Virginia Law

Article 1. Programs and Courses of Instruction Generally.

A. The kindergarten program in each school division shall include a program suitable for children who will reach their fifth birthday on or before September 30 of the school year. The school board's plan for such program shall be furnished to the Board of Education and shall include the following:

1. A statement of purpose and objectives of the kindergarten program that reflects consideration of the different readiness and maturity levels of children in the program;

2. A description of the organization, scheduling and staffing of the program that reflects a responsiveness to the needs of the children of the age span to be served in the program;

3. Evidence that the program plan was developed by a committee that included early childhood specialists, parents, teachers and administrators;

4. Scheduling and an agenda of in-service activities for kindergarten teachers to ensure adequate preparation for the program;

5. A plan for the interface of the kindergarten program with the primary program to allow for continuous progress.

B. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall disseminate to the school divisions information concerning the ages when children are required or eligible to attend school. Each school division shall disseminate such information to parents of such children of such ages upon or prior to enrollment of such children in the public schools of the division.

C. The age requirements set forth in subsection A of this section shall not affect the operation of any two-tiered, junior or other developmentally appropriate pre-kindergarten program or transitional first grade. In those school divisions implementing such programs, children whose fifth birthday occurs between October 1 and December 31 of the school year may be enrolled in kindergarten after an appropriate readiness evaluation has demonstrated that attendance in these programs will educationally benefit such children.

Code 1950, § 22-218.1:1; 1978, c. 518; 1980, cc. 559, 570; 1985, c. 407; 1990, c. 792; 1991, c. 138.

A. The General Assembly finds that Virginia educational research supports the conclusion that poor children are more at risk of educational failure than children from more affluent homes and that reduced pupil/teacher ratios and class sizes result in improved academic performance among young children; to this end, the General Assembly establishes a long-term goal of reducing pupil/teacher ratios and class sizes for grades K through three in those schools in the Commonwealth with high or moderate concentrations of at-risk students.

With such funds as are provided in the appropriation act for this purpose, there is hereby established the statewide voluntary pupil/teacher ratio and class size reduction program for the purpose of reaching the long-term goal of statewide voluntary pupil/teacher ratio and class size reductions for grades K through three in schools with high or moderate concentrations of at-risk students, consistent with the provisions provided in the appropriation act.

In order to facilitate these primary grade ratio and class size reductions, the Department shall calculate the state funding of these voluntary ratio and class size reductions based on the incremental cost of providing the lower class sizes according to the greater of the division average per-pupil cost of all divisions or the actual division per-pupil cost. Localities shall provide matching funds for these voluntary ratio and class size reductions based on the composite index of local ability to pay. School divisions shall notify the Department of their intention to implement the reduced ratios and class sizes in one or more of their qualifying schools by August 1 of each year. By March 31 of each year, school divisions shall forward data substantiating that each participating school has a complying pupil/teacher ratio.

In developing each proposed biennium budget for public education, the Board shall include funding for these ratios and class sizes. These ratios and class sizes shall be included in the annual budget for public education.

B. The General Assembly finds that educational technology is one of the most important components, along with highly skilled teachers, in ensuring the delivery of quality public school education throughout the Commonwealth. Therefore, the Board shall strive to incorporate technological studies within the teaching of all disciplines. Further, the General Assembly notes that educational technology can only be successful if teachers and administrators are provided adequate training and assistance. To this end, the following program is established.

With such funds as are appropriated for this purpose, the Board shall award to the several school divisions grants for expanded access to educational technology. Funding for educational technology training for instructional personnel shall be provided as set forth in the appropriation act.

Funds for improving the quality and capacity of educational technology shall also be provided as set forth in the appropriation act, including (i) funds for providing a technology resource assistant to serve every elementary school in this Commonwealth and (ii) funds to maintain the currency of career and technical education programs. Any local school board accepting funds to hire technology resource assistants or maintain currency of career and technical education programs shall commit to providing the required matching funds, based on the composite index of local ability to pay.

Each qualifying school board shall establish an individualized technology plan, which shall be approved by the Superintendent, for integrating technology into the classroom and into schoolwide instructional programs, including career and technical education programs. The first priority for funding shall be consistent with those components of the Board's revised six-year technology plan that focus on (i) retrofitting and upgrading existing school buildings to efficiently use educational technology; (ii) providing (a) one network-ready multimedia microcomputer for each classroom, (b) a five-to-one ratio of pupils to network-ready microcomputers, (c) graphing calculators and relevant scientific probes/sensors as required by the Standards of Learning, and (d) training and professional development on available technologies and software to all levels and positions, including professional development for personnel delivering career and technical education at all levels and positions; and (iii) assisting school divisions in developing integrated voice-, video-, and data-connectivity to local, national and international resources.

This funding may be used to implement a local school division's long-range technology plan, at the discretion of the relevant school board, if the local plan meets or exceeds the goals and standards of the Board's revised six-year technology plan and has been approved by the Superintendent.

The Department of Education, the Department of General Services, and the Virginia Information Technologies Agency shall coordinate master contracts for the purchase by local school boards of the aforementioned educational technologies and reference materials.

A technology replacement program shall be, with such funds as may be appropriated for this purpose, implemented to replace obsolete educational hardware and software. As provided in subsection D of § 22.1-129, school boards may donate obsolete educational technology hardware and software that are being replaced. Any such donations shall be offered to other school divisions and to preschool programs in the Commonwealth or to public school students as provided in guidelines to be promulgated by the Board. Such guidelines shall include criteria for determining student eligibility and need, a reporting system for the compilation of information concerning the number and socioeconomic characteristics of recipient students, and notification of parents of the availability of such donations of obsolete educational hardware and software.

C. The General Assembly finds that local autonomy in making decisions on local educational needs and priorities results in effective grassroots efforts to improve education in the Commonwealth's public schools only when coupled with sufficient state funding; to this end, the following block grant program is hereby established. With such funds as are provided in the appropriation act, the Department shall distribute block grants to localities to enable compliance with the Commonwealth's requirements for school divisions in effect on January 1, 1995. Therefore, for the purpose of such compliance, the block grant herein established shall consist of a sum equal to the amount appropriated in the appropriation act for the covered programs, including the at-risk add-on program; dropout prevention, specifically Project YES; Project Discovery; English as a second language programs, including programs for overage, nonschooled students; Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID); the Homework Assistance Program; programs initiated under the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program, except that such funds shall not be used to pay any expenses of participating students at institutions of higher education; and school/community health centers. Each school board may use any funds received through the block grant to implement the covered programs and other programs designed to save the Commonwealth's children from educational failure.

D. In order to reduce pupil/teacher ratios and class sizes in elementary schools, from such funds as may be appropriated for this purpose, each school board may employ additional classroom teachers, remedial teachers, and reading specialists for each of its elementary schools over the requirements of the Standards of Quality. State and local funding for such additional classroom teachers, remedial teachers, and reading specialists shall be apportioned as provided in the appropriation act.

E. Pursuant to a turnaround specialist program administered by the Department, local school boards may enter into agreements with individuals to be employed as turnaround specialists to address those conditions at the school that may impede educational progress and effectiveness and academic success. Local school boards may offer such turnaround specialists or other administrative personnel incentives such as increased compensation, improved retirement benefits in accordance with Chapter 6.2 (§ 51.1-617 et seq.) of Title 51.1, increased deferred compensation in accordance with § 51.1-603, relocation expenses, bonuses, and other incentives as may be determined by the board.

F. The General Assembly finds that certain schools have particular difficulty hiring teachers for certain subject areas and that the need for such teachers in these schools is particularly strong. Accordingly in an effort to attract and retain high quality teachers, local school boards may offer instructional personnel serving in such schools as a member of a middle school teacher corps administered by the Department incentives such as increased compensation, improved retirement benefits in accordance with Chapter 6.2 (§ 51.1-617 et seq.) of Title 51.1, increased deferred compensation in accordance with § 51.1-603, relocation expenses, bonuses, and other incentives as may be determined by the board.

For purposes of this subsection, "middle school teacher corps" means licensed instructional personnel who are assigned to a local school division to teach in a subject matter in grades six, seven, or eight where there is a critical need, as determined by the Department. The contract between such persons and the relevant local school board shall specify that the contract is for service in the middle school teacher corps.

1995, c. 852; 1996, c. 974; 1997, cc. 357, 394, 617, 686, 923; 1998, cc. 828, 901, 902; 1999, cc. 456, 680; 2000, cc. 93, 506; 2001, cc. 483, 484; 2004, c. 436; 2011, c. 216; 2020, cc. 860, 861; 2022, cc. 61, 355.

The Board of Education shall promulgate regulations for establishing standards for remediation programs that receive state funding, without regard to state funding designations, which shall be designed to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of such programs in increasing the scholastic achievement of students with academic deficiencies. Such standards shall require school divisions to evaluate remediation programs, annually, in terms of the pass rate on the Standards of Learning tests and the demographic and educational characteristics of students who have been identified for remediation pursuant to subsection C of § 22.1-253.13:1, or clause (ii) of subsection A of § 22.1-254, and § 22.1-254.01.

The Board shall also establish in regulations, a formula for determining the level of funding necessary to assist school divisions in providing transportation services to students required to attend remediation programs.

1997, c. 466; 1998, cc. 602, 627, 902; 1999, cc. 488, 537, 552; 2000, c. 716; 2003, c. 697; 2006, cc. 41, 834; 2010, c. 61.

Repealed by Acts 2004, c. 872, cl. 3, effective May 4, 2005.

A. From such funds as may be appropriated for such purpose and from such gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds as may be received on its behalf, there is hereby established the At-Risk Student Academic Achievement Program, to be administered by the Board of Education, and a special nonreverting fund within the Department of the Treasury known as the At-Risk Student Academic Achievement Fund, hereafter referred to as the "Fund." The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller, and any moneys remaining in such Fund at the end of the biennium shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Interest earned on such funds shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it.

The Department of the Treasury shall administer and manage the Fund, subject to the authority of the Board of Education to provide for its disbursement. The Fund shall be disbursed to award noncompetitive grants to public school divisions to implement research-based programs or programs identified as best practices that are designed to improve the academic achievement of at-risk public school students on the Standards of Learning assessments and decrease the rate of dropout among at-risk public school students.

B. The amount of grants and required local matching funds shall be determined as provided in the appropriation act.

Funds received through this Program shall be used to supplement, not supplant, any local funds currently provided for at-risk programs within the school division.

C. The Board may issue guidelines governing the Program as it deems necessary and appropriate.

2004, c. 456; 2016, cc. 720, 750.

A local school board may establish after school programs designed to prevent at-risk youth from engaging in illegal or gang-related activities for school aged children.

Local funds appropriated for K through 12 education may be used to support such after-school programs.

2008, c. 455.

Expired.

A. In order to remove nonacademic barriers to learning as a means to enhance student academic success in public elementary and secondary schools throughout the Commonwealth, the Department shall establish an interagency task force composed of state and local agencies and entities in the areas of early childhood development, health, social services, community engagement, family engagement, higher education, communities in schools, and workforce development for the purpose of (i) developing a program for the establishment of community schools whereby public elementary and secondary schools serve as centers for the provision of such community programs and services to students and their families as may be necessary on the basis of unique needs of the student population to be served and (ii) developing and providing to the Governor, the Secretary of Education, local school boards, and other interested state, local, and private entities policy recommendations relating to the coordinated delivery of community services to students and their families and the operation of community schools throughout the Commonwealth in accordance with the Virginia Community School Framework.

B. The community schools program established pursuant to subsection A shall include a process by which school boards and community partnerships consisting of school boards and other community and service providers may apply to the Department to designate an elementary or secondary school in the local school division as a community school. The application process shall include requirements for applicants to provide a plan for the sustainability of the community school and for the measurement of the success and effectiveness of the community school. The Department shall consult with the interagency task force established pursuant to subsection A in the selection of applications and the designation of community schools.

C. The Department shall 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 by collaborating with the interagency task force established pursuant to subsection A; administering state funds provided to school divisions to develop and sustain community school models; assisting school leaders in the application for federal grant funds for their community school models; and providing technical assistance to school personnel and contracted coordinators regarding effective practices and models for community schools and capital considerations relating to community schools, including site acquisition and building construction, renovations, and additions.

2020, c. 872; 2024, cc. 797, 815.

A. In the elementary grades of every public school the following subjects shall be taught: Spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography, health and physical education, drawing, civil government, history of the United States and history of Virginia.

B. Physical education shall include activities such as, but not limited to, cardiovascular, muscle building, or stretching exercises, as appropriate.

Code 1950, § 22-233; 1980, c. 559; 2005, c. 350.

Local school divisions shall provide students with alternatives to animal dissection techniques within the relevant public school curriculum or course. The Board of Education shall establish guidelines to be implemented by local school divisions regarding such alternative dissection techniques. Such guidelines shall address, but shall not be limited to, (i) the use of detailed models of animal anatomy and computer simulations as alternatives to dissection; (ii) notification of students and parents of the option to decline to participate in animal dissection; and (iii) such other issues as the Board deems appropriate.

2004, c. 918.

Repealed by Acts 2005, c. 741, cl. 2.

A. Instruction in the principles of the American economic system shall be required in the public middle and high schools of the Commonwealth to promote economics education and financial literacy of students and to further the development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for responsible citizenship in a constitutional democracy.

B. The Board of Education shall develop and approve objectives for economics education and financial literacy at the middle and high school levels, that shall be required of all students, and shall provide for the systematic infusion of economic principles in the relevant Standards of Learning, and in career and technical education programs. The objectives shall include personal living and finances; personal and business money management skills; opening an account in a financial institution and judging the quality of a financial institution's services; balancing a checkbook; completing a loan application; the implications of and differences between various employment arrangements with regard to benefits, protections, and long-term financial sustainability; the implications of an inheritance; the basics of personal insurance policies; consumer rights and responsibilities; dealing with salesmen and merchants; debt management; managing retail and credit card debt; evaluating the economic value of postsecondary studies, including the net cost of attendance, potential student loan debt, and potential earnings; state and federal tax computation; local tax assessments; computation of interest rates by various mechanisms; understanding simple contracts; and learning how to contest an incorrect bill.

C. To facilitate the objectives of economics education and financial literacy through practical experiences, the Department shall confer with the State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Financial Institutions, and financial and relevant professional organizations in the development of guidelines for such literacy objectives. The guidelines shall include (i) rules and policies governing the establishment, operation, and dissolution of school banks and school credit unions; (ii) written agreements between partnering public schools and financial institutions, including the disposition of funds donated or other financial contributions provided by the partnering financial institution; and (iii) such other matters as the Department may deem appropriate.

D. The Board shall not be required to evaluate student achievement concerning economics education and financial literacy objectives in the Standards of Learning assessments required by § 22.1-253.13:3.

E. For the purposes of this section:

"At-risk and disadvantaged students" means students having socioeconomic or cultural risk factors that research indicates may negatively influence academic achievement or may hinder an individual in reaching his life goals.

"Employment arrangements" means full-time employment, part-time employment, independent contract work, gig work, piece work, contingent work, day labor work, freelance work, and 1099 work.

"Financial institution" means a bank, savings and loan association, savings bank, or credit union authorized to conduct business in the Commonwealth.

"High school" includes grades nine through 12.

"Middle school" includes grades six through eight.

2005, c. 741; 2017, c. 522; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 25.

In lieu of §§ 22.1-277, 22.1-277.07, and 22.1-277.08, a school board may establish optional age-appropriate education programs for young students in grades kindergarten through five who require guidance, supervision, and discipline in a structured learning environment and who need to be redirected toward appropriate classroom decorum and acceptable personal behavior. The programs shall provide instructional and support services that will enable students to maintain academic achievement, attain basic skills and academic proficiencies, and otherwise benefit from a public education during the time that they may be removed from the regular classroom. The programs shall also be designed to accommodate students within the school building to which they have been assigned, facilitate the efficient transition of students between the optional education program and their regular classroom, and provide for the continuity of instruction, a nurturing environment, necessary guidance and supervision, and the participation of the student's parents in correcting his behavior. Such programs shall be adequately staffed by licensed teachers or other persons with demonstrated qualifications to instruct and manage students with a range of academic gifts and deficiencies, disciplinary problems, and the need to develop and use appropriate social skills.

2001, c. 846.

A. Local school boards shall provide (i) a minimum of 680 hours of instructional time to students in elementary school, except for students in half-day kindergarten, in the four academic disciplines of English, mathematics, science, and history and social science and (ii) a minimum of 375 hours of instructional time to students in half-day kindergarten in the four academic disciplines of English, mathematics, science, and history and social science.

B. Local school boards may include and the Board of Education shall accept, for elementary school, unstructured recreational time that is intended to develop teamwork, social skills, and overall physical fitness in any calculation of total instructional time or teaching hours, provided that such unstructured recreational time does not exceed 15 percent of total instructional time or teaching hours.

2018, cc. 784, 785.

The Board shall provide local school boards maximum flexibility to waive existing instructional clock hour requirements by developing alternative instructional time models in accordance with regulations adopted by the Board and Board guidelines related to instructional time waivers.

2024, c. 421.

To increase knowledge of citizens' rights and responsibilities thereunder and to enhance the understanding of Virginia's unique role in the history of the United States, the Declaration of American Independence, the general principles of the Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights, the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, the charters of the Virginia Company of April 10, 1606, May 23, 1609, and March 12, 1612, and the Virginia Declaration of Rights shall be thoroughly explained and taught by teachers to pupils in public elementary, middle, and high schools. Emphasis shall be given to the relationship between these documents and Virginia history and to citizenship responsibilities inherent in the rights included in these documents. Each teacher shall ensure that all supplementary written materials that he uses to teach these documents contain accurate restatements of the principles contained in such documents. Written examinations as to each of such documents shall be given.

The Department of Education shall develop guidelines for supplementary written materials that teachers use to teach the Declaration of American Independence, the general principles of the Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights, the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, the charters of the Virginia Company of April 10, 1606, May 23, 1609, and March 12, 1612, and the Virginia Declaration of Rights.

Code 1950, § 22-234; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 69; 1980, c. 559; 1982, c. 354; 1991, c. 178; 1994, c. 693; 1999, c. 559; 2000, c. 504; 2014, c. 647.

A. Instruction in the history and principles of the flag of the United States and the flag of the Commonwealth shall be given in one or more grades in every school division. The instruction shall include the pledge of allegiance and the appropriate etiquette and conventions for respecting the dignity and appropriate display of such flags.

In recognition of the civic heritage of the United States of America, all students shall be required to learn the Pledge of Allegiance and to demonstrate such knowledge.

B. To promote compliance with constitutional restrictions as well as observance of constitutional rights, the Board of Education shall, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, develop guidelines on constitutional rights and restrictions relating to the recitation of the pledge of allegiance to the American flag in public schools.

The Board's guidelines shall include, but shall not be limited to, provisions which address the following: the initiative and involvement of local school boards, individual schools, administrators, teachers, and students; the propriety and constitutionality of any recitation or participation requirements; appropriate etiquette and conventions for respecting the dignity and appropriate display of the flag of the United States and the flag of the Commonwealth; and relevant state and federal constitutional concerns, such as freedom of speech and religion.

These guidelines shall not be subject to the requirements of the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.). However, to provide appropriate opportunity for involvement by the general public, teachers, and local school boards, the Board of Education shall conduct public hearings prior to establishing such guidelines. Thirty days prior to conducting such hearings, the Board shall give written notice by mail of the date, time, and place of the hearings to all local school boards and any other persons requesting to be notified of the hearings and publish notice of its intention to hold such hearings in the Virginia Register of Regulations. Interested parties shall be given reasonable opportunity to be heard and present information prior to the adoption of such guidelines.

C. Each school board shall require the daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in each classroom of the school division and shall ensure that the flag of the United States is in place in each such classroom. Each school board shall determine the appropriate time during the school day for the recitation of the Pledge. During such Pledge of Allegiance, students shall stand and recite the Pledge while facing the flag with their right hands over their hearts or in an appropriate salute if in uniform; however, no student shall be compelled to recite the Pledge if he, his parent or legal guardian objects on religious, philosophical or other grounds to his participating in this exercise. Students who are thus exempt from reciting the Pledge shall remain quietly standing or sitting at their desks while others recite the Pledge and shall make no display that disrupts or distracts others who are reciting the Pledge. School boards shall provide appropriate accommodations for students who are unable to comply with the procedures described herein due to disability.

The school board's code of conduct shall apply to disruptive behavior during the recitation of the Pledge in the same manner as provided for other circumstances of such behavior.

D. The Office of the Attorney General shall intervene on behalf of local school boards and shall provide legal defense of the provisions of this section.

Code 1950, § 22-165; 1980, c. 559; 1996, cc. 122, 124; 1998, c. 128; 2001, c. 666.

The Board of Education shall authorize local school boards to offer, as an elective in grades nine through 12 with appropriate credits toward graduation, a comparative religion class that focuses on the basic tenets, history, and religious observances and rites of world religions.

2004, cc. 939, 955; 2006, cc. 90, 161.

In order that the right of every pupil to the free exercise of religion be guaranteed within the schools and that the freedom of each individual pupil be subject to the least possible pressure from the Commonwealth either to engage in, or to refrain from, religious observation on school grounds, the school board of each school division shall establish the daily observance of one minute of silence in each classroom of the division.

During such one-minute period of silence, the teacher responsible for each classroom shall take care that all pupils remain seated and silent and make no distracting display to the end that each pupil may, in the exercise of his or her individual choice, meditate, pray, or engage in any other silent activity which does not interfere with, distract, or impede other pupils in the like exercise of individual choice.

The Office of the Attorney General shall intervene and shall provide legal defense of this law.

Code 1950, § 22-234.1; 1976, c. 103; 1980, c. 559; 2000, c. 1022.

In order that the right of every pupil to the free exercise of religion be guaranteed within the schools and that the freedom of each individual pupil not be subject to pressure from the Commonwealth either to engage in, or to refrain from, religious observation on school grounds, consistent with constitutional principles of freedom of religion and separation of church and state, students in the public schools may voluntarily engage in student-initiated prayer.

1994, c. 799.

To promote compliance with constitutional restrictions as well as observance of constitutional rights, the Board of Education shall, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, develop guidelines on constitutional rights and restrictions relating to prayer and other religious expression in the public schools. The Board's guidelines shall include, but shall not be limited to, provisions that address the following: the initiative and involvement of local school boards, individual schools, administrators, teachers, and students; the use of school facilities and equipment, including audio systems, and class time for prayer or other religious expression; and relevant state and federal constitutional concerns, such as freedom of religion and speech and separation of church and state. These guidelines shall not be subject to the requirements of the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.). However, in order to provide appropriate opportunity for input from the general public, teachers, and local school boards, the Board of Education shall conduct public hearings prior to establishing such guidelines. Thirty days prior to conducting such hearings, the Board shall give written notice by mail of the date, time, and place of the hearings to all local school boards and any other persons requesting to be notified of the hearings and publish notice of its intention to hold such hearings in the Virginia Register of Regulations. Interested parties shall be given reasonable opportunity to be heard and present information prior to the adoption of such guidelines.

1994, c. 801, § 22.1-280.3; 2001, cc. 688, 820.

Students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious content of their submissions. Home and classroom work shall be judged by ordinary academic standards of substance and relevance and other legitimate pedagogical concerns identified by the school.

2008, c. 859.

Each public high school shall provide to any enrolled student who is of voting age or is eligible to register to vote pursuant to § 24.2-403 (i) mail voter registration applications and voter registration information provided by the Department of Elections or (ii) access to the Virginia online voter registration system on a school-owned computing device that is accessible to such student. Each student who is eligible to register to vote shall be provided the opportunity to complete an application form during the normal course of the school day.

2020, c. 612.

In one or more of the elementary or secondary grades of every school division there shall be provided a course of study including elementary training in accident prevention, in proper conduct on streets and highways, in the operation of motor vehicles as required by the traffic laws of this Commonwealth, and in ways and means of preventing loss of lives and damage to property through preventable fires. Such course shall be required of every pupil completing the course of study in any such grade.

Code 1950, § 22-235; 1962, c. 482; 1966, c. 208; 1968, c. 433; 1980, c. 559; 1991, c. 178.

Local school boards may provide firearm safety education programs for students in the elementary school grades. To assist local school boards electing to provide firearm safety education programs, the Board of Education shall establish curriculum guidelines for a standardized program of firearm safety education for the elementary school grades to promote the protection and safety of children enrolled in the public schools. The curriculum guidelines shall incorporate, among other principles of firearm safety, accident prevention and the rules upon which the Eddie Eagle Gunsafe Program offered by the National Rifle Association is based. Local school boards electing to provide firearm safety education shall offer instruction pursuant to the Board's curriculum guidelines and shall integrate firearm safety education into appropriate subject areas, if feasible, to ensure that every elementary grade student completes the course of study in firearm safety education.

2010, c. 859.

A. Local school boards may provide after-school hunter safety education programs for students in the school division in grades seven through 12. Each student shall bear the cost of participating in such programs. Local school boards shall display information on its after-school hunter safety education programs in each school and distribute information to the parents of each student in the school division in grades seven through 12.

B. The Department of Wildlife Resources shall establish a uniform curriculum for such hunter safety education programs. Each such program shall be taught by a hunter safety instructor certified pursuant to § 29.1-300.2.

2014, c. 560; 2020, c. 958.

A. The Board of Education shall establish for the public school system a standardized program of driver education in the safe operation of motor vehicles. Such program shall consist of classroom training and behind-the-wheel driver training. However, any student who participates in such a program of driver education shall meet the academic requirements established by the Board, and no student in a course shall be permitted to operate a motor vehicle without a license or other document issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles under Chapter 3 (§ 46.2-300 et seq.) of Title 46.2, or the comparable law of another jurisdiction, authorizing the operation of a motor vehicle upon the highways.

1. The driver education program shall include (i) instruction concerning (a) alcohol and drug abuse; (b) aggressive driving; (c) the dangers of distracted driving and speeding; (d) motorcycle awareness; (e) organ and tissue donor awareness; (f) fuel-efficient driving practices; and (g) traffic stops, including law-enforcement procedures for traffic stops, appropriate actions to be taken by drivers during traffic stops, and appropriate interactions with law-enforcement officers who initiate traffic stops, and (ii) an additional minimum 90-minute parent/student driver education component as part of the classroom portion of the driver education curriculum. However, no student who is (1) at least 18 years of age, (2) an emancipated minor, or (3) an unaccompanied minor who is not in the physical custody of his parent or guardian shall be required to participate in the parent/student driver education component.

2. The parent/student driver education component shall be administered as part of the classroom portion of the driver education curriculum. In Planning District 8, the parent/student driver education component shall be administered in-person. Outside Planning District 8, the parent/student driver education component may be administered either in-person or online by a public school or a driver training school that is licensed as a computer-based driver education provider. The participation of the student's parent or guardian in the parent/student driver education component shall be required in Planning District 8 unless the student is otherwise exempted from participation in the parent/student driver education component pursuant to the provisions of subdivision 1. Outside Planning District 8, the participation of the student's parent or guardian in the parent/student driver education component shall be encouraged, but shall not be required. The program shall emphasize (i) parental responsibilities regarding juvenile driver behavior, (ii) juvenile driving restrictions pursuant to this Code, (iii) the dangers of driving while intoxicated and underage consumption of alcohol, and (iv) the dangers of distracted driving. Such instruction shall be developed by the Department in cooperation with the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program, the Department of Health, and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, as appropriate. Nothing in this subdivision precludes any school division from including a program of parental involvement as part of a driver education program in addition to the minimum 90-minute parent/student driver education component.

3. Any driver education program shall require a minimum number of miles driven during the behind-the-wheel driver training.

B. The Board shall assist school divisions by preparation, publication and distribution of competent driver education instructional materials to ensure a more complete understanding of the responsibilities and duties of motor vehicle operators.

C. Each school board shall determine whether to offer the program of driver education in the safe operation of motor vehicles and, if offered, whether such program shall be an elective or a required course. In addition to the fee approved by the Board of Education pursuant to the appropriation act that allows local school boards to charge a per pupil fee for behind-the-wheel driver education, the Board of Education may authorize a local school board's request to assess a surcharge in order to further recover program costs that exceed state funds distributed through basic aid to school divisions offering driver education programs. Each school board may waive the fee or the surcharge in total or in part for those students it determines cannot pay the fee or surcharge. Only school divisions complying with the standardized program and regulations established by the Board of Education and the provisions of § 46.2-335 shall be entitled to participate in the distribution of state funds appropriated for driver education.

Each school board shall make the 90-minute parent/student driver education component available to all students and their parents or guardians who are in compliance with § 22.1-254.

D. The actual initial driving instruction shall be conducted, with motor vehicles equipped as may be required by regulation of the Board of Education, on private or public property removed from public highways if practicable; if impracticable, then, at the request of the school board, the Commissioner of Highways shall designate a suitable section of road near the school to be used for such instruction. Such section of road shall be marked with signs, which the Commissioner of Highways shall supply, giving notice of its use for driving instruction. Such signs shall be removed at the close of the instruction period. No vehicle other than those used for driver training shall be operated between such signs at a speed in excess of 25 miles per hour. Violation of this limit shall be a Class 4 misdemeanor.

E. The Board of Education may, in its discretion, promulgate regulations for the use and certification of paraprofessionals as teaching assistants in the driver education programs of school divisions.

F. The Board of Education shall approve correspondence courses for the classroom training component of driver education. These correspondence courses shall be consistent in quality with instructional programs developed by the Board for classroom training in the public schools. Students completing the correspondence courses for classroom training, who are eligible to take behind-the-wheel driver training, may receive behind-the-wheel driver training (i) from a public school, upon payment of the required fee, if the school division offers behind-the-wheel driver training and space is available, (ii) from a driver training school licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles, or (iii) in the case of a home schooling parent or guardian instructing his own child who meets the requirements for home school instruction under § 22.1-254.1 or subdivision B 1 of § 22.1-254, from a behind-the-wheel training course approved by the Board. Nothing herein shall be construed to require any school division to provide behind-the-wheel driver training to nonpublic school students.

Code 1950, § 22-235.1; 1962, c. 482; 1966, c. 208; 1968, c. 433; 1974, c. 154; 1980, c. 559; 1988, c. 105; 1989, c. 392; 1998, c. 96; 1999, c. 928; 2000, cc. 82, 651; 2001, cc. 659, 665; 2002, cc. 177, 386; 2003, c. 951; 2007, c. 278; 2009, cc. 785, 813, 840; 2010, c. 663; 2011, c. 346; 2013, cc. 585, 646; 2017, c. 300; 2018, c. 521; 2020, cc. 1227, 1246; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 28, 74, 75; 2022, c. 708.

Each public high school shall require any student who applies to obtain a pass to park a vehicle on school property to provide evidence that the student possesses a valid driver's license or driver privilege card. The Department shall develop, and each public high school shall utilize, a standard application form for students to use to obtain a pass to park a vehicle on school property.

2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 74, 75.

A. Instruction concerning drugs and drug abuse shall be provided by the public schools as prescribed by the Board of Education.

B. Instruction concerning the public safety hazards and dangers of alcohol abuse, underage drinking, and drunk driving shall be provided in the public schools. The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority shall provide educational materials to the Department of Education. The Department of Education shall review and shall distribute such materials as are approved to the public schools.

The Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth shall develop and the Department of Education shall distribute to each local school division educational materials concerning the health and safety risks of using retail tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking, as such terms are defined in § 18.2-371.2. Instruction concerning the health and safety risks of using tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking, as such terms are defined in § 18.2-371.2, shall be provided in each public elementary and secondary school in the Commonwealth, consistent with such educational materials.

C. Instruction concerning gambling and the addictive potential thereof shall be provided by the public schools as prescribed by the Board.

Code 1950, § 22-235.1; 1972, c. 248; 1980, c. 559; 2001, c. 452; 2015, cc. 38, 730; 2019, c. 577; 2022, c. 192; 2024, cc. 796, 821.

A. Each local school board shall develop a plan, in accordance with the guidelines and model curriculum developed by the Department of Health in collaboration with the Department of Education, in accordance with the protocols developed by the Board of Pharmacy in consultation with the Board of Medicine and the Department of Health, for providing at each public secondary school that includes grades nine through 12 a program of instruction on opioid overdose prevention and reversal. Such program of instruction shall include instruction in identifying the signs of a possible opioid overdose and training in the administration of an opioid antagonist for the reversal of a potentially life-threatening opioid overdose.

B. Each public secondary school that includes grades nine through 12 shall provide an opioid overdose prevention and reversal program of instruction at such grade level as the local school board deems appropriate. Each public secondary school shall adopt policies for the purpose of encouraging each student to complete such opioid overdose prevention and reversal program of instruction prior to graduating from high school.

2024, cc. 451, 519.

A. As used in this section, "informational one-sheet" means a single-page document detailing relevant information and key points on a single topic developed and disseminated for the purpose of providing information to a specific group of individuals.

B. The Department shall, in collaboration with the Department of Health, develop 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. Such informational one-sheet shall include information on:

1. The dangers associated with fentanyl;

2. The prevalence of fentanyl and how to identify and avoid it;

3. Overdose prevention and preparedness, including the signs and symptoms of fentanyl overdose and how to report a fentanyl overdose;

4. Resources for students in the event that any student needs or knows someone who needs help with substance use disorder or is in danger of a fentanyl overdose; and

5. Statistics relating to fentanyl prevalence, fentanyl use, health risks associated with fentanyl use, and fentanyl overdoses, including overdoses that were successfully reversed and deaths associated with fentanyl overdoses, in the Commonwealth.

C. The Department shall make available to each school board and shall post in a publicly accessible location on its website such fentanyl educational and awareness informational one-sheet developed in accordance with subsection B. The Department, in collaboration with the Department of Health, shall annually review such informational one-sheet and update it as necessary to ensure its currency and accuracy.

D. Each public high school or secondary school that includes grades nine through 12 shall annually distribute such fentanyl education and awareness informational one-sheet to each student in grades nine through 12 within the first two weeks of the school year.

2024, c. 564.

The Secretary of Education, in collaboration with the Secretary of Health and Human Resources and the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, shall develop instructional resources and materials to assist school boards and local and regional public libraries in establishing an education and awareness program to protect children from Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections. Such instructional resources and materials (i) shall be appropriate for individuals of school age; (ii) shall provide information on the identification of ticks, recommended procedures for safe tick removal, and best practices to provide protection from ticks; (iii) may include video productions, pamphlets, and demonstration programs to illustrate the sizes of various ticks, including sizes before and after each variety has become engorged, to assist with the identification of a tick and the reaction on the skin that may result from a tick bite; and (iv) shall be made available to school boards and local and regional public libraries upon request at no charge.

2022, c. 303.

A. As used in this section, "institution of higher education" means each public institution of higher education and each private institution of higher education, as those terms are defined in § 23.1-100.

B. The Department shall collect and distribute to school boards and publicly post on its website information that assists high school students in making more informed decisions about their futures after graduating from high school and in doing so ensure that such students are aware of the costs and benefits of different educational and certificate programs. The Department shall annually collect and compile such information in consultation with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (the Council) and any other entity that can assist the Department with collecting and compiling such information and shall update its distribution materials accordingly each year. The Department shall post and distribute the information to school boards, with any relevant updates, no later than October 1 each year, and shall provide an annual update to the General Assembly on how such information was distributed. Each school board shall ensure that the information is readily available to each high school student and distributed to each high school student who expresses an interest in attending an institution of higher education or completing another training program described in this section. Information to be collected shall include:

1. To the extent available from the Council or other entities or sources, the most in-demand occupations in the Commonwealth, including entry wages and common degree levels required or encouraged for entering such occupations, and lists of offerings at institutions of higher education that offer such programs.

2. The average cost of institutions of higher education, set out by type of institution.

3. The federal and state scholarship, merit, and need-based aid programs available to students for attending institutions of higher education.

4. To the extent available from the Council or other entities or sources, the average monthly student loan payment and the average total amount of student loans for individuals who attend institutions of higher education, with such information distinguished by type of institution, to the extent that the Department and the Council can determine such information.

5. To the extent available from the Council or other entities or sources, the average student loan default rate for students who attend institutions of higher education, to the extent that the Department and the Council can determine such information.

6. To the extent available from the Council or other entities or sources, information relating to the availability of paid internship and externship opportunities for students attending institutions of higher education with such information distinguished by major or area of study.

7. The average time that it takes to complete degrees offered by institutions of higher education.

8. Median annual wages for individuals who graduate from institutions of higher education, distinguished by degree level.

9. To the extent available from the Council or other entities or sources, the average starting salary for individuals who complete career and technical education programs in the Commonwealth.

10. The contact information for each institution of higher education.

11. To the extent available from the Council or other entities or sources, information regarding the degree to which any institutions of higher education that accept public funding align their curricula or programs with the state job market, including the degree to which they contribute to filling the most in-demand jobs in the Commonwealth. The information in this subdivision shall also be included in the annual report sent to the General Assembly described in this subsection.

12. Any other information that the Department or the Council deem appropriate to assist high school students in weighing the costs and benefits of post-high-school training and education.

2022, cc. 343, 344.

The Board shall, consistent with the provisions of Article 5.1 (§ 22.1-237.1 et seq.), develop guidelines and policies for prioritizing to the maximum extent practicable dual enrollment programs, including the Passport Program, the Uniform Certificate of General Studies Program, the New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program, and other such programs that allow high school students to receive credit toward the completion of an undergraduate course, degree, or credential offered in the Virginia Community College System. Such guidelines and policies shall include recommendations and strategies on how to ensure the prioritization of such programs to the maximum extent practicable, including ways to direct prioritization of funding to such programs.

2023, c. 479; 2024, cc. 647, 684.

A. Physical and health education shall be emphasized throughout the public school curriculum by lessons, drills, and physical exercises, and all pupils in the public elementary, middle, and high schools shall receive as part of the educational program such health instruction and physical training as shall be prescribed by the Board and approved by the State Board of Health. Such health instruction shall incorporate standards that recognize the multiple dimensions of health by including mental health and the relationship of physical and mental health so as to enhance student understanding, attitudes, and behavior that promote health, well-being, and human dignity. Such health instruction may include an age-appropriate program of instruction on the safe use of and risks of abuse of prescription drugs that is consistent with curriculum guidelines developed by the Board and approved by the State Board of Health. Such health instruction shall also include the following topics:

1. General themes of life skills, including self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, relationship skills, and social awareness;

2. Signs and symptoms of common mental health challenges;

3. Mental health wellness and healthy strategies for coping with stress and negative feelings, including conflict resolution skills;

4. The importance of and guidance on seeking assistance from an adult or mental health professional, including information on services offered within the school or the local school division;

5. The prevalence of mental health challenges and the importance of overcoming common stigmas surrounding such mental health challenges;

6. The connection between mental health and substance use disorders; and

7. The importance of mental health to the student's overall well-being, including physical health and academic success.

B. The Board shall 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. Such Standards of Learning and curriculum guidelines for such research-based hazing prevention instruction shall 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 relating to hazing, including criminal penalties and bystander intervention.

C. Each local school board shall provide as a part of physical or health education instruction provided to students in grade nine or 10 research-based hazing prevention instruction in accordance with the Standards of Learning and curriculum guidelines developed by the Board pursuant to subsection B. Such research-based hazing prevention instruction shall be offered in person, provided that each local school board shall provide options for virtual participation for any student who is enrolled in an online or virtual physical or health education program.

D. Each school board may provide, as a part of health instruction offered pursuant to subsection A, at such grade level in grades four through eight as the school board deems appropriate, a program of instruction on menstrual education.

Code 1950, §§ 22-237, 22-243; 1980, c. 559; 1991, c. 178; 2018, cc. 392, 393, 490; 2024, cc. 7, 144, 741, 812.

A. As used in this section, "abstinence education" means an educational or motivational component that has as its exclusive purpose teaching the social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by teenagers' abstaining from sexual activity before marriage.

B. The Board of Education shall develop Standards of Learning and curriculum guidelines for a comprehensive, sequential family life education curriculum in grades kindergarten through 12. Such curriculum guidelines shall include instruction as appropriate for the age of the student in family living and community relationships; the benefits, challenges, responsibilities, and value of marriage for men, women, children, and communities; the value of family relationships; abstinence education; the value of postponing sexual activity; the benefits of adoption as a positive choice in the event of an unwanted pregnancy; human sexuality; human reproduction; the prevention of human trafficking, including the human trafficking of children; dating violence, the characteristics of abusive relationships, steps to take to deter sexual assault, the availability of counseling and legal resources, and, in the event of such sexual assault, the importance of immediate medical attention and advice, as well as the requirements of the law; the etiology, prevention, and effects of sexually transmitted diseases; and mental health education and awareness.

C. All such instruction shall be designed to promote parental involvement, foster positive self-concepts, and provide mechanisms for coping with peer pressure and the stresses of modern living according to the students' developmental stages and abilities. The Board shall also establish requirements for appropriate training for teachers of family life education, which shall include training in instructional elements to support the various curriculum components.

D. Each school board shall conduct a review of its family life education curricula at least once every seven years, shall evaluate whether such curricula reflect contemporary community standards, and shall revise such curricula if necessary.

1987, c. 371; 1999, c. 422; 2002, c. 554; 2004, c. 1030; 2007, c. 32; 2008, c. 417; 2009, cc. 437, 583; 2017, c. 692; 2019, c. 595; 2020, c. 687; 2022, c. 459.

A. Any family life education curriculum offered by a local school division shall require the Standards of Learning objectives related to dating violence and the characteristics of abusive relationships to be taught at least once in middle school and at least twice in high school, as described in the Board's family life education guidelines.

B. Any high school family life education curriculum offered by a local school division shall incorporate age-appropriate elements of effective and evidence-based programs on (i) the prevention of dating violence, domestic abuse, sexual harassment, including sexual harassment using electronic means, sexual violence, and human trafficking and (ii) the law and meaning of consent. Such age-appropriate elements of effective and evidence-based programs on the prevention of sexual violence may include instruction that increases student awareness of the fact that consent is required before sexual activity.

C. Any family life education curriculum offered in any elementary school, middle school, or high school shall incorporate age-appropriate elements of effective and evidence-based programs on the importance of the personal privacy and personal boundaries of other individuals and tools for a student to use to ensure that he respects the personal privacy and personal boundaries of other individuals.

D. Any family life education curriculum offered by a local school division shall incorporate age-appropriate elements of effective and evidence-based programs on the harmful physical and emotional effects of female genital mutilation; associated criminal penalties; and the rights of the victim, including any civil action pursuant to § 8.01-42.5.

E. Any family life education curriculum offered by a local school division may incorporate age-appropriate elements of effective and evidence-based programs on the prevention, recognition, and awareness of child abduction, child abuse, child sexual exploitation, child sexual abuse, and, in any such curriculum offered in high school, human trafficking of children.

2011, c. 634; 2016, c. 434; 2017, cc. 299, 692; 2018, cc. 383, 519; 2019, cc. 372, 595, 596; 2022, c. 459.

Every parent, guardian or other person in the Commonwealth having control or charge of any child who is required by subsection A of § 22.1-254 to send such child to a public school shall have the right to review the complete family life curricula, including all supplemental materials used in any family life education program. A complete copy of all printed materials not subject to copyright protection and a description of all audio-visual materials shall be made available through any available parental portal and kept in the school library or office and made available for review to any parent or guardian during school office hours before and during the school year. The audio-visual materials shall be made available to parents for in-person review, upon request, on the same basis as printed materials are made available.

Each school board shall develop and distribute to the parents or guardians of a student participating in the family life education program and post for public viewing on the local school division's official website a summary designed to assist parents in understanding the program implemented in its school division as such program progresses and to encourage parental guidance and involvement in the instruction of the students. Such information shall reflect the curricula of the program as taught in the classroom. The school division shall include the following information on the summary:

"Parents and guardians have the right to review the family life education program offered by their school division, including written and audio-visual educational materials used in the program. Parents and guardians also have the right to excuse their child from all or part of family life education instruction."

1989, c. 515; 1991, cc. 139, 526; 2009, c. 451; 2020, c. 689.

Each school board shall develop and implement policies that ensure that parents have the right to review any audio-visual materials that contain graphic sexual or violent content used in any anti-bullying or suicide prevention program. Such policies shall require that prior to using any such material, the parent of the child participating in such a program shall be provided written notice of his right to review the material and his right to excuse his child from participating in the part of such program utilizing such material.

2019, c. 581.

A. Each local school board that collects information to determine eligibility for participation in the School Breakfast Program or the National School Lunch Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shall establish and post prominently on its website a web-based application for student participation in such program and shall continue to provide a paper-based application.

B. Each public elementary or secondary school shall process each web-based or paper-based application for participation in the School Breakfast Program or the National School Lunch Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture within six working days after the date of receipt of the completed application.

2019, c. 228; 2022, c. 424.

A. Upon the appropriation and authorization of federal funds for the reimbursement of school breakfast programs, each school board shall establish a school breakfast program in any public school in which 25 percent or more of enrolled school-age children were approved eligible to receive free or reduced price meals in the federally funded lunch program during the previous school year.

B. The Board shall promulgate regulations for the implementation of the program. Such regulations shall include, but not be limited to, criteria for eligibility and exemptions; a reporting system for the compilation and analysis of information concerning the number and socioeconomic characteristics of participating school-age children; standards for food services; program evaluation; the investigation of complaints; an appeals process; notification of parents and guardians of the availability of the school breakfast program; and provision to teachers, children, and their parents or guardians of nutrition information describing the relationship between good nutrition, learning, and health.

C. Each school board subject to the provisions of this section shall develop and implement a plan to ensure compliance with the provisions of subsection A and submit the plan to the Department no later than 30 days prior to the commencement of the program. Each school board shall annually report such information as required in subsection B to the Department on such forms and in the manner to be prescribed by the Board. In the event that federal funding for school breakfast programs is reduced or eliminated, a school board may support the program with such state or local funds as may be appropriated for such purposes.

1993, c. 698; 2022, c. 355.

A. As used in this section, "excess food" means any remaining unexpired, unopened, and unconsumed food intended to be served as part of a reimbursable meal that was unable to be utilized for a current or future meal provision after a school has served breakfast and lunch to students during a school day.

B. Each school board may distribute excess food to enrolled students eligible for the School Breakfast Program or National School Lunch Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture who the school board determines are eligible to receive excess food.

C. The method by which a school board distributes excess food shall be established by the school board in accordance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements and guidelines for the distribution of excess food.

D. A school board may develop a policy describing the process for distributing excess food under this section, saving excess food for later consumption, or donating excess food.

2020, c. 574.

A. For purposes of this section, "competitive food" means any food, excluding beverages, sold to students on school grounds during regular school hours that is not part of the school breakfast or school lunch program.

B. The Board, in cooperation with the Department of Health, shall promulgate regulations setting nutritional guidelines for all competitive foods.

C. The Board, with assistance from the Department of Health, shall periodically review the nutritional guidelines for competitive foods to ensure that they remain current and science-based and shall also review the nutritional guidelines upon changes to federal law or regulations for competitive foods.

D. The regulations promulgated pursuant to this section shall include but not be limited to: calorie, fat, sugar, and sodium content.

E. The regulations promulgated pursuant to this section shall permit each public school to conduct on school grounds during regular school hours no more than 30 school-sponsored fundraisers per school year, during which food that does not meet the nutrition guidelines for competitive foods may be sold to students.

2010, c. 718; 2015, c. 568.

A. As used in this section:

"Identified student" means any student who is directly certified for free meals through means other than the use of an individual household application.

"Identified student" includes (i) any student who is directly certified for free meals based on the student's participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or based on Medicaid income data and (ii) any homeless, runaway, migrant, or Head Start student, or any foster child, who is approved as categorically eligible for free meals by means other than a meal application.

"Identified student percentage" means the fraction, expressed as a percentage, that results from dividing the number of identified students enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school by the total number of students enrolled in such school.

B. Each school board that governs a local school division that contains any public elementary or secondary school that has a minimum identified student percentage of 40 percent in the prior school year and is consequently eligible to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) shall apply to FNS to participate in CEP for each such school, pursuant to FNS guidelines, by submitting (i) identified student data to FNS by April 1, unless an extension is in effect and (ii) its completed application to FNS by June 30, unless an extension is in effect.

C. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit any school board from grouping elementary or secondary schools in the local school division and applying to FNS to participate in CEP for such group of schools.

D. The Superintendent for Public Instruction shall issue a waiver to the requirement set forth in subsection B in the sole circumstance that an evaluation of a school or group of schools that is eligible to participate in CEP determines that participation in CEP is not financially viable to such school or group of schools. The Department of Education shall develop a process and criteria for considering such waivers, including a process and criteria for conducting such CEP evaluations.

2020, Sp. Sess. I, c. 2.

A. As used in this section:

"At-risk afterschool care center" includes locations that offer educational or enrichment activities to children or teenagers, including schools, community centers, and libraries, approved by the Department to operate the Program.

"Program" means the Afterschool Meal Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

B. Each school board that governs a local school division that contains any public elementary or secondary school that has a student population that qualifies for free and reduced-price meals at a minimum percentage of 50 percent in the prior school year and simultaneously offers educational or enrichment activities and is consequently eligible to participate in the Program shall apply to the Department to participate in the Program for each such school to subsequently and simultaneously serve federally reimbursable meals and offer an afterschool education or enrichment program, pursuant to FNS guidelines and state health and safety standards. The Department shall administer the Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and shall conduct the processes for application to the Program, approval for participation in the Program, and monitoring of schools participating in the Program.

C. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit any school in the local school division from applying to the Department to participate in the Program if that school offers afterschool programs that:

1. Provide organized and regularly scheduled afterschool activities for children after school or on the weekends, holidays, or breaks during the regular school year;

2. Include educational or enrichment activities such as arts and crafts, computer lessons, or homework assistance; and

3. Are located in an area that meets eligibility requirements for participation in the Program, pursuant to FNS guidelines.

D. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit any school in the local school division from partnering with agencies or organizations that participate in the Program, which partnership may include sponsoring at-risk afterschool care centers that operate at the school or at a location outside of the school and that already participate in the Program, to satisfy the requirements set forth in subsection B.

E. Any school may contact the Department for assistance in determining if a school or an afterschool program meets the requirements for eligibility to participate in the Program.

F. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall issue a waiver to the requirement set forth in subsection B in the sole circumstance that an evaluation of a school or group of schools that is eligible to participate in the Program determines that participation in the program is not financially viable to such school or group of schools. The Department shall develop a process and criteria for considering such waivers, including a process and criteria for conducting such Program evaluations.

2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 292.

A. As used in this section, "American Sign Language" means the natural language recognized globally that is used by members of the deaf community and that is linguistically complete with unique rules for language structure and use that include phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and discourse.

B. If a local school board offers one or more elective courses in American Sign Language, such school board shall (i) grant academic credit for successful completion of an American Sign Language course on the same basis as the successful completion of a foreign language course and (ii) count completion of an American Sign Language course toward the fulfillment of any foreign language requirement for graduation.

C. If a local school board does not offer any elective course in American Sign Language, such school board shall (i) grant academic credit for successful completion of an American Sign Language course offered by a comprehensive community college or a multidivision online provider approved by the Board on the same basis as the successful completion of a foreign language course and (ii) count completion of any such American Sign Language course toward the fulfillment of any foreign language requirement for graduation.

2011, c. 762; 2018, c. 481.

The Department of Education shall encourage school boards of school divisions that have a significant number of enrolled military-connected students to partner with the National Math and Science Initiative to provide such students with the tools and resources necessary to advance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning opportunities and career readiness. The Department shall provide technical assistance to any school board seeking to enter into such a partnership, upon request.

2019, c. 772.

A. No student who misses a partial or full day of school while participating in a 4-H educational program or activity shall be counted as absent for the purposes of calculating average daily membership and each such student shall receive course credit in the same manner as he would for a school field trip, provided that:

1. Each local school board shall develop policies and procedures for such students to make up missed work;

2. Each local school board may determine the maximum number of school days per academic year that a student may spend participating in 4-H educational programs or activities to not be counted absent; and

3. No school shall provide course credit to a student pursuant this section if the student's participation in a 4-H educational program or activity occurs during scheduled Standards of Learning assessments or during any period of time that the student is suspended or expelled from school.

B. Upon request from a school principal or an assistant principal, an agent or representative from 4-H shall provide documentation as proof of a student's participation in an activity or program sponsored by 4-H.

2022, cc. 58, 59.

The Board shall develop guidelines and policies for permitting any high school student in grades 11 and 12 to earn one-half standard unit of credit per semester for employment in certain fields or industries or participation in certain fine arts programs in which such student works or participates a certain minimum number of hours per week for each week of the semester, as determined by the Board. Such guidelines and policies shall include:

1. Standards and requirements for determining the eligibility of employment and fine arts programs for awarding academic credit, including eligibility criteria and approval procedures for specific employers and programs;

2. Standards for how the one-half unit of credit is to be awarded and policies for monitoring and evaluating student participation in and completion of approved employment or fine arts programs; and

3. Any other policies that the Board deems appropriate.

2023, c. 145.

The entire scheme of instruction in the public schools shall emphasize moral education through lessons given by teachers and imparted by appropriate reading selections.

Code 1950, § 22-238; 1980, c. 559.

A. Each school board shall establish, within its existing programs or as a separate program, a character education program in its schools, which may occur during the regular school year, during the summer in a youth development academy offered by the school division, or both. The Department of Education shall develop curricular guidelines for school divisions to use in establishing a character education program through a summer youth development academy. The purpose of the character education program shall be to instill in students civic virtues and personal character traits so as to improve the learning environment, promote student achievement, reduce disciplinary problems, and develop civic-minded students of high character. The components of each program shall be developed in cooperation with the students, their parents, and the community at large. The basic character traits taught may include (i) trustworthiness, including honesty, integrity, reliability, and loyalty; (ii) respect, including the precepts of the Golden Rule, tolerance, and courtesy; (iii) responsibility, including hard work, economic self-reliance, accountability, diligence, perseverance, and self-control; (iv) fairness, including justice, consequences of bad behavior, principles of nondiscrimination, and freedom from prejudice; (v) caring, including kindness, empathy, compassion, consideration, generosity, and charity; and (vi) citizenship, including patriotism, the Pledge of Allegiance, respect for the American flag, concern for the common good, respect for authority and the law, and community-mindedness.

Classroom instruction may be used to supplement a character education program; however, each program shall be interwoven into the school procedures and environment and structured to instruct primarily through example, illustration, and participation, in such a way as to complement the Standards of Learning. The program shall also address the inappropriateness of bullying, as defined in § 22.1-276.01.

This provision is intended to educate students regarding those core civic values and virtues that are efficacious to civilized society and are common to the diverse social, cultural, and religious groups of the Commonwealth. Consistent with this purpose, Virginia's civic values, which are the principles articulated in the Bill of Rights (Article I) of the Constitution of Virginia and the ideals reflected in the seal of the Commonwealth, as described in § 1-500, may be taught as representative of such civic values. Nothing herein shall be construed as requiring or authorizing the indoctrination in any particular religious or political belief.

B. The Board of Education shall establish criteria for character education programs consistent with the provisions of this section. The Department of Education shall assist school divisions in implementing character education programs and practices that are designed to promote the development of personal qualities as set forth in this section and the Standards of Quality and that will improve family and community involvement in the public schools. With such funds as are made available for this purpose, the Department of Education shall provide resources and technical assistance to school divisions regarding successful character education programs and shall (i) identify and analyze effective character education programs and practices and (ii) collect and disseminate among school divisions information regarding such programs and practices and potential funding and support sources. The Department of Education may also provide resources supporting professional development for administrators and teachers in the delivery of any character education programs.

C. The Department of Education shall award, with such funds as are appropriated for this purpose, grants to school boards for the implementation of innovative character education programs, including a summer youth development academy.

1998, c. 725; 1999, c. 944; 2003, c. 777; 2005, cc. 461, 484, 839; 2012, c. 703; 2013, c. 575.

A. The Department of Education, in consultation with the Commonwealth's Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, shall establish and appoint such members as deemed appropriate to the Culturally Relevant and Inclusive Education Practices Advisory Committee (the Advisory Committee) for the purpose of strengthening culturally relevant education practices and supporting anti-bias education and response in the Commonwealth. The Advisory Committee shall include but not be limited to a geographically, ethnically, and religiously diverse representation of teachers, curriculum specialists, principals, superintendents, advocates, higher education institutions, parents, legislators, and community-based organizations. The Advisory Committee shall report its recommendations to the Board of Education, the Governor, and the Chairpersons of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than July 1, 2021. The Committee shall issue interim reports as it deems necessary.

B. The Advisory Committee shall provide standards recommendations to the Virginia Department of Education, and they shall be considered by the Board of Education, during the 2021-2022 review of the history and social science Standards of Learning. Such recommendations shall include:

1. The historical underpinnings of the Holocaust and other historical genocides in the context of how increased lower levels of hate, ridicule, and dehumanization led to larger acts of violence and state-sponsored discrimination and violence;

2. Slavery, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of historical dehumanizing injustice and discrimination;

3. The ignored and untold history of the indigenous people of Virginia and North America; and

4. The untold histories of other groups historically underrepresented in American and world history.

C. The Advisory Committee shall provide recommendations for the issuance of Board of Education guidelines for local school division staff, including teachers and school counselors, to offer age-appropriate anti-bias education to students. The recommendations for such guidelines shall include:

1. Recognition that anti-bias and anti-discrimination education is the work and responsibility of all staff within the local school division;

2. An emphasis on diversity and building a community of empathy, respect, understanding, and connection;

3. Examination of how lower levels of hate, ridicule, and dehumanization lead to larger acts of violence, discrimination and violence;

4. Acknowledgment of inequity on the individual level, such as biased speech and harassment, and injustice at the institutional or systemic level, such as discrimination, and the harmful impact of inequity and injustice on the community, historically and today;

5. School-based and classroom-based responses, which are student centered and proven effective, to various forms of racism, bigotry, and discrimination through empathy, respect, understanding, and connection; and

6. Updates to the Department of Education's teacher's manual, as required by action taken by the 2009 Session of the General Assembly, that emphasizes the causes and ramifications of the Holocaust and genocide.

D. The Advisory Committee shall provide recommendations on meaningful professional development with school personnel related to culturally relevant and inclusive education practices. In addition to the Board of Education, the Governor, and the Chairpersons of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health, these recommendations shall also be provided to the Advisory Board on Teacher Education and Licensure and the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia. This shall include but not be limited to considerations for:

1. The policies and regulations governing teacher preparation programs; and

2. The policies and regulations governing teacher licensure and professional development requirements for licensure renewal.

2020, cc. 572, 573.

Repealed by Acts 2011, c. 216, cl. 2.

Repealed by Acts 2004, c. 872, cl. 4, effective May 4, 2005.

Repealed by Acts 2011, c. 216, cl. 2.

Repealed by Acts 2005, c. 741, cl. 2.

A. Each school board shall make available to secondary students employment counseling and placement services to furnish information relating to the employment opportunities available to students graduating from or leaving the public schools in the school division. Such information shall include all types of employment opportunities, including, but not limited to, apprenticeships, the military, career education schools, and the teaching profession.

B. No fee, compensation or other consideration shall be charged to or received from any student utilizing such services.

C. In providing such services, the school board shall consult and cooperate with the Virginia Employment Commission, the Department of Labor and Industry, local business and labor organizations, and such career schools as may be approved by the Board.

D. The Board of Education may recommend methods for providing such services. The State Department of Education may provide assistance to school divisions in establishing and providing such services upon request.

Code 1950, § 22-40.1; 1975, c. 147; 1980, c. 559; 1990, c. 797; 1991, c. 295; 1999, c. 452.

Repealed by Acts 2011, c. 216, cl. 2.

A. With such funds as may be appropriated for this purpose, the Board of Education shall establish a program consisting of regional alternative education options for elementary, middle, and high school students in compliance with subdivision D 7 of § 22.1-253.13:1 who (i) have committed an offense in violation of school board policies relating to weapons, alcohol or drugs, or intentional injury to another person, or against whom a petition or warrant has been filed alleging such acts or school board charges alleging such policy violations are pending; (ii) have been expelled from school attendance or have received one suspension for an entire semester, or have received two or more long-term suspensions within one school year; or (iii) have been released from a juvenile correctional center and have been identified by the Superintendent of the Department of Juvenile Justice's Division of Education and the relevant division superintendent as requiring a regional alternative education program. Based on available space, a student may also be administratively assigned to a regional alternative education program either at the request of the parent and with the consent of the division superintendent or by the division superintendent after written notice to the student and his parent. Such notice of the opportunity for the student and/or his parent to participate in a hearing conducted by the division superintendent or his designee regarding such placement shall be issued and the assignment shall be final unless altered by the school board, upon timely written petition, in accordance with regulations of the school board, by the student or his parent, for a review of the record by the school board. However, no child shall be assigned to any regional alternative education program described in this section for more than one school year without an annual assessment of the placement to determine the appropriateness of transitioning the child into the school division's regular program.

B. Applications for grants shall include the following components:

1. An agreement executed by two or more school divisions and approval of their respective governing bodies to offer a regional alternative education option as provided in subsection A, and a plan for the apportionment of responsibilities for the administration, management, and support of the program, including, but not limited to, the facilities and location for the program, daily operation and oversight, staffing, instructional materials and resources, transportation, funding and in-kind services, and the program of instruction.

2. A procedure for obtaining the participation in or support for the program, as may be determined, of the parents, guardian or other person having charge or control of a child placed in the program.

3. An interagency agreement for cooperation executed by the local departments of health and social services or welfare; the juvenile and domestic relations district court; law-enforcement agencies; institutions of higher education and other postsecondary training programs; professional and community organizations; the business and religious communities; dropout prevention and substance abuse prevention programs; community services boards located in the applicants' respective jurisdictions; and the Department of Juvenile Justice.

4. A curriculum developed for intensive, accelerated instruction designed to establish high standards and academic achievement for participating students.

5. An emphasis on building self-esteem and the promotion of personal and social responsibility.

6. A low pupil/teacher ratio to promote a high level of interaction between the students and the teacher.

7. An extended day program, where appropriate, to facilitate remediation; tutoring; counseling; organized, age-appropriate, developmental education for elementary and middle school children; and opportunities that enhance acculturation and permit students to improve their social and interpersonal relationship skills.

8. Community outreach to build strong school, business, and community partnerships, and to promote parental involvement in the educational process of participating children.

9. Specific, measurable goals and objectives and an evaluation component to determine the program's effectiveness in reducing acts of crime and violence by students, the dropout rate, the number of youth committed to juvenile correctional centers, and recidivism; and in increasing the academic achievement levels and rehabilitative success of participating students, admission to institutions of higher education and other postsecondary education and training programs, and improving staff retention rates.

10. The number of children who may be assigned to the regional alternative education program during the school year.

11. A plan for transitioning the enrolled students into the relevant school division's regular program.

12. A current program of staff development and training.

C. Beginning with the first year of program implementation, the Department of Education shall be entitled to deduct annually from the locality's share for the education of its students a sum equal to the actual local expenditure per pupil for the support of those students placed by the relevant school division in any such program. The amount of the actual transfers shall be based on data accumulated during the prior school year.

D. A school board shall require written notification to the pupil's parent, guardian, or other person having charge or control, when a pupil commits an offense in violation of school board policies, which school officials determine was committed without the willful intent to violate such policies, or when the offense did not endanger the health and safety of the individual or other persons, of the nature of the offense no later than two school days following its occurrence. A school board shall require the principal of the school where the child is in attendance or other appropriate school personnel to develop appropriate measures, in conjunction with the pupil's parent or guardian, for correcting such behavior.

E. For the purposes of this section, "regional alternative education program" means a program supported and implemented by two or more school divisions which are either geographically contiguous or have a community of interest.

F. For the purposes of this section, "one school year" means no more than 180 teaching days.

1993, cc. 819, 856; 1994, c. 762; 1995, c. 533; 1996, cc. 755, 914; 2000, c. 739; 2004, cc. 939, 955; 2009, cc. 792, 802; 2010, c. 61; 2012, cc. 803, 835.

A. With such funds as may be appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose, local school boards may establish Advancement Via Individual Determination Programs in their respective school divisions to prepare at-risk students enrolled in the secondary grades in the public schools of the school division for postsecondary education eligibility.

B. Any school board adopting the Advancement Via Individual Determination Program shall establish policies and guidelines to ensure compliance with the provisions of this section. Programs established pursuant to subsection A shall include the following components:

1. A procedure for identifying at-risk students enrolled in the secondary grades in the public schools of the school division who demonstrate academic potential, a desire to attend college, and the willingness to pursue a rigorous academic program of study leading to eligibility for college admission;

2. A procedure for obtaining participation in or support for the program by the parent, guardian or other person having charge or control of a child engaged in the program;

3. An agreement executed with an associate-degree-granting institution of higher education or a baccalaureate institution of higher education located within or in the proximity of the school division to provide relevant support services including, but not limited to, access to advanced course work, student mentorships and tutorials, and cultural and enrichment experiences;

4. A curriculum developed for intensive, accelerated instruction designed to establish high standards and academic achievement for participating students;

5. An emphasis on college preparation and college awareness, access to advanced level college preparatory courses at the high school level, building self-esteem and the promotion of personal and social responsibility, the availability of support services for students enrolled in the AVID Program, and the development and fostering of a positive attitude toward learning and the advantages of higher education;

6. A low pupil-teacher ratio to promote a high level of interaction between the students and the teacher;

7. A current program of staff development and training in the organizational structure, instructional methods, strategies, and process used in and unique to the AVID Program for all teachers and administrators assigned to the program;

8. Community outreach to build strong school, business, and community partnerships, and to promote parental involvement in the educational process of participating children;

9. Specific, measurable goals and objectives and an evaluation component to determine the program's effectiveness in preparing students participating in the program for college, increasing academic achievement, and lessening the need for remediation of such students who attend college.

C. Upon completion of the initial school year of the Advancement Via Individual Determination Program and at least annually thereafter, each school board implementing such program shall require submission of interim evaluation reports of the program. If funded by an appropriation pursuant to subsection A, each school board having an Advancement Via Individual Determination Program shall report the status, effectiveness, and results of such program no later than November 30 of the year following the completion of the initial school year to the Board of Education, which shall transmit such reports to the Governor and the General Assembly.

1994, c. 864; 2005, c. 633; 2016, cc. 720, 750.

Repealed by Acts 2000, c. 1059, cl. 2, effective June 30, 2002.

Expired.

Repealed by Acts 2011, c. 216, cl. 2.

Repealed by Acts 2004, c. 872, cl. 5, effective May 4, 2005.

Expired.

Repealed by Acts 2004, c. 872, cl. 6, effective May 4, 2005.

Repealed by Acts 2004, c. 872, cl. 2.

The Board shall prepare and supervise the implementation in regional detention homes and local detention homes a program designed to educate and train the children detained in the homes. In addition, the Board shall supervise those programs of evaluation, education, and training provided to school-age children by the Department of Health, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the children's teaching hospital associated with the Eastern Virginia Health Sciences Center at Old Dominion University, the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority, the children's teaching hospital associated with the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority, and the University of Virginia Hospitals pursuant to the Board's standards and regulations as required by § 22.1-7.

The Board shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to conform these programs with the applicable federal and state laws and regulations including teacher/student ratios and special education requirements for children with disabilities. The education programs in the relevant detention homes and state agencies and institutions shall be approved by the Board, and the Board shall prepare a budget for these educational programs that shall be solely supported by such general funds as are appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose. Teacher staffing ratios for regional or local detention homes shall be based on a ratio of one teacher for every 12 beds based on the capacity of the facility; however, if the previous year's average daily attendance exceeds this bed capacity, the ratio shall be based on the average daily attendance at the facility as calculated by the Department from the previous school year.

The Board shall enter into contracts with the relevant state agency or institution or detention facility or the local school divisions in which the state agencies or institutions or the regional detention homes and the relevant local detention homes are located for the hiring and supervision of teachers.

In any case in which the Board enters into a contract with the relevant state agency or institution, the Department of Human Resource Management shall establish salary schedules for the teachers that are competitive with those in effect for the school divisions in which the agency or institution is located.

1987, c. 414; 1992, cc. 209, 439; 1994, c. 854; 2000, cc. 66, 657, 865; 2002, cc. 87, 478; 2008, cc. 46, 151; 2009, cc. 813, 840; 2022, c. 355; 2023, cc. 756, 778.

Any school board may, in its discretion, establish and conduct night schools to which may be admitted pupils, regardless of age.

Code 1950, § 22-222; 1980, c. 559.

Any school board or any two or more school boards acting in conjunction may establish and operate or cause to be established and operated, for the benefit of persons of school age, vacation schools or camps for the advancement of education, physical training, health, nutrition, the prevention of communicable diseases, or for any other purpose deemed by such board or boards to be beneficial to persons of school age requiring special training or attention or which will promote the efficiency of their respective school systems.

Such school board or boards may expend such sum or sums as may be reasonable and requisite for such purposes or may provide such sum or sums and permit the proper use of any school property, under reasonable safeguards, for the establishment and operation of a vacation school or camp conducted under the auspices and supervision of any other governmental agency approved by such school board or boards, for the benefit of persons of school age within the jurisdiction of such board or boards. Such activity shall have been included in the estimate of money deemed to be needed for public schools for the year in which such expenditure is made.

The establishment and operation of such school or camp shall also be approved, as to conditions affecting sanitation and safety, by the health authorities having jurisdiction of the area in which such vacation school or camp is located and conducted. Any vacation school or camp operated by such school board or boards or any other local agency, department or board shall be available to persons of school age within the applicable jurisdiction on a nondiscriminatory basis regardless of whether they attend public or private schools.

Code 1950, § 22-55; 1959, Ex. Sess., c. 79, § 1; 1973, c. 101; 1980, c. 559; 1989, c. 277; 1995, c. 244.

A. The Community Builders Pilot Program (the Program) is established for the purpose of reducing youth involvement in behaviors that lead to gun violence and increasing community engagement among public school students by providing students enrolled in Roanoke City Public Schools and Petersburg City Public Schools opportunities during the school year after regular school hours and during the summer months for community engagement, workforce development, postsecondary education exploration, and social-emotional education and development.

B. The Program shall have after-school sessions, to be offered during the school year after regular school hours, and one summer session, to be offered during the summer months when school is not in session. The Program shall provide a group of up to 100 students each session, selected in accordance with subdivision C 1, community, workforce, and education building opportunities, including opportunities for:

1. Workforce development and professional readiness, including career and technical education exploration and opportunities for soft-skill development;

2. Exploring opportunities available in postsecondary education;

3. Social-emotional development and instruction on the role and importance of restorative justice in the community; and

4. Family engagement and empowerment.

C. The school boards of Roanoke City Public Schools and Petersburg City Public Schools shall be responsible for the administration of the Program. In administering the Program, the school boards may collaborate with such other entities as they deem appropriate. In administering the Program, the school boards shall:

1. Establish and administer an application and referral process by which students who are entering eighth grade can apply or be referred for participation in the Program, including students who may be referred by a teacher for compulsory participation;

2. Develop and administer an application and hiring process for Program staff, including a Program coordinator and professional staff;

3. Develop and implement a Program curriculum and itinerary for the after-school sessions of the Program to be offered during the school year after regular school hours and for the summer session of the Program to be offered during the summer months; and

4. Collect data and report to the Governor, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the House Committee on Education by November 1 each year on the progress of the Program, including: (i) the number of students participating in the Program as a whole and disaggregated by (a) the number of students participating during the after-school session of the Program and the summer session of the Program and (b) the number of participating students who are enrolled in Roanoke City Public Schools and the number of participating students enrolled in Petersburg City Public Schools; (ii) data relating to the progress of participating students, including a comparison of pre-participation and post-participation absenteeism rates, disciplinary incidents, and academic performance; and (iii) the number and rate of reported incidents of gun violence involving participants in the Program, in the City of Roanoke as a whole, and in the City of Petersburg as a whole in comparison to previous years.

2024, cc. 299, 357.

Repealed by Acts 2022, c. 355, cl. 2.

Pursuant to § 1-511, school boards shall have no obligation to teach the standard curriculum, except courses in foreign languages, in a language other than English. School boards shall endeavor to provide instruction in the English language which shall be designed to promote the education of students for whom English is a second language.

1981, c. 185; 1986, c. 466; 1996, c. 829; 2005, c. 839.

Consistent with constitutional principles, a school board may establish a single-sex school or class in the school division, if the school board makes available to pupils substantially equal coeducational schools or classes. Participation in such single-sex school or class shall not be required by the school division, and the school board shall ensure that participation by pupils in the single-sex school or class is voluntary. For the purposes of this section, participation by a pupil in a single-sex school or class is voluntary only if the school division also makes available to the pupil a substantially equal coeducational school or class.

1995, c. 582; 2009, c. 84.

A. To assist local school boards in the development and implementation of programs of instruction that comply with the provisions of subsection C of § 22.1-253.13:1, specifically relating to citizenship and environmental issues and geography necessary for responsible participation in American society and the international community, the Board of Education may cooperate with environmental groups, other relevant state agencies, such as, but not limited to, the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Health, and other stakeholders in the development of a green schools program for Virginia. Any such green schools program shall focus on waste reduction through recycling and other mechanisms and educating students to help schools contain costs and to reduce waste production through resource efficiency.

B. In the development and implementation of any such program, the Board shall examine other states' green schools programs and shall receive input from parents, teachers, school administrators, school boards, business and industry leaders, and local governments. The Board shall also strive to identify businesses and other organizations that may provide support in the form of resources or funding for appropriate awards for any green schools program that may be implemented in the Commonwealth.

C. Nothing herein shall be construed to require the Board or any school board in the Commonwealth to implement a green school program or to imply or otherwise indicate that state or local funding is required to develop or implement any green school program.

2004, c. 882.

From such funds as are appropriated, the Department of Education shall establish a statewide electronic classroom to be known as the Virtual Virginia Program. Virtual Virginia shall be made available to every public high school in Virginia.

The Department may utilize the services of the Commonwealth's educational television stations and other providers, as well as any other appropriate technology for the purposes of implementing Virtual Virginia.

The services of this program shall be limited to educational purposes. Educational purposes shall include, but not be limited to, instruction in subject areas that are not available in all schools and in-service training for instructional, administrative and support personnel.

The Department may contract with one or more local school boards that have created online courses to make one or more such courses available to other school divisions through the Virtual Virginia Program. The Department shall approve all courses offered through Virtual Virginia, including those made available by local school boards to other school divisions. A school board that makes one or more of its online courses available to other school divisions through Virtual Virginia (i) shall not be considered a multidivision online provider pursuant to § 22.1-212.23 and (ii) may charge a per-course or per-student fee to school divisions to defray the costs of developing the course and providing course instruction using teachers employed by the offering school board. The Department shall approve any such fee schedule before a school board offers any such online courses through Virtual Virginia.

The Department shall establish the Virtual Learning Advisory Committee, which shall consist of one superintendent or his designee from each of the eight superintendent's regions, the Superintendent of Public Instruction or his designee, and such other members as the Department deems appropriate, not to exceed three additional members. The contractor that manages Virtual Virginia shall serve as a nonvoting ex officio member. The Committee shall advise the Department on (i) online courses, in-service training, and digital instructional resources that school divisions need to meet the Commonwealth's graduation requirements and (ii) strategic planning to expand blended and online learning opportunities in Virginia's public schools, including cost-effective access to high-need and low-demand courses, training, content, and digital resources.

1988, c. 87; 1998, c. 106; 2011, c. 216; 2014, c. 436.

Repealed by Acts 2001, c. 660, cl. 2.

A. As used in this section:

"Educational technology" means any software, hardware, or other equipment or infrastructure or technical assistance or instruction in the use of such software, hardware or other equipment or infrastructure that may be required to implement a local school board's approved plan for educational technology or the Board of Education's comprehensive technology plan for Virginia described in § 22.1-253.13:6.

"Educational technology foundation" means a nonstock, nonprofit corporation, established for the express purpose of implementing a public/private partnership to expand access to and improve the quality of educational technology in a school division.

"Public school foundation" means a nonstock, nonprofit corporation, established for the express purpose of implementing a public/private partnership to implement public school improvement projects approved by the local school board.

"Public school improvement project" means any project designed to achieve an educational purpose that may be identified in Title 22.1.

B. Any school board may establish educational technology and public school foundations. Such foundations may be established directly by the school board or by the school board and other organizations or persons, on behalf of the school board by a third party, or through a contract with a corporation as defined in this section. Such foundations may be established as a cooperative regional effort by two or more school boards.

C. Upon establishing or contracting with such nonstock, nonprofit corporation, whether or not other organizations, school boards or persons are involved, a school board shall:

1. Review and approve the articles of incorporation and bylaws;

2. Establish a system of accounting to protect public funds;

3. Establish agreement that, upon dissolution of such corporation, any assets remaining after payment of just debts shall be transferred to and become the property of the school board or, if a regional effort, the procedure by which the property may be divided among the school boards;

4. Require, in any instance in which the school board advances, contributes or loans funds to the corporation, that such contract shall provide for the posting of a bond with surety by the officers of such corporation conditioned to protect the rights of the school board;

5. Establish terms for the allocation of any profits or revenues between the school board and the corporation; and

6. Take such other steps as may be necessary to comply with applicable law.

D. A school board may (i) advance, contribute or loan funds to such foundations and (ii) establish an escrow fund for the purpose of funding various educational technology projects, in the case of an educational technology foundation, or public school improvement projects approved by the local school board, in the case of a public school foundation.

E. A school board that makes purchases through its public school foundation or purchases educational technology through its educational technology foundation, either as may be established pursuant to this section shall be exempt from the provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (§ 2.2-4300 et seq.), as provided in subdivision A 12 of § 2.2-4343, except, relative to such purchases, the school board shall comply with the provisions of § 2.2-4311 and §§ 2.2-4367 through 2.2-4377.

1997, c. 863; 1999, cc. 456, 735; 2005, cc. 331, 450; 2011, c. 216.

Repealed by Acts 2011, c. 216, cl. 2.

A. As used in this section:

"Athlete agent" means an individual who holds a valid certificate of registration as an athlete agent issued pursuant to Chapter 5.2 (§ 54.1-526 et seq.) of Title 54.1.

"Attorney" means an attorney licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth.

"Compensation" means any type of remuneration or anything of value. "Compensation" does not include any (i) scholarship provided to a student-athlete that covers some or all of the cost of attendance at a high school at which the student-athlete is enrolled or (ii) benefit a student-athlete may receive in accordance with the rules of the relevant athletic association or conference.

"High school" means any public or private high school in the Commonwealth.

"Student-athlete" means an individual enrolled at a high school who participates in interscholastic athletics.

B. No high school or agent thereof, athletic association, athletic conference, or other organization with authority over interscholastic athletics shall:

1. Prohibit or prevent a student-athlete from earning compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness, except as otherwise permitted in this section;

2. Prohibit or prevent a student-athlete from obtaining professional representation by an athlete agent or legal representation by an attorney in connection with issues related to name, image, or likeness; or

3. Declare a student-athlete ineligible for interscholastic athletic competition because he earns compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness or obtains professional representation by an athlete agent or legal representation by an attorney in connection with issues related to name, image, or likeness.

C. No athletic association, athletic conference, or other organization with authority over interscholastic athletics shall prohibit or prevent a high school from becoming a member of the association, conference, or organization or participating in interscholastic athletics sponsored by such association, conference, or organization as a consequence of any student-athlete earning compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness or obtaining representation by an athlete agent or attorney in connection with issues related to name, image, or likeness.

D. No student-athlete shall earn compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness in connection with any of the following:

1. Alcohol and alcoholic beverages;

2. Adult entertainment;

3. Cannabis, cannabinoids, cannabidiol, or other derivatives, not including hemp or hemp products;

4. Controlled substances, as defined in § 54.1-3401;

5. Performance enhancing drugs or substances such as steroids or human growth hormone;

6. Drug paraphernalia, as defined in § 18.2-265.1;

7. Tobacco, tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, nicotine vapor products, and similar products and devices;

8. Weapons, including firearms and ammunition for firearms; and

9. Casinos or gambling, including sports betting.

E. Any high school may prohibit a student-athlete from earning compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness while the student-athlete is engaged in academic, official team, or athletic program activities, including class, tutoring, competition, practice, travel, academic services, community service, promotional activities, and other athletic program activities.

F. No student-athlete shall use a high school's facilities; apparel; equipment; uniforms; or intellectual property, including logos, indicia, registered and unregistered trademarks, and products protected by copyright, for any opportunity to earn compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness, unless otherwise permitted by such high school.

G. Prior to executing an agreement concerning the use of his name, image, or likeness, a student-athlete shall disclose such agreement to the high school at which he is enrolled in a manner designated by the high school. If a student-athlete discloses a potential agreement that conflicts with an existing high school agreement, the high school shall disclose the relevant terms of the conflicting agreement to the student-athlete.

H. A high school may prohibit a student-athlete from using his name, image, or likeness to earn compensation if the proposed use conflicts with an existing high school agreement relating to interscholastic athletics.

I. No high school shall, except as otherwise permitted in this section, enter into, renew, or modify any agreement that prohibits a student-athlete from using his name, image, or likeness to earn compensation while the student-athlete is engaged in non-academic, unofficial team, or non-athletic program activities.

J. Nothing in this section shall be construed to impact the employment status of a student-athlete or qualify a student-athlete as an employee of a high school solely because the student-athlete engages in name, image, or likeness opportunities.

K. Any student-athlete who is aggrieved by any action of a high school or agent thereof, athletic association, athletic conference, or other organization with authority over interscholastic athletics in violation of any provision of this section may bring an action for injunctive relief.

L. The Department shall publish in a publicly accessibly format on its website information about laws that are applicable to any contract entered into by a student-athlete relating to compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness.

2024, c. 694.