This morning
the House Education Committee held one of its final meetings of the 2015
session. The members took action on the last batch of K-12 education bills
which will now go to the House floor for a vote. Below is a summary of actions
taken at today’s committee meeting.
SB727
(Black) requires the Board of Education, in
consultation with the SOL Innovation Committee to redesign the School
Performance Report Card by July 1, 2016 so that it is more effective in
communicating to parents and the public the status and achievements of the
public schools and local school divisions in the Commonwealth. The bill also
repeals the A-F school grading system created in the 2013 Session and
amended in the 2014 Session. VSBA worked extensively with Senator Black
and Delegate Greason on the substitute bill language that fully repeals the A-F
school grading system and works with the Board of Education on a redesign of
the School Performance Report Card. SB727 was reported with the substitute on a
21-1 vote.
SB821
(Miller) repeals the Opportunity Educational Institution. The bill reported on
a 21-1 vote.
SB982
(Garrett) allows local school divisions to waive the requirements for students
to receive 140 clock hours of instruction to earn a standard unit of credit
upon providing satisfactory proof to the Board of Education. The bill reported
on a 19-3 vote.
SB1105
(Miller) establishes the School Health Advisory Board to advise the General
Assembly on health policy that affects elementary and secondary schools and
students. This bill was reported and referred to the Appropriations Committee
on a 17-5 vote.
SB1286
(McDougle) was reported unanimously from the committee. The bill requires
each local school division to publish the annual school budget in line item
form on its website. Current law does not require the published budget to be in
line item form.
SB1383
(Black) prohibits a division superintendent or local school board from
disclosing to the Department of Education or any other person or entity outside
of the local school division information provided by a student or parent for
the purpose of notifying the superintendent that the student will be receiving
home instruction or for claiming a religious exemption from school attendance.
The bill was reported unanimously from the committee.
Check back tomorrow for updates from the Senate Education and Health Committee where they will take action on 30 education-related bills.
