (the Act), enacted during the 2022 Regular Session of the General Assembly and effective with the 2024-2025 school year, including (i) clarifying that the term "evidence-based literacy instruction" does not include practices that instruct students to gain meaning from print through the use of (a) three-cueing, which includes semantic, syntactic, and graphophonic cues; (b) meaning, structure, and visual cues; or (c) visual memory for word recognition; (ii) removing the option to use a literacy screener approved by the Department of Education for certain purposes enumerated in the Act; (iii) requiring the Department to develop a list of core literacy curricula for students in kindergarten through grade five and supplemental instruction practices and programs and intervention programs for students in kindergarten through grade eight that consist of evidence-based literacy instruction aligned with science-based reading research; and (iv) requiring each divisionwide literacy plan to address how the local school board will align (a) core reading and literacy curriculum for students in kindergarten through grade five and (b) screening, supplemental instruction, and interventions for students in kindergarten through grade eight with evidence-based literacy instruction practices aligned with science-based reading research.

The bill reported from committee 20-1.

To review the entire committee agenda, click here. To view a recording of the committee's proceedings, click here.