tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88935648713558089302024-03-14T09:05:47.433-04:00VSBA Legislative UpdateGovernment Affairs Updates from the VSBA Lobbying Team Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger526125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-28022351232384868842024-03-14T09:05:00.002-04:002024-03-14T09:05:12.777-04:00Bill Clarifying Virginia Literacy Act Provisions Signed by Governor Youngkin<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Governor Glenn Youngkin has signed Senate Bill 624 (Lucas)/HB 647 (Coyner) which c<span style="background-color: white;">larifies 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. This bill is effective July 1, 2024 and is identical to </span><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB647" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">HB 647.</a></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-57902665649952353722024-03-14T09:00:00.002-04:002024-03-14T09:00:33.457-04:00Hazing Prevention Instruction Legislation Becomes Law<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Governor Glenn Youngkin has signed <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB379" target="_blank">Senate Bill 379</a> (Boysko) that <span style="background-color: white;">Requires the Board of Education to develop Standards of Learning and curriculum guidelines for research-based hazing prevention instruction to be provided as a part of physical or health education instruction 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. This bill is effective July 1, 2024 and is identical to </span><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB719" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">HB 719.</a></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-47390484244546157392024-03-14T08:50:00.003-04:002024-03-14T08:50:33.573-04:00Legislation from 2024 Session Awaits Action by Governor<p><span style="font-family: arial;">The 2024 Session of the Virginia General Assembly adjourned Sine Die on Saturday, March 9, 2024. Lawmakers sent over 1,000 pieces of legislation to Governor Glenn Youngkin for consideration. The Governor has until April 8, 2024 to sign, veto, or offer amendments to legislation. The General Assembly will return to act on any amendments and vetoes by the Governor at the Reconvene Session scheduled for Wednesday, April 17, 2024.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Below is a listing of legislation important to school boards sent to the Governor. This is not a complete listing of all legislation passed during the 2024 session. To review legislation awaiting action by the Governor, please visit the <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/" target="_blank">Virginia Legislative Information System </a>website.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In May, the VSBA Government Relations team will produce the 2024 Virginia General Assembly Comprehensive Report which will include additional legislative analysis from the session. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB1" target="_blank">SB 1 (Lucas)/ HB 1 (Ward)</a> <span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Increases the minimum wage from the current rate of $12.00 per hour to $13.50 per hour effective January 1, 2025, and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2026. The bill satisfies a reenactment clause included in Chapters 1204 and 1242 of the Acts of Assembly of 2020. This bill is identical to </span><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB1" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">HB 1.</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB5" target="_blank">SB 5 (Stanley) </a><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"> </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Establishes the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Computing (STEM+C) Competition Team Grant Program and Fund to encourage interest in STEM+C-related subject areas and support STEM+C-related extracurricular team-building activities in public schools in the Commonwealth by providing grants to qualified schools, as defined in the bill, for use in establishing or supporting STEM+C competition teams.</span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB14" target="_blank">SB 14 (McPike)/ HB 805 (Rasoul)</a> </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">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. The bill removes the requirement that such a tax must have an expiration date on either (i) the date of the repayment of any bonds or loans used for such capital projects or (ii) a date chosen by the governing body. 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. This bill is identical to </span><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB805" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">HB 805.</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB36" target="_blank">SB 36 (Locke)</a> <span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Exempts certain public meetings from the definition of "meeting" under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to clarify that three or more members of a public body may appear and participate in such public meeting without violating the Act, provided that no public business is transacted or discussed. The bill also exempts members of a public body who attend a public meeting of a second public body without violating the Act, provided that no public business is transacted or discussed. Finally, the bill defines "public business" as activity that a public body has undertaken or proposed to undertake on behalf of the people it represents.</span></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB60" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB60" target="_blank">SB 60 (Favola)</a> </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Requires the Department of Education to make available to each school board and post on its website by the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year the guidelines established in accordance with relevant law for individualized education program (IEP) teams to use in developing IEPs for children with disabilities relating to the need for age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate instruction.</span></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB104" target="_blank">SB 104 (Lucas)/ HB 187 (Clark)</a> </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Requires the Governor's introduced budget bills for the 2025, 2026, and 2027 Regular Sessions of the General Assembly to propose funding for, and state funding to be provided pursuant to the general appropriation act enacted during any regular or special session of the General Assembly during 2025, 2026, or 2027 to fund, the Commonwealth's share of compensation supplement incentives for Standards of Quality-funded instructional and support positions sufficient to increase the average teacher salary in the Commonwealth to at least the national average teacher salary by the end of the 2026–2028 biennium and establishes a detailed timeline and process for satisfying such requirement. This bill is identical to</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"> </span><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB187" style="font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">HB 187.</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB105" target="_blank">SB 105 (Lucas)</a> <span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">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. This bill incorporates </span><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB127" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">SB 127,</a><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"> </span><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB128" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">SB 128,</a><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"> </span><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB187" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">SB 187,</a><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"> </span><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB227" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">SB 227,</a><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"> </span><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB228" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">SB 228,</a><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"> and </span><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB609" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">SB 609.</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB142" target="_blank">SB 142 (Ruff)</a> <span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Requires the Board of Education to include in its teacher licensure regulations provisions authorizing each school board to, upon recommendation of the division superintendent or the school board and in accordance with the criteria set forth in the bill, issue a one-year, nonrenewable local eligibility license that is only valid within the issuing school division to any individual who (i) received a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, (ii) has experience or training in a subject or content area as the school board and division superintendent may deem appropriate for the applicable teaching position or endorsement area, and (iii) is not seeking to provide instruction in special education or eligible for collegiate professional or postgraduate professional licensure. The bill establishes several requirements, criteria, and conditions relating to a local eligibility license. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2030.</span></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB199" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB199" target="_blank">SB 199 (Diggs)/ HB 1345 (Anthony)</a> </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Requires the Board of Education, in collaboration with the Virginia Community College System, Career and Technical Education directors, and industry partners, to develop and maintain a current, comprehensive, and uniform list of industry-recognized workforce credentials that students may take as a substitute for certain units of credit required for graduation, including such credentials that are accepted as substitutes for electives credits and credentials completed outside of regular school hours. The bill requires each school board to accept as a substitute for a required credit any credential listed as an accepted substitute for such required credit. The bill also requires any College and Career Access Pathways Partnership entered into between a school board and a comprehensive community college to specify, consistent with the list, industry-recognized credentials that are accepted as substitutes for certain credits required for high school graduation. Finally, the bill requires the Board, in establishing graduation requirements, to permit any student to substitute elective credits for completion of any industry-approved workforce credential that is included on the list as an accepted substitute for such credits. This bill is identical to </span><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB1345" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">HB 1345.</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB220" target="_blank">SB 220 (Favola)/ HB 1089 (Coyner)</a> <span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">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) develop, establish, review and update as necessary at least once every five years, and make available to each local school board an IEP writing, facilitation, tracking, and transfer system to be referred to as the Virginia IEP that includes, at a minimum, an IEP template component and a data system component and (b) develop and publish a data dashboard for the annual public reporting of state-level, division-level, and school-level special education data; (ii) each local school board to designate a faculty member to serve as a special education parent/family liaison to be a resource to parents and families to understand and engage in the referral, evaluation, reevaluation, and eligibility process if they suspect that their child has a disability and in the IEP process; and (iii) the Parent Training and Information Center in the Commonwealth designated pursuant to relevant federal law to establish special education family support centers in eight distinct regions of the Commonwealth that shall each be staffed by a regional special education family liaison employed by such center, coordinate with the designated special education parent/family liaisons in the local school divisions in the region, develop and implement outreach and support to parents of children with disabilities in its region, and track and report to the State Parent Ombudsman for Special Education data on questions and concerns raised by parents. This bill is identical to </span><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB1089" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">HB 1089.</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB66" target="_blank">HB 66 (Campbell)</a> <span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Requires every public school to hold fire drills during the school session in accordance with the requirements of the Statewide Fire Prevention Code. Current law requires such fire drills to be conducted at least twice during the first 20 school days of each school session and at least twice more during the remainder of the school session.</span></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB69" target="_blank">HB 69 (Bulova)</a> </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Requires the local governing body or elected school board making an interim appointment to fill a vacancy in the membership of such body or board to hold a public meeting at least seven days prior to making such appointment. The bill specifies that at such meeting, the body or board shall announce the names of all persons being proposed for the interim appointment and shall make available for inspection each person's resume and any other materials required by the body or board.</span></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB253" target="_blank">HB 252 (Cole)</a> </span><b style="background-color: white;"> </b><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">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 to submit oral comments during any public comment portion of such meeting, subject to the same reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions imposed by such school board on the expression of any other citizen participant in such meetings.</span></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB269" target="_blank">HB 269 (McQuinn) </a></span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Requires the Board of Education to amend its relevant regulation to permit any career switcher who seeks a teaching endorsement preK through grade 12, including any career switcher who seeks a teaching endorsement in special education, to pursue a Provisional (Career Switcher) License through the career switcher alternate route to licensure program in accordance with all of the requirements set forth in such regulation, provided that the individual completes at least 60 percent of the endorsement requirements for special education general curriculum K-12 as part of Level I preparation and the remainder of such requirements as part of Level II and Level III preparation.</span></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB501" target="_blank">HB 501 (Cohen)</a> </span><span style="background-color: white;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB561" target="_blank">HB 561 (Askew)</a> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Requires the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety to include specific technology systems in the list of items to be reviewed and evaluated in required annual school safety audits.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB599" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB599" target="_blank">HB 599 (Simonds)</a> </span><span style="background-color: white;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB919" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB919" target="_blank">HB 919 (Srinivasan)</a> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Directs the Department of Education, 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 by such provider to public school students enrolled in the local school division. 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 who may not have access to mental health services otherwise by providing or expanding virtual mental health resources and establishing or expanding a partnership with (i) a public or private community mental health services provider that offers school-based teletherapy to students or (ii) a nationally recognized school-based telehealth provider that provides mental health teletherapy to students.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB937" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB937" target="_blank">HB 937 (Levere-Bolling)</a> </span><span style="background-color: white;">States that the intent of the General Assembly is that school boards encourage the implementation of innovative low-cost or no-cost alternatives to transporting students to and from school on school buses, including organizing or otherwise facilitating, encouraging, or supporting biking or walking school buses whereby groups of students ride bicycles or walk to and from school.</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-47995570562976733532024-03-09T13:40:00.004-05:002024-03-09T13:43:31.245-05:00Governor Youngkin Amends Senate Bill 225/House Bill 498<p><span style="font-family: arial;">On Friday evening, Governor Youngkin amended <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB225" target="_blank">Senate Bill 225</a> (Pekarsky)/ <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB498" target="_blank">House Bill 498</a> (Cohen) which when left the general assembly would have required <span style="background-color: white;">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.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">The Governor suggested the <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+amd+HB498AG" target="_blank">following recommendation</a> be considered by the general assembly to the legislation,</span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">1. After line 82, enrolled</span><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">insert</span></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">2. That the provisions of the first enactment of this act shall not become effective unless reenacted by the 2025 Session of the General Assembly.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="background-color: white;">3. The Department of Education shall (i) collaborate with relevant stakeholders to create a list of (a) parental rights, including the right to be notified of sexually explicit materials, to express disagreement with a school's or a school board's policies or decisions, and to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education, and care of the parent's child, and (b) parental responsibilities, including safeguarding their child against access to drugs, ensuring their child is protected from exploitation or abuse, maintaining their child's school attendance, participating in their child's school discipline proceedings, monitoring their child's behavioral and educational process, and, if applicable, paying child support; and (ii) develop an efficient method for distributing such list to parents at the beginning of each school year. The Department of Education shall submit a report on such list to the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by December 1, 2024.</span></span><ul style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 18px;"></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"></blockquote><p></p></ul></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-60265979901277819932024-03-09T13:34:00.006-05:002024-03-09T13:34:48.253-05:00Governor Vetoes Senate Bill 235<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB235" target="_blank">Senate Bill 235</a> (Hashmi) Friday evening. This legislation provided <span style="background-color: white;">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.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+amd+SB235AG" target="_blank">In issuing the veto</a>, Governor Youngkin provided the following explanation, </span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">"In accordance with Senate Bill 656 (2022), the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) released "Model Policies on Instructional Materials with Sexually Explicit Content." Developed through collaboration with educational leaders and parents, the model policy bolsters parental rights by granting parents more decision-making authority in their child's education. The model specifically states: “the Act shall not be construed to require or provide for the censoring of books in public elementary and secondary schools.” </span></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="background-color: white;">Despite the proponents’ claim that the current proposal codifies the enactment clause found in Chapter 100 of the 2022 Acts of Assembly, there are significant language differences that may cause confusion among school administrators, divisions, parents, and students. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="background-color: white;">Current law unequivocally affirms that the adoption of these model policies by a school board should not be interpreted as requiring or providing for the censorship of books in public elementary and secondary schools. Therefore, the bill is unnecessary.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="background-color: white;"> Accordingly, I veto this bill."</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-83813725658364044132024-03-09T12:18:00.006-05:002024-03-09T12:18:38.896-05:00Virginia General Assembly Day 60<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Today is Day 60, the final day of the 2024 session of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate and House are scheduled to convene at 2:00 p.m., to address the remaining pieces of legislation in conference committees and to vote on the 2024-2026 Biennial Budget. We will update the blog throughout the afternoon as legislation important to K-12 education is resolved.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-75883400820060309842024-03-08T11:12:00.004-05:002024-03-08T11:12:35.114-05:00Budget Writers Release Biennial Budget Conference Report<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Senate and House Budget Conferees released the conference report for House Bill 30 late Thursday afternoon. Important items for school board members with explanation can be found below. The budget items below is not a complete listing of items that deal with K-12 education. To review the entire list of K-12 and other budget items, <a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendments/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CR/" target="_blank">click here</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Senate and House will vote on the proposed 2024-2026 biennial budget on Saturday, March 9, 2024.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CR/117/2c/" target="_blank"> Item 117 #2c</a>- <span style="background-color: white;">This amendment provides for development of a plan to provide ongoing school-based mental health funding. This is a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CR/117/6c/" target="_blank">Item 117 #6c</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white;">This amendment (i) provides $6.9 million the first year and $4.9 million the second year to develop and maintain the Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System (VALLS), (ii) provides $3.4 million each year to continue support for literacy coaching, technical assistance and professional development as required by the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA), (iii) authorizes the Virginia Literacy Partnership to collect fees from publishers to offset costs to review reading curriculum materials for alignment with the VLA, (iv) redirects existing funding related to the implementation of the VLA to the University of Virginia's Literacy Partnership, and (v) delays the implementation of literacy screener for grades 4-8 and associated literacy plans for one year. The amendment also directs remaining federal pandemic relief balances from Learning Acceleration Grants be used to supplant general funds in the first year. This represents a net increase of $5.7 million in fiscal year 2025 and $3.7 million in fiscal year 2026 from the amounts proposed in the introduced budget for implementation of the VLA.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CR/118/1c/" target="_blank">Item 118 #1c</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white;">This amendment provides $2.2 million each year from the general fund to implement provisions of House Bill 1089 and Senate Bill 220 related to establishing eight regional special education family support centers, provision of professional development, and ongoing special education coaching. The amendment also directs remaining federal pandemic relief balances from Learning Acceleration Grants be used to supplant general funds in the first year.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CR/120/1c/" target="_blank">Item 120 #1c</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white;">This amendment restores $1.9 million from the general fund in each year to the Office of School Quality and establishes reporting requirements.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CR/123/2c/" target="_blank">Item 123 #2c</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white;">This amendment provides $140,000 from the general fund each year for one position in the proposed Office of Community Schools.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CR/123/3c/" target="_blank">Item 123 #3c</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white;">This amendment provides $300,000 from the general fund each year and up to two positions to support the Joint Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education Funding through increased staffing and contracted services.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CR/125/1c/" target="_blank">Item 125 #1c</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white;">This amendment redirects $1.7 million GF the first year and $1.6 million GF the second year from the general fund each year by maintaining a cap on supplemental basic aid payments. The introduced budget proposed eliminating this cap.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CR/125/2c/" target="_blank">Item 125 #2c</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white;">This amendment provides $186.7 million the first year and $184.6 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 At-Risk Add-On funding program, (ii) transition 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 1.25 plus one-quarter of English learner students, (iii) distributes an 11.0 percent add on to basic aid funding per at-risk student, and (iv) distributes a variable add on between 0 percent and 37 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 addresses in part recommendations 8, 9, and 10 from JLARC's 2023 report, "Virginia's K-12 Funding Formula.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CR/125/3c/" target="_blank">Item 125 #3c</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white;">This amendment provides $37.9 million the first year and $43.7 million the second year to implement staffing standards for English Learner students based on student proficiency level, in lieu of the current standard that provides one position per 50 identified EL students. Flexibility is provided during the first year to implement this new standard to only require one-half of the additional positions.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CR/125/5c/" target="_blank">Item 125 #5c</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white;">This amendment authorizes the Department of Education to offer $250.0 million in school construction loans from the Literary Fund over the biennium and directs the Board of Education to revise its schedule of interest rates to be fully responsive to market rates while providing reasonably discounted interest rates.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CR/125/9c/" target="_blank">Item 125 #9c</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white;">This amendment provides an additional $53.3 million the first year and $133.0 million the second year in additional sales tax distributions to school divisions resulting from the expansion of the sales tax base to include digital products and services. Sales tax distributions reduce the state's share of basic aid funding, resulting in a net increase of $23.7 million the first year and $59.2 million the second year.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CR/125/10c/" target="_blank">Item 125 #10c</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white;">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 $272.5 million the first year and $273.6 million in the second year. These payments reduce the state's share of basic aid by $151.1 million the first year and $151.7 million the second year.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CR/125/15c/" target="_blank">Item 125 #15c</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">This amendment provides $178.1 million the first year and $361.0 million the second year from the general fund to provide the state's share of two 3.0 percent salary increases provided on July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CR/275/2c/" target="_blank">Item 275 #2c</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white;">This amendment adds $100,000 from the Commonwealth Opioid and Abatement and Remediation fund the second year for the purchase and distribution of additional opioid reversal agents for public school divisions by the Virginia Department of Health. The funding will enable the Department of Health to distribute a supply of opioid antagonists in an amount equivalent to at least two unexpired 20 doses to every public elementary and secondary school in the Commonwealth for the 2025-2026 school year. This will assist School Boards in complying with the provisions set forth in House Bill 732.</span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-32555885119226680572024-02-23T11:08:00.004-05:002024-02-23T11:08:56.682-05:00Senate Education & Health Committee Meeting- 2/22/2024<p><span style="font-family: arial;">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, <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+doc+S0410222" target="_blank">click here</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB98" target="_blank">HB 98</a> (Green) <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></p><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A BILL to amend and reenact § <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-253.13:1" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-253.13:1</a>, 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.</span></i><div><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">The bill reported on a vote of 13-2.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB121" target="_blank">HB 121 </a>(Sullivan, Jr.) </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-274.2:1" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-274.2:1</a>, relating to grade nine and grade 10 health education Standards of Learning instruction; severe allergic reaction awareness training.</span></i><div><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported with substitute on a vote of 13-2.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB131" target="_blank">HB 131</a> (Convers Fowler) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB168" target="_blank">HB 168 </a>(Keys Gamarra) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A BILL to amend and reenact § <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-3" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-3</a> of the Code of Virginia, relating to Department of Education; resource document on supports and services for homeless students.</span></i><div><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">The bill reported on a vote of 14-1.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB224" target="_blank">HB 224</a> (Henson) Went by for the week.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB253" target="_blank">HB 253</a> (Cole) </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A BILL to amend and reenact § <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-79" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-79</a> of the Code of Virginia, relating to school boards; meetings; public comment or citizen participation; enrolled students.</span></i><div><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill was reported with amendment by a 15-0 vote.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB360" target="_blank">HB 360</a> (Simonds) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A BILL to amend and reenact § <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-23" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-23</a> of the Code of Virginia, relating to Superintendent of Public Instruction; duties; fixed and actual school staffing ratios.</span></i><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;">The bill reported and was referred to the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee on a vote of 15-0.</span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB501" target="_blank">HB 501</a> (Cohen) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-137.4" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-137.4</a>, relating to school building evacuation plans, policies, and protocols; students with mobility impairments.</i><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported on a vote of 15-0.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB599" target="_blank">HB 599</a> (Simonds) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A BILL to amend and reenact §§ <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-100" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-100</a> and <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-100.1" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-100.1</a> of the Code of Virginia, relating to school boards; unexpended local funds; capital reserve fund permitted.</span></i></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;">The bill reported on a vote of 15-0.</span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB603" target="_blank">HB 603</a> (Price) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">A BILL to amend and reenact § <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-207" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-207</a> of the Code of Virginia, relating to public schools; health instruction; certain topics relating to mental health.</i></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;">The bill reported on a vote of 11-4.</span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB659" target="_blank">HB 659</a> (Ballard) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-7.1:1" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-7.1:1</a>, relating to Board of Education; guidance on best practices for open school enrollment policies.</i><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill was Passed by Indefinitely on a 9-5 vote.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB777" target="_blank">HB 777</a> (Callsen) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">A BILL to amend and reenact §§ <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-3" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-3</a> and <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-3.4" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-3.4</a> of the Code of Virginia, relating to enrollment of and provision of free public education for certain students.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported on a vote of 15-0.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB919" target="_blank">HB 919</a> (Srinivasan) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A BILL to amend and reenact § <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-272.2" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-272.2</a> 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.</span></i><div><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported on a vote of 14-1.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB963" target="_blank">HB 963</a> (Earley) </span><b style="color: #333333;"> </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> This bill would not amend or reenact the Code of Virginia. The bill was Passed by Indefinitely on a vote of 12-3.</span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB1039" target="_blank">HB 1039</a> (Bennett-Parker) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span><i style="color: #333333;">Diabetes Management In School: Manual for Unlicensed Personnel</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span><i style="color: #333333;">Diabetes Management In School: Manual for Unlicensed Personnel</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A BILL to amend and reenact §§ <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-274.2" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-274.2</a> and <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/54.1-3408" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">54.1-3408</a> of the Code of Virginia, relating to public elementary and secondary schools; possession and administration of undesignated glucagon; school board policies; donations.</span></i><div><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported on a vote of 15-0.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB1473" target="_blank">HB 1473</a> (Clark) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-206.01" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-206.01</a>, relating to Department of Education; development and distribution of fentanyl education and awareness informational one-sheet; requirements.</span></i><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported on a vote of 15-0.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To view a copy of the full committee agenda, <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+doc+S0410222" target="_blank">click here</a>. To view a recorded live-stream of the committee meeting, <a href="https://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br /></span></span><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><i><br /></i></span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-83025481178838460012024-02-22T12:06:00.002-05:002024-02-22T12:06:49.257-05:00Senate Bill 14 Reports from House Finance Committee<p><span style="font-family: arial;">The House Finance Committee reported <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=241&typ=bil&val=sb14" target="_blank">Senate Bill 14</a> (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 a<span style="background-color: white;">uthorizes 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.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">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.</span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-62819893300784105102024-02-21T10:57:00.004-05:002024-02-21T11:00:26.178-05:00House Bill 805 Reports to Senate Floor<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=241&typ=bil&val=hb805" target="_blank">House Bill 805</a> which is sponsored by Delegate Sam Rasoul cleared the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee this morning on a vote of 11-7. This legislation a<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">uthorizes 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.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">The Senate companion, <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=241&typ=bil&val=sb14" target="_blank">Senate Bill 14</a>, sponsored by Senator Jeremy McPike will be heard this afternoon in the <a href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/agendas/agendaItem.php?id=4449&ses=241" target="_blank">House Finance Committee</a> 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.</span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-20370272212003031282024-02-21T10:48:00.000-05:002024-02-21T10:48:25.889-05:00House Education Committee Meeting- 2/21/24<p><span style="font-family: arial;">The <a href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/agendas/agendaItem.php?id=4489&ses=241" target="_blank">House Education Committee </a>met Wednesday, February 21, 2024, and considered the following pieces of legislation related to K-12 Education. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB105" target="_blank">SB 105</a> (Lucas) <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported with a substitute 19-0.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB220" target="_blank">SB 220</a> (Favola) <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported with a substitute 19-0.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB225" target="_blank">SB 225</a> (Pekarsky) </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported with a substitute 14-6.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB314" target="_blank">SB 314</a> (Roem) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported with a substitute 19-1.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB352" target="_blank">SB 352</a> (Peake) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported with a substitute 19-0.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB435" target="_blank">SB 435</a> (Suetterlein) <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported 20-0.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB441" target="_blank">SB 441</a> (Durant) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported with a substitute 20-0.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB498" target="_blank">SB 498 </a>(Carroll Foy) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported with a substitute 19-0.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB608" target="_blank">SB 608</a> (Aird) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported with a substitute 13-7.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To review the entire committee docket for the February 21, 2024 meeting, <a href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/agendas/agendaItem.php?id=4489&ses=241" target="_blank">click here</a>. To view a recording of the February 21, 2024 meeting, <a href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/committees/commstream.html" target="_blank">click here</a>.</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-5247789230406642972024-02-20T14:53:00.002-05:002024-02-20T14:53:04.145-05:00Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee Releases Approved Budget Amendments<span style="font-family: arial;">The Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee have released committee approved budget amendments for <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB30" target="_blank">Senate Bill 30</a> (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, <a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendments/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/" target="_blank">click here</a>.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/1/3s/" target="_blank">Item 1 #3s</a>- <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">This amendment provides $22,048 each year from the general fund for the costs of the Commission on Artificial Intelligence.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/1/6s/" target="_blank">Item 1 #6s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/22/1s/" target="_blank">Item 22 #1s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/116/1s/" target="_blank">Item 116 #1s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">This amendment updates language included in the introduced budget related to a stakeholder work group on teacher compensation.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/117/1s/" target="_blank">Item 117 #1s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">This amendment redirects $7.2 million GF each year mental health and telehealth services in the introduced budget to other education initiatives.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/117/3s/" target="_blank">Item 117 #3s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/117/5s/" target="_blank">Item 117 #5s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/125/1s/" target="_blank">Item 125 #1s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/125/2s/" target="_blank">Item 125 #2s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/125/3s/" target="_blank">Item 125 #3s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/125/4s/" target="_blank">Item 125 #4s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/125/5s/" target="_blank">Item 125 #5s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/125/6s/" target="_blank">Item 125 #6s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">This amendment provides $67.5 million GF the first year and $102.3 million GF the second year in additional revenue sources.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/125/15s/" target="_blank">Item 125 #15s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/125/18s/" target="_blank">Item 125 #18s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/125/22s/" target="_blank">Item 125 #22s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">This amendment authorizes the Department of Education to offer school construction loans from the Literary Fund.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/3-1.01/1s/" target="_blank">Item 3-1.01 #1s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/SB30/Introduced/CA/3-5.03/1s/" target="_blank">Item 3-5.03 #1s</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">This amendment increases the K-12 sales tax transfer for appropriation in Direct Aid from the sale tax base expansion in Part 4.</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-64977219559040087892024-02-20T13:50:00.001-05:002024-02-20T14:53:13.996-05:00House Budget Amendments Released<p><span style="font-family: arial;">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, <a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendments/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CA/" target="_blank">click here</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CA/1/8h/" target="_blank">Item 1 #8h</a>- <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">This amendment redirects existing appropriation to the Joint Committee to Study Fair School Funding Reform established by House Joint Resolution 67.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CA/117/5h/" target="_blank">Item 117 #5h</a>- <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CA/117/7h/" target="_blank">Item 117 #7h</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">This amendment provides $200,000 from the general fund in the first year to develop educational resources as required by House Bill 134.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CA/117/9h/" target="_blank">Item 117 #9h</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CA/120/1h/" target="_blank">Item 120 #1h</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CA/124/2h/" target="_blank">Item 124 #2h</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;">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.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CA/124/10h/" target="_blank">Item 124 #10h</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CA/125/1h/" target="_blank">Item 125 #1h</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CA/125/10h/" target="_blank">Item 125 #10h</a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;">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.</span></span></p><p class="hstextf" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">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.</span></p><p class="hstextf" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CA/125/12h/" target="_blank">Item 125 #12h</a>- <span style="text-align: left;">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."</span></span></p><p class="hstextf" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CA/125/13h/" target="_blank">Item 125 #13h</a>- </span><span style="text-align: left;">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.</span></span></p><p class="hstextf" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CA/472/1h/" target="_blank">Item 472 #1h</a>- </span>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.</span></p><p class="hstextf" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CA/4-8.01/1h/" target="_blank">Item 4-8.01 #1h</a>- 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.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-5756602142896719472024-02-18T09:35:00.006-05:002024-02-18T09:35:56.459-05:00Budget Sunday Streaming Links<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Today is the day, Budget Sunday! Watch the House Appropriations Committee unveil their budget at 1p today, </span><a class="x1fey0fg xmper1u x1edh9d7" href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/committees/commstream.html"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/committees/commstream.html</span></a><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"> and the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee at 4p today, </span><a class="x1fey0fg xmper1u x1edh9d7" href="https://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3</span></a>.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-74036238994819539142024-02-17T15:15:00.002-05:002024-02-17T15:15:43.210-05:00Senate Finance and Appropriations to Meet at 4:00 p.m.<p>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, <a href="https://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3" target="_blank">click here</a>. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-62431782002028252912024-02-15T11:08:00.002-05:002024-02-15T11:17:12.298-05:00Senate Education & Health Committee- 2/15/24<p><span style="font-family: arial;">The<a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+doc+S0410215" target="_blank"> Senate Education and Health Committee</a> 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.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB355" target="_blank">HB 355</a> (Cole) <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-296.5" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-296.5</a>, relating to school boards; teachers; terms of employment; employment verification; requirement.</span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">The committee conformed the bill to SB 441 (Durant) by voice vote. The bill reported with substitute by a vote of 15-0.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB462" target="_blank">HB 462</a> (Runion) </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A BILL to amend and reenact §§ <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-175.1" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-175.1</a> and <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-175.4" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-175.4</a> of the Code of Virginia, relating to Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program and Fund; career and technical education programs eligible.</span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">The committee conformed the bill toe SB 474 (Obenshain) by voice vote. The bill reported with a substitute by a vote of 15-0.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB498" target="_blank">HB 498</a> (Cohen) </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A BILL to amend and reenact § <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-79.3" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-79.3</a> of the Code of Virginia, relating to school board policies; parental notification; safe storage of firearms in the household.</span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">The committee reported the bill on a vote of 9-6.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB647" target="_blank">HB 647</a> (Coyner) </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Clarifies several provisions of the Virginia Literacy Act (the Act), enacted during the 2022 Regular Session of the General Assembly and effective with the</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span><a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/2024-2025" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">2024-2025</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A BILL to amend and reenact §§ <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-1" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-1</a>, <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-253.13:1" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-253.13:1</a>, and <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-253.13:6" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-253.13:6</a>, as they shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia, relating to public education; student literacy measures.</span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The committee reported the bill on a vote of 13-0.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB1076" target="_blank">HB 1076</a> (Rasoul) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Requires the Board of Education to permit school boards to administer, during the </span><a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/2024-2025" style="background-color: white; color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">2024-2025</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> 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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill was conformed to SB 435 (Suetterlein). The bill reported with a substitute on a vote of 14-1.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB1317" target="_blank">HB 1317</a> (Cole) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A BILL to amend and reenact §§ <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/16.1-305.1" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">16.1-305.1</a> and <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-289" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-289</a> 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.</span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">The bill reported on a vote of 13-0.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB1504" target="_blank">HB 1504</a> (Seibold) </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered <a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-272.1:1" style="color: #355184; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;">22.1-272.1:1</a>, relating to Board of Education; guidelines on school-connected overdose policies; response and parental notification.</span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill was conformed to SB 498 (Carroll Foy). The bill reported with a substitute 15-0.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To review all bills on the committee's docket, <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+doc+S0410215" target="_blank">click here</a>. To view an archived recording of the February 15, 2024, meeting of the committee, <a href="https://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3" target="_blank">click here</a>. To review House bills conformed to Senate bills, <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+men+BIL" target="_blank">click here</a> 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.</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-78840423840167680462024-02-14T13:10:00.000-05:002024-02-14T13:10:11.357-05:00Grow Your Own Grants Announced by VDOE<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.doe.virginia.gov/Home/Components/News/News/350/227" target="_blank">Click here</a>, to view the entire announcement from the Virginia Department of Education.</span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-11601675299432261302024-02-14T12:56:00.001-05:002024-02-14T12:56:23.101-05:00House and Senate Budget Writers to Unveil Chamber Spending Plans<p><span style="font-family: arial;">On Sunday, February 18, 2024, the <a href="https://hac.virginia.gov/" target="_blank">House Appropriations Committee</a> and the <a href="https://sfac.virginia.gov/index.shtml" target="_blank">Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee</a> 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. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">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.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">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, <a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendments/2024/1/" target="_blank">click here</a>. To view Governor Youngkin's proposed 2024-2026 budget, <a href="https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/bill/2024/1/" target="_blank">click here</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">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. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/agendas/agendaItem.php?id=4420" target="_blank"><b>Agenda</b></a>- February 18, 2024 Meeting- House Appropriations Committee Meeting</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/chamber/chamberstream.php" target="_blank"><b>Live Stream</b></a> to the February 18, 2024 Meeting- House Appropriations Committee Meeting</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Agenda (TBD)- February 18, 2024 Meeting- Senate Finance Appropriations Committee Meeting</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3" target="_blank"><b>Live Stream</b></a> to the February 18, 2024 Meeting- Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee Meeting</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-66703040548680623532024-02-14T12:35:00.002-05:002024-02-14T12:35:40.316-05:00House Education Committee Meeting- 2/14/24<span style="font-family: arial;">The House Education Committee meeting <a href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/agendas/agendaItem.php?id=4408&ses=241" target="_blank">met briefly this morning</a> 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.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB235" target="_blank">SB 235</a> (Hashmi) <span style="background-color: white;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">The bill reported from committee 12-9.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB379" target="_blank">SB 379</a> (Boysko) </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported from committee 12-9.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB443" target="_blank">SB 443</a> (Durant) </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported from committee 21-0.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB624" target="_blank">SB 624</a> (Lucas) </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">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.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The bill reported from committee 20-1.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To review the entire committee agenda, <a href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/agendas/agendaItem.php?id=4408&ses=241" target="_blank">click here</a>. To view a recording of the committee's proceedings, <a href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/committees/commstream.html" target="_blank">click here</a>.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-67751934319157574062024-01-31T16:03:00.000-05:002024-01-31T16:03:03.859-05:00House Education Committee- January 31, 2024<p><span style="font-family: arial;">The House Education Committee met on <a href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/agendas/agendaItem.php?id=4262&ses=241" target="_blank">Wednesday, January 31, 2024</a>, to address previous action taken on legislation by the House K-12 Subcommittee. Throughout the legislative session, the full committee must act on recommendations of the three subcommittee's that hear public comment and debate each bill assigned to its docket. Legislation of interest on today's docket included:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB599" target="_blank">HB 599</a> (Simonds) <span style="background-color: white;">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. The committee reported the bill on a vote of 21-0.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB936" target="_blank">HB 936</a> (LeVere Bolling) </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Establishes several enumerated requirements for school boards to ensure indoor air quality in each public school building in the local school division, including (i) identifying a designated individual to oversee the establishment of and adherence to a preventive maintenance schedule for the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in each such building and the implementation of the use of general or local exhaust ventilation in areas of each such building where housekeeping and maintenance activities involve the use of equipment or products that could reasonably be expected to result in hazardous chemical or particulate exposures, among other things; (ii) controlling microbial and fungal contamination in each such building by promptly repairing water intrusion that can promote microbial or fungal growth; (iii) ensuring indoor air quality during renovation and remodeling or new construction in various ways; and (iv) keeping school building system maintenance records. The bill also requires the Department of Education to establish and administer a school board employee complaint and resolution process relating to indoor air quality in public school buildings. The committee reported the bill with a substitute and referred to the House Appropriations Committee by a vote of 21-0.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB1089" target="_blank">HB 1089</a> (Coyner) </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Makes several changes relating to special education and related services for children with disabilities in public elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth, including (i) establishing a definition for "individualized education program" or "IEP"; (ii) requiring, after a child with a disability graduates from, ages out of, or otherwise leaves any public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth, such school to retain the special education records of such child for at least 75 years; (iii) requiring each local school board to (a) provide high-quality professional development in instructional practices to support specially designed instruction in inclusive settings, as that term is defined in the bill, for certain teachers and administrators employed in the local school division and (b) employ at least one full-time equivalent special education parent engagement specialist to serve as a resource to parents to understand and engage in the referral, evaluation, and eligibility process if they suspect that their child has a disability and to understand and engage in the IEP process; (iv) requiring the Department of Education, among other things, to (a) establish eight regional special education parent support centers that are each staffed by a regional special education parent ombudsman and coordinate with such division special education parent engagement specialists employed by each local school board; (b) elevate the position of State Parent Ombudsman for Special Education to perform certain functions, including systematically tracking and reporting questions and concerns raised by parents to the Superintendent of Public Instruction and coordinating the activities of such regional special education parent support centers; and (c) develop, establish, review and update as necessary at least once every five years, make available to each local school board an IEP writing, facilitation, tracking, and transfer system to be referred to as the Virginia IEP; and (v) requiring each education preparation program offered by a public institution of higher education 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 to include a program of coursework and require all such students to demonstrate mastery in instructional practices to support specially designed instruction in inclusive settings. The bill reported with a substitute and was referred to the House Appropriations Committee on a vote of 21-0.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To review the entire docket of the House Education Committee's January 31, 2024, meeting, <a href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/agendas/agendaItem.php?id=4262&ses=241" target="_blank">click here</a>. To view the livestream recording of the House Education Committee's January 31, 2024 meeting, <a href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/committees/commstream.html" target="_blank">click here</a>.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-89185058723776840572024-01-26T14:15:00.001-05:002024-01-26T14:15:50.607-05:00Legislation Aimed at School Board Sovereign Immunity Fails<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;">On Wednesday, the House Courts Civil Law Subcommittee heard legislation that if passed, would have repealed a school board's sovereign immunity. HB 347 patroned by Delegate Chad Green (R- York), would have permitted any school board employee who suffers bodily injury in the course of his employment on school board property after notifying the appropriate school principal, division superintendent, or school board that a working condition or situation was reasonably likely to lead to such bodily injury to bring a civil cause of action in a court of competent jurisdiction for appropriate relief, including damages, against</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span> school board for any negligence, gross negligence, recklessness, willful and wanton
conduct, vicarious liability, or any applicable combination thereof for any act or
omission that was a proximate cause of such bodily injury.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">After discussion of the legislation by the subcommittee, the bill was Continued until the 2025 session of the Virginia General Assembly.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-47388610760614740852024-01-26T14:06:00.003-05:002024-01-26T14:06:27.896-05:00Legislation to Expand FOIA Definition Fails<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Legislation that would have expanded the number of entities covered under the Commonwealth's Freedom of Information Act was stricken from the docket by request of the patron this past Tuesday during a hearing of the House General Laws Subcommittee. The legislation patroned by Delegate Nick Freitas (R-Culpeper) sought to add <span style="background-color: white;">to the definition of "public body" any organization, corporation, or agency that received more than 50 percent of its annual revenue, within any of the three preceding years, from public funds.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">By a vote of 7-0, the committee concurred with the patron's request thus killing the legislation for the 2024 legislative session.</span></span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-75256392130594145972024-01-24T10:01:00.002-05:002024-01-24T10:01:34.054-05:00Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee Advances School Construction Legislation<p><span style="font-family: arial;">On Tuesday, January 23, 2024, the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee advanced <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=241&typ=bil&val=sb14" target="_blank">SB (14)</a> which would a<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">uthorize 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 legislation, sponsored by Senator Jeremy McPike (D- Prince William), reported from the committee by a vote of 10-4.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">The local option for a 1% sales tax for school construction approved by voter referendum, is one of VSBA's biggest legislative priorities for the 2024 session. Please contact <a href="https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/" target="_blank">your Senator</a> and urge them to support SB 14!</span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-37024201489319231472024-01-16T10:49:00.002-05:002024-01-16T10:49:55.676-05:00House Appropriations Committee Meeting/ Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee Meeting- 1/15/24<span style="font-family: arial;">The House Appropriations Committee met on <a href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/agendas/agendaItem.php?id=4071" target="_blank">Monday, January 15, 2024</a>, to receive the<a href="https://ihodvirginiageneralassembly.s3.amazonaws.com/agenda_block_docs/attaches/000/000/927/original/I_-_December_Revenue_Report_Draft_FINAL.pdf?1705343256" target="_blank"> latest report on Commonwealth revenues</a> from Secretary of Finance, Stephen E. Cummings, and a <a href="https://ihodvirginiageneralassembly.s3.amazonaws.com/agenda_block_docs/attaches/000/000/928/original/II_-_House_Introduced_Budget_Briefing_1-15-24.pdf?1705343256" target="_blank">budget overview presentation </a>from committee staff. To view a recording of the committee's proceedings, <a href="https://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00304/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2?fk=16053&viewMode=2" target="_blank">click here</a>.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Following adjournment of the full appropriations committee, the House Appropriations <a href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/agendas/agendaItem.php?id=4073" target="_blank">Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee</a> convened to hear a detailed overview of Governor Youngkin's K-12 budget proposal. The subcommittee is chaired by Delegate Sam Rasoul (Roanoke City). </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">To review the K-12 Budget Proposal Overview provided by committee staff member, Zachary Robbins, <a href="https://hac.virginia.gov/subcommittee/2024_Elementary%20_and_Secondary_Ed/1-15-24/K12%20Sub%20for%20Jan%2015.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a>. To view a recording of the subcommittee meeting, <a href="https://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00304/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2?fk=16022&viewMode=2" target="_blank">click here</a>.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8893564871355808930.post-55648681939850621872024-01-16T10:20:00.001-05:002024-01-16T10:20:59.123-05:00House Education Committee- 1/15/24<p><span style="font-family: arial;">The House Education Committee met on <a href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/agendas/agendaItem.php?id=4065" target="_blank">Monday, January 15, 2024</a>, and heard presentations on Virginia's methods of school funding including an overview of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) report from this past summer. To view a recording of the committee meeting, <a href="https://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00304/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2?fk=15763&viewMode=2" target="_blank">click here</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The next meeting of the House Education Committee is scheduled for <a href="https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/agendas/agendaItem.php?id=4092" target="_blank">Wednesday, January 17, 2024</a>.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com