The Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee met on September 2, 2020 to discuss the following legislation of interest to school boards in the Commonwealth. Once the meeting is posted in the Senate archives, it can be viewed by clicking here.
SB 5004 (Kiggans) School personnel; school nurses. Excludes school nurse positions from requirements for student support positions and instead requires each local school board to employ at least one full-time equivalent school nurse position in each elementary school, middle school, and high school in the local school division. It was the preference of the committee to Pass By Indefinitely this legislation by a vote of 14-1.
SB 5069 (Ruff) Public schools; declared state of emergency; average daily membership. Provides that in the event that a declared state of emergency causes a disruption in the provision of in-person instruction for students that affects the calculation of average daily membership in a local school division as of March 31 in any school year, such membership shall consist of the greater of the average daily membership as of March 31 in the affected school year and the average daily membership as of March 31 in the immediately preceding school year. It was the preference of the committee to Pass By Indefinitely this legislation by a vote of 8-6.
SB 5094 (Dunnavant) School boards; teachers; paid leave; COVID-19; emergency. Requires each school board to provide to each teacher in the local school division up to 14 days of paid leave, in addition to any other paid leave to which such individual is otherwise entitled, that may be used in the event that the teacher (i) has been exposed to the COVID-19 virus and is required to self-quarantine, (ii) contracts COVID-19, or (iii) is required to provide care for a family member who contracts COVID-19. The bill contains an emergency clause. It was the preference of the committee to Pass By Indefinitely this legislation by a vote of 14-0.
