HB 1504 (Cline) - This bill would require enrollment in the Virtual Virginia online learning program during the school year to be open, on a space-available basis and free of charge, to each public high school student in the Commonwealth and each high school student in the Commonwealth who receives home instruction. VSBA opposes the bill. The subcommittee recommended to report the bill unanimously (8-0).
HB 319 (Bourne) - This bill would permit any local school board to offer any slots in its Virginia Preschool Initiative program that remain unfilled by at-risk students after initial enrollment to students who reside in the school division and meet the age requirements but do not qualify as at-risk and to charge a fee for such enrollment. VSBA supports the bill. The subcommittee voted to lay the bill on the table (6-2).
HB 350 (Reid) – This bill would require each local school board that does not offer a universal full-day kindergarten (FDK) program for each kindergarten student in the school division to develop and implement a plan to fund and phase in a universal FDK program for each kindergarten student in the school division and submit the plan to the General Assembly in advance of the 2019 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The subcommittee voted to lay the bill on the table (5-3).
HB 831 (Bagby) – This bill would require the Virtual Virginia program, established by the Department of Education, to be made available to all public middle and high schools. The bill provides that such program may be made available to all public elementary schools. Under current law, Virtual Virginia is required to be made available to public high schools only. The bill would also replaces the term "statewide electronic classroom" with "online learning program" to more accurately reflect the Virtual Virginia program. VSBA supports the bill. The subcommittee voted to lay the bill on the table (5-3).
HB 1119 (VanValkenburg) – This bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop and make available annually to each public elementary and secondary school teacher in the Commonwealth a voluntary and anonymous school climate survey to evaluate school-level teaching conditions and the impact such conditions have on teacher retention and student achievement. The bill would require such survey to include questions regarding school leadership, teacher leadership, teacher autonomy, demands on teachers' time, student conduct management, professional development, instructional practices and support, new teacher support, community engagement and support, and facilities and other resources.The subcommittee voted to lay the bill on the table (5-3).
HB 1502 (Miyares) – This bill would establish the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Testing Grant Fund and Program, to be administered by the Department of Education, for the purpose of awarding grants to local school boards to be used to cover half of the fee required to participate in any Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test for any high school student in the local school division who receives free or reduced price lunch. The bill would require the Department of Education to establish guidelines and procedures for application for and disbursement of such grants. The bill would require local school boards to use such grant funds to supplement, not supplant, any other federal, state, local, or private funds made available to cover such testing fees for high school students who receive free or reduced price lunch. The subcommittee voted unanimously to lay on the table (8-0).
HB 380 (Krizek) – This bill would establish the Grow Your Own Teacher Program Fund and permits the Department of Education to award grants from such fund to local school boards to establish Grow Your Own Teacher Programs whereby the local school board provides scholarships not to exceed $7,500 per academic year for attendance at a baccalaureate institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to any individual who (i) graduated from a public high school in the local school division; (ii) was eligible for free or reduced price lunch throughout the individual's attendance at a public high school in the local school division; and (iii) commits to teach, within three years of graduating from the baccalaureate institution of higher education in the Commonwealth and for a period of at least four years, in the school division at a public high school at which at least 50 percent of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch. The bill would provide that in the event that any program scholarship recipient fails or refuses to comply with such teaching obligation, the sum of all scholarship funds received by such individual shall be converted to a loan that is subject to repayment with interest. VSBA supports the bill. This bill was struck at the request of the patron (8-0).
HB 740 (McGuire) – This bill would require the Department of Education to establish and appoint members to a task force for the purpose of establishing a program and standards for the designation of any public middle school or high school in the Commonwealth as a cyber center of excellence, among other provisions. The subcommittee voted to lay the bill on the table (8-0).
HB 1346 (Thomas) – This bill would expand eligibility for services under the Children's Services Act to students who transfer from an approved private school special education program to a public school special education program established and funded jointly by a local governing body and school division located within Planning District 16 for the purpose of providing special education and related services when (i) the public school special education program is able to provide services comparable to those of an approved private school special education program and (ii) the student would require placement in an approved private school special education program but for the availability of the public school special education program. The subcommittee voted to lay the bill on the table (8-0).
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