Education

P Passed

P HB235
Certain courses in public schools. Specifies in Standard 1 of the Standards of Quality that school boards must include, in the program of instruction for grades K through 12, art, music, and physical education among those subjects which are emphasized. The fine arts need not be limited to art and music.
Patron - Darner

P HB284
Inclusion of certain students in average daily membership. Adds health education and physical education to the list of subjects for which school divisions may include nonpublic and home-school students who are enrolled in public schools on a less than full-time basis in average daily membership (ADM) in the relevant school division on a pro rata basis. The pro rata calculation is set forth in the appropriation act. Currently, this calculation is limited to enrollments of the nonpublic and home-school students in any mathematics, science, English, history, social science, vocational education, fine arts, or foreign language course. The 1997-98 Appropriation Act did not include enrollments in history, vocational education, or fine arts, and provided that each course enrollment be counted as 0.25 with a cap of 0.5 per student.
Patron - Van Yahres

P HB1043
Acceptable Internet Use Policies (AIUP) in Virginia's public schools and libraries. On or before December 1, 1999, requires every school division superintendent and local public library board (or its equivalent) to file an AIUP with the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Librarian of Virginia, respectively.
Patron - Jackson

P HB1248
Pilot discretionary programs for certain students. Establishes a grants program for pilot discretionary programs for disruptive elementary and middle school students who do not qualify for the alternative education programs established pursuant to § 22.1-209.1:2. "Disruptive student" is defined as a student whose behavior interrupts or obstructs the learning environment and results in two or more short-term suspensions or requires repeated intervention by school personnel. The Board of Education will establish criteria for these pilot discretionary programs which will require innovative approaches to resolving common disciplinary problems which occur among disruptive elementary and middle school students, such as nontraditional physical plants or locations, family involvement and participation, and nontraditional attendance patterns. All such innovative approaches must require, as a condition of enrollment, written agreements for parental involvement and participation in the programs. With such funds as may be appropriated for this purpose, five such grants may be awarded. Applicants must comply with the Board grant criteria; however, applicants may choose to include an interdisciplinary approach or a cooperative approach between the discretionary program and other local or state agencies and other programs or curricula within the relevant local school division or an adjacent school division. The applicants may ask for a waiver through the Board's innovative programs waiver provided in the Standards of Accreditation.
Patron - Drake

P HB1270
Families in Education Incentive Grants Program. Establishes the Families in Education Incentive Grants Program and Fund, to be administered by the Board of Education, to support grants awarded on a competitive basis to public schools, with no more than two grants awarded per superintendent's region, to support innovative family and community involvement programs designed to facilitate parents' creation of a supportive learning environment at home and increased involvement in classroom learning and school activities. The Board shall establish criteria for making grants from the Fund and procedures for determining amounts for grants to eligible public schools. The Board may issue guidelines governing the Program as it deems necessary and appropriate.
Patron - Crittenden

P HB1445
School Resource Officer Grants Program and Fund. Establishes, from such funds as may be appropriated, the School Resource Officer Grants Program and Fund. The Criminal Justice Services Board is to disburse moneys from the Fund to award matching grants to school boards to employ uniformed school resource officers (SROs) in middle and high schools within the relevant school division. Certified law-enforcement officers, these SROs are to be employed to help ensure safety and to prevent violence in schools.
Patron - Hamilton

P HB1451
Criminal records checks for school board employees. Adds Lancaster, Westmoreland, and York Counties and the City of Manassas Park to the list of jurisdictions whose school boards must (i) require, as a condition of employment, fingerprinting for applicants who are offered or accept school board employment, whether on a temporary, permanent, or part- or full-time basis, and (ii) submit these fingerprints and descriptive information through the Central Criminal Records Exchange to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to obtain the applicant's national criminal records history. The records are searched for all felonies and any misdemeanors involving drugs, abuse or neglect of children, moral turpitude, obscenity offenses, and sexual assault. In addition, localities requiring these records checks will also receive reports of arrests for these crimes for current employees, who must then submit to fingerprinting and a criminal records check. Under current law, the school board may require applicants and employees to pay for the fingerprinting and records check or may pay for these services from such funds as may be available for that purpose. The statute now directs 52 jurisdictions (29 counties and 23 cities) to require these criminal records checks.
Patron - Murphy

P HB1521
School safety audits. Clarifies that school safety audits must be written assessments of the safety conditions in each public school and requires each school to maintain a copy of its safety audit within the office of the school principal and to make this copy available for review upon written request. Under current law, school boards must require all public schools to conduct safety audits, which are defined as the assessment of the safety conditions in schools to identify and evaluate patterns of student safety concerns on school property or at school-sponsored events and develop, if necessary, solutions for physical safety concerns, including building security issues. Solutions and responses may include recommendations for structural adjustments, changes in school safety procedures, and revisions to the school board's standards for student conduct. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is required to develop a list of items to be reviewed and evaluated in the school safety audits.
Patron - Hamilton

P HB1577
Charter schools. Modifies the statute which allows school boards to establish joint schools, with the consent of the Board of Education, to clarify that this authority includes the establishment of regional schools, including regional charter schools, i.e., joint ventures with two or more participating school boards. The school boards operating the regional charter school must determine the school division to which the regional school will be attributed for purposes of the restrictions on the number of charter schools. Present law authorizes the establishment of only two charter schools per school division prior to July 1, 2000, and requires that priority be given to charter school applications designed to increase the educational opportunities of at-risk students, and at least one-half of the charter schools per division be reserved for at-risk student programs.
Patron - Davies

P HB1673
Standards of Quality; pupil-teacher ratios in kindergarten and grades two and three. Lowers the divisionwide maximum ratios of students in average daily membership to full-time equivalent teaching positions, excluding special education teachers, principals, assistant principals, counselors, and librarians, in kindergarten and grades two and three from 25:1 to 24:1. If the average daily membership in any kindergarten class exceeds 24 pupils, a full-time teacher's aide would be assigned to the class. Under current law, class sizes in grades K-3 are capped at 30 students, and the pupil-teacher ratio for first grade is already 24:1.
Patron - Dillard

P HB1689
School board salaries. Increases the maximum salaries per year for school board members as follows: for Amelia County, from $1,200 to $5,000; for Arlington County, from $8,000 to $12,000; for Bedford County, from $2,400 to $4,000; for Charlotte County, from $2,400 to $4,800; for Cumberland County, from $1,800 to $3,600; for Middlesex County, from $1,200 to $2,400; for New Kent County, from $1,200 to $3,000; for Prince George County, from $1,800 to $3,600; Pulaski County, from $1,800 to $3,600; for Warren County, from $1,500 to $3,600; and for the City of Petersburg, from $2,400 to $5,000. Under current law, no school board can request the General Assembly's consideration of an increase in its annual salary limit unless the school board has taken an affirmative vote on the requested increase. Further, no school board whose membership is elected in whole or in part can be awarded a salary increase, unless a specific salary increase is approved by affirmative vote by that school board. Additional amendments clarify that a local school board representing a county may establish a salary increase prior to July 1 of any year in which members are to be elected or appointed. Present law provides that, if a county school board is elected or appointed for staggered terms, a salary increase may be established prior to July 1 of any year in which at least one-half of the members are to be elected or appointed. This bill also clarifies that a local school board representing a city or town may establish a salary increase prior to December 31 of any year preceding a year in which members are to be elected or appointed; the increase would become effective on July 1 of the year in which the election occurs. Under present law, no salary increase may become effective during an incumbent member's term of office; however, this restriction will not apply if the school board members are elected or appointed for staggered terms. An emergency clause makes the measure effective upon its passage in order to authorize salary increases in counties which must be established by July 1.
Patron - Baker

P HB1725
Evaluation of teachers. Amends the intent language of Standard 5 of the Standards of Quality to state that, the General Assembly and the Board of Education find that, in addition to programs of professional development and training being essential for advancement of public education in Virginia, appropriate teacher performance evaluations are essential for effective educational leadership and personnel.
Patron - Hull

P HB1726
Evaluation of certain teachers. Directs local school boards to fill positions with instructional personnel qualified in the relevant subject area. School boards are also required to (i) adopt employment policies that include incentives for excellence in teaching, including financial support for teachers attending professional development seminars or seeking and obtaining national certification; (ii) develop procedures for division superintendents and principals to use in evaluating instructional personnel that are appropriate to the tasks performed and address such matters as student academic progress and the skills and knowledge of instructional personnel, including, but not limited to, instructional methodology, classroom management, and subject matter knowledge; (iii) provide each probationary teacher with a mentor teacher to assist the probationary teacher in achieving excellence in instruction; and (iv) evaluate probationary teachers annually. Division superintendents must consider the annual evaluations of the probationary teachers when making recommendations to the school board regarding the nonrenewal of any probationary teacher's contract. If the probationary teacher's evaluation is not satisfactory, the school board must not reemploy the teacher. This bill specifically notes that none of these new requirements are to be construed to require cause for the nonrenewal of the contract of a probationary teacher, i.e., a teacher who has not achieved continuing contract status.
Patron - Hull

P HB1778
Persons to whom public schools shall be free. Revises the statute controlling who is entitled to free public education in the school divisions of the Commonwealth by adding those persons of school age whose parents are unable to care for them who are living within the school division, not solely for school purposes, with another person who resides in the school division and is acting in loco parentis pursuant to placement of the school-age person for adoption by an authorized person or entity. Current law addresses the situation in which a person is living with a natural parent or a parent by legal adoption; however, when the parents are unable to care for a child, the child will only be entitled to free public education while living, not solely for school purposes, with another person who resides in the school division who is the court-appointed guardian or has legal custody of the child.
Patron - Black

P HB1817
Truancy and compulsory school attendance; penalty. Makes a number of revisions to the truancy and compulsory school attendance statutes. The measure (i) allows intake officers to proceed informally on a complaint alleging a child is in need of services, in need of supervision, or delinquent in certain instances involving violations of certain school attendance requirements; (ii) requires attendance officers, in addition to making a reasonable effort to notify the parent of the pupil's absence, to obtain an explanation for the absence; (iii) requires principals or their designees, after a pupil has been absent for five days for the school year without indication of the parent's awareness and support of such absence, to make a reasonable effort to ensure that direct contact is made with the parent by the attendance officer to obtain an explanation and explain to the parent the consequences of continued nonattendance; (iv) requires the attendance officer, the pupil, and the pupil's parent to jointly develop a plan to resolve the pupil's nonattendance; (v) requires a conference to be scheduled, after an additional unexcused absence, to resolve issues related to the pupil's nonattendance; (vi) empowers attendance officers to enforce these new provisions by making a complaint alleging the student is a child in need of supervision or instituting proceedings against the parent relating to violations of the compulsory school attendance law; (vii) directs school principals to report annually the number of pupils by grade level for whom a conference between the pupil, his parent, and school personnel has been scheduled because of no indication that the pupil's parent is aware of and supports the pupil's sixth unexplained absence; and (viii) makes initial violations of the various nonattendance trigger days, plan, and conference requirements a Class 3 misdemeanor and subsequent or knowing and willful violations a Class 2 misdemeanor. The punishment for a Class 3 misdemeanor is a fine of not more than $500 and the punishment for a Class 2 misdemeanor is confinement in jail for not more than six months and a fine of not more than $1,000, either or both.
Patron - Hamilton

P HB1835
School residency. Provides that a person residing within housing or temporary shelter situated in more than one school division shall be deemed to reside in and shall be entitled to attend a public school within either school division. However, if a person resides in housing or temporary shelter that is located in one school division, but the property on which such housing or temporary shelter is located lies within more than one school division, such person shall be deemed to reside only in the single school division in which the housing or temporary shelter is located. Local school boards are to adopt regulations governing tuition charged certain nonresident and underage students consistent with this provision.
Patron - Cox

P HB1837
Appointment of student representatives to local school boards. Allows local school boards to adopt procedures for the appointment of student representatives from among the students enrolled in the public schools in the division. The student representative will serve in a nonvoting, advisory capacity and will be appointed under such circumstances and serve for such terms as the board prescribes. The school board may exclude the nonvoting student representative from executive sessions or closed meetings pursuant to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Student representatives must not be construed to be members of local school boards for any purpose, including, but not limited to, establishing a quorum or making any official decision.
Patron - Darner

P HB1894
School board regulation of laser pointer use. Authorizes local school boards to regulate the use or possession of laser pointers by students on school property or attending school functions or activities and establish disciplinary procedures for violations. Currently, this regulatory and disciplinary authority applies to beepers "or other portable communications devices."
Patron - Tata

P HB1895
Information about the teaching profession. Requires local school boards to make information about the teaching profession available to secondary students through their employment counseling and placement services and to all students as part of K through 12 career education programs. The bill also makes technical amendments.
Patron - Blevins

P HB1925
Annual school board reports. Changes from August 15 to September 15 the date on which school boards must make a report covering the work of the schools for the year ending the preceding June 30 to the Board of Education on forms supplied by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. This bill is identical to SB 1067.
Patron - Tate

P HB1975
Employment of licensed instructional personnel for certain courses. Clarifies in the Standards of Quality that school boards must include art, music, and physical education among those subjects emphasized in programs of instruction for grades K through 12, and directs school boards to strive to employ only licensed instructional personnel with endorsements in the relevant subject areas to provide instruction in art, music, and physical education. In addition, the Teacher Employment Incentive Grants Program and Fund, to be administered by the Board of Education, is created to award matching grants to school boards that agree to employ these licensed instructional personnel with appropriate endorsements to provide instruction in art, music, and physical education. Board criteria for the grants are to include procedures for determining local fiscal capacity and effort to hire these licensed personnel, and amounts for the grants and for the required local match, which is to be calculated on the basis of the composite index of local ability to pay.
Patron - Darner

P HB2056
Regulations for remediation programs. Requires the Board of Education to promulgate emergency regulations for establishing standards for remediation programs. The regulations must require schools divisions to evaluate their remediation programs, annually, in terms of the pass rate on the Standards of Learning (SOL) tests. The Board of Education must collect and analyze the data on remediation programs submitted by local school divisions, and report such findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly, annually. The regulations for remedial summer school and SOL assessment remediation must be promulgated by August 1, 1999, and those for Standards of Quality remediation, dropout prevention, and at-risk add-on programs by August 1, 2000. The initial version of the bill was recommended by the Joint Subcommittee on Remediation.
Patron - Rhodes

P HB2064
School board salaries. Eliminates the school board member salary limits specified for each school division, and provides instead that salaries for school board members representing counties, cities, and towns must be consistent with salary procedures and limits set by statute or by charter for the relevant local governing body. The salary limits for members of the consolidated school divisions of Williamsburg/James City County; Greensville County/Emporia, and Alleghany County/Clifton Forge must be consistent with the salary limits established for the relevant county. Title 15.2 sets specific salary caps for city councils and boards of supervisors by population brackets; town councils may set their own salary levels. This bill also provides that the amount a school board may pay its chairman annually will be increased from $1,100 to $2,000, whether elected or appointed and retains the restriction that no school board can be awarded a salary increase, unless a specific salary increase is approved by affirmative vote of that school board. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2000.
Patron - Davies

P HB2077
School report cards. Provides that the Board of Education, in setting criteria for recognizing educational performance of school divisions, shall include consideration of special school division accomplishments, such as numbers of dual enrollments and students in advanced placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate courses, and participation in academic year Governor's Schools. Currently, the Standards of Accreditation direct each public school to provide annually to parents a School Performance Report Card (8 VAC 20-131-270) that includes a variety of test scores, student attendance rates, and incidents of physical violence and weapon possession occurring at school. In addition, secondary schools are to report the number and percentage of students taking AP courses and the number and percentage of those earning a score of 3 or better on AP tests; the number and percentage of students taking college-level courses and the number and percentage of those students passing at least one such course; the number of Standard, Advanced Studies, Special and International Baccalaureate Diplomas, as well as Certificates of Program Completion and GED certificates; dropout rates; and the accreditation rating awarded to the school for the current and previous three years. The bill contains technical amendments. Additional technical amendments correct errors regarding the phase-out of the Literacy Passport Test.
Patron - Councill

P HB2087
National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program. Establishes, from such funds as may be appropriated and from such gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds as may be received, the National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund. Administered by the Board of Education, this initiative provides incentive grants to public school teachers obtaining national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). To the extent funds are available, initial awards are set at $5,000, with subsequent annual awards of $2,500 for the life of the certificate. The Board is to establish procedures for determining amounts of awards when funds are insufficient to meet these targeted amounts. The Board may issue guidelines governing the Program as it deems necessary and appropriate.
Patron - Hamilton

P HB2122
Standards of Quality. Codifies, in Standard 3 of the Standards of Quality, the minimum staffing requirements for public schools which are currently included in the Board of Education regulations " Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia." Technical edits address errors regarding the phase-out of the Literacy Passport Test.
Patron - Dillard

P HB2141
Computation of average daily membership for half-day kindergarten programs. Clarifies in Standard 1 of the Standards of Quality (SOQ) that school divisions offering half-day kindergarten programs are to adjust their average daily membership (ADM) for kindergarten to reflect 85 percent of the total kindergarten ADM, as provided in the appropriation act. This amendment indicates that current practice is detailed more specifically in the appropriation act, as some school divisions operating half-day programs receive funding for full ADM, and some may receive a blend, as they offer both full- and half-day programs. Currently, the Code does not specify the duration of the kindergarten day, although the Standards of Accreditation specify that the minimum day for kindergarten programs shall be three hours. Most school divisions provide a full-day program. Regardless of length, all kindergarten programs are supported by state and local funding, as required by the SOQ, based upon ADM; however, in those localities operating less than full-day kindergarten (five and one-half hours) and maintaining pupil-teacher ratios greater than 30:1, funding is adjusted to include only 85 percent of kindergarten ADM pursuant to the budget. Under this formula, a school division might operate two less-than-full-day kindergartens per day and still receive full ADM funding if the programs' cumulative pupil-teacher ratio is 30:1 or less. There are also technical amendments.
Patron - Scott

P HB2144
Student expulsions for drug offenses. Modifies the requirement that students must be expelled from school attendance for possession of drugs on school property or at a school-sponsored activity to permit school boards, by regulation, to authorize the division superintendent or his designee to conduct a preliminary review of such cases to determine whether a disciplinary action other than expulsion is appropriate. These regulations must ensure that any such "other" subsequent disciplinary action is to be taken in accordance with the due process procedures set forth in § 22.1-277. Currently, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or distribute is the basis for required expulsion. A school board, and only a school board, may determine that "special circumstances" exist in these cases and that another disciplinary action is more appropriate. This bill is identical to SB 1135.
Patron - Puller

P HB2176
Public school foundations. Expands the current authority of local school boards to establish, by themselves or with other parties or as regional efforts with other school boards, educational technology foundations to include "public school foundations," nonstock, nonprofit corporations created to implement "public school improvement projects," defined to include any project designed to achieve an educational purpose that may be identified in Title 22.1. These foundations follow the same accounting and bylaws requirements set forth for educational technology foundations. Unlike purchases made through an educational technology corporation, purchases made through the public school foundation are subject to the provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Act.
Patron - Day

P HB2200
Virginia Education Coordinating Council. Establishes the Virginia Education Coordinating Council within the Secretariat for Education for the purpose of connecting Virginia's public education system, higher education system, and the Legislature to facilitate collaboration, dialogue, cooperation, and communication between public schools, institutions of higher education, and the Legislature; to provide consistency in policies, goals, and reform efforts; and to ensure the academic success of all students from kindergarten to college, and their preparation for post-collegiate education and lifelong learning. A goal of the Council is to facilitate a seamless education continuum for grades PK through undergraduate, graduate education, and the professional schools. The Council shall be composed of the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education; one member of the Higher Education Subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and Health, one member of the Public Education Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Finance, the Secretary of Education, the Chairman of the State Council of Higher Education, the President of the Board of Education, the Director of the State Council of Higher Education, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The Council has no regulatory duties or authority; however, it has been charged, among other things, to (i) identify and discuss mutual concerns of public and higher education; (ii) develop solutions to problems; (iii) establish measures to promote high quality professional development for all licensed educational personnel and higher education faculty and staff, and excellence in learning and teaching at all levels of education; (iv) determine the status of education in Virginia for all levels and report such findings to the relevant state agencies, the Governor, and the General Assembly; (v) develop and promote collaborative efforts to increase access and diversity to enhance learning at all levels; (vi) ascertain and review data on student achievement at the K-12 and college levels to generate recommendations for joint goals for excellence in learning and teaching, and for closing the academic achievement gap between black and white students in the Commonwealth; and (vii) recommend the need for changes in policy, regulations, or statute identified by the Council in the course of its deliberations which would facilitate cohesiveness, congruity, and consistency in the goals of public and higher education. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Access and Diversity in Higher Education.
Patron - Rhodes

P HB2201
Persons eligible to serve on school boards. Adds members of the Board of Review of Real Estate Assessments in cities having a population of more than 250,000 but less than 350,000 (Norfolk) to those local officers excepted from the statutory prohibition against also serving on local school boards. Under current law, no state, county, city or town officer; no deputy of any such officer; no member of the governing body of a county, city or town; no employee of a school board; and no father, mother, brother, sister, spouse, son, daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law or brother-in-law of a member of the county governing body may, during his term of office, be appointed as a member of the school board for such county, city or town; exceptions are made, however, for specific offices or localities, such as, for example, medical examiners or, in Northumberland County, oyster inspectors. There are also technical amendments.
Patron - Moss

P HB2241
Public School Educational Technology Grants Program and Fund. Establishes, with such funds as are appropriated for this purpose, the Virginia Public School Educational Technology Grants Program and Trust Fund to provide grants to eligible school divisions for educational technology, including infrastructure, software, and hardware acquisitions and replacement, and innovative programs to advance the effectiveness of educational technology. This program, which will be administered by the Board of Education, will be funded through the Virginia Public School Educational Technology Trust Fund, a nonreverting fund established on the books of the Comptroller and managed by the State Treasurer, subject to the authority of the Board of Education. The amount of such educational technology grants must be matched by funds of the qualifying school division based on the locality's composite index of ability to pay. In awarding such grants, the Board must take into consideration any other state or federal grants which may have been applied for or awarded for the same projects. Grants shall be awarded upon a determination of the Governor of the appropriate funding source and amounts for the Fund. The Board shall issue guidelines for the administration of the Program which must include, but are not limited to, compliance with other law or Board requirements for educational technology, the application for a grant from the Fund, the innovations included in the proposal, and other criteria as established by the Board. Funds appropriated for financial assistance for the purposes of this chapter must be apportioned and distributed among the school divisions of the Commonwealth in accordance with eligibility and needs criteria to be established by the Board.
Patron - Phillips

P HB2263
Teacher licensure; technology proficiency. Directs the Board of Education to include in its licensure regulations a requirement that on and after July 1, 2003, persons seeking initial licensure or license renewal as teachers demonstrate proficiency in the use of educational technology for instruction. Currently, Standard 6 of the Standards of Quality requires local school boards to provide programs of professional development in educational technology for all instructional personnel.
Patron - Van Landingham

P HB2321
Family Involvement in Technology (FIT) program. Establishes, with such funds as may be appropriated for this purpose, the Family Involvement in Technology program - a superintendent's region grants program. The FIT program will promote parental and family involvement in children's education, found a partnership between families and schools, increase students' time on task, integrate educational technology into the public school curriculum to meet the Standards of Learning objectives, and increase access to educational technology, particularly in schools with large populations of disadvantaged children (federal Title I schools). Upon appropriation of funds, eight grants, one grant to each superintendent's region, will be awarded to provide at least 100 computers per center on the condition that each project focus, to the extent feasible, on increasing educational technology in Title I schools. Each superintendent's region will be responsible for determining how the computers are distributed and the components of the FIT program in the region, so long as such components are consistent with the provisions of the section. The FIT program will include (i) measurable goals and objectives; (ii) an assessment of the needs of the students to be included in the project; (iii) assurances that the project will increase access to educational technology in schools with populations of at least 75 percent disadvantaged children; (iv) training of the relevant teachers, students, and families in computer technology, including, but not limited to, the appropriate supervision of children while engaged in using computers and researching on the Internet; (vi) the establishment, if feasible, of an interactive network between the school administration, the relevant teachers, and the relevant students' homes; (vii) better integration of educational technology into the school curriculum; (viii) activities to promote awareness of the project, increase access to educational technology, and continually assess the school-community needs; (ix) collaboration with available public and private resources, including any educational technology corporation; and (x) improved communications between parents, teachers, and administrators which are designed to improve students' academic achievement. The Board shall evaluate and determine, in cooperation with the superintendents' regions, and, based upon objective criteria, the success of the program. In accordance with this analysis, the Board will make, within one year of implementation of this provision, such recommendations as it deems appropriate, to the Governor and the General Assembly, for the FIT program, which may include continuation of the program in its original form, phasing out of the program, termination or revision of the program at a date certain, or extension of the program to other schools. This program is modeled after the Indiana Buddy System.
Patron - Van Yahres

P HB2360
School division participation in medical assistance services. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Director of the Department of Medical Assistance Services or their designees to develop and execute a memorandum of agreement relating to pilot school/community health centers and special education health services that are delivered by school divisions to public school students. The memorandum of agreement must be revised on a periodic basis; at a minimum, it must be revised within six months of the inauguration of a new governor. The agreement must include, but need not be limited to, (i) requirements for regular and consistent communications and consultations between the two departments and with school division personnel and officials and school board representatives; (ii) a description of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and any corresponding state law which influences the scope of these responsibilities; (iii) a summary of the then-current Medicaid regulations regarding the pilot school/community health centers and special education health services programs; (iv) assignment of specific responsibilities of the two state departments for the operation of the pilot school/community health services and special education health services programs; (v) a schedule of issues to be resolved through the regular and consistent communications process, including, but not limited to, ways integrate and coordinate care between the Department of Medical Assistance Services' managed care providers and the pilot school/community health centers and the special education health services; (vi) a process for the evaluation of the services which may be delivered by school divisions participating as pilot school/community health or special education health services providers pursuant to Medicaid which differentiates between the pilot school/community health centers and the special education health services; (vii) a plan and schedule to reduce the administrative and paperwork burden of Medicaid participation on school divisions in Virginia. In addition, the Boards of Education and Medical Assistance Services are directed to develop a form to be included in the individualized education plan (IEP) that must be accepted by DMAS as the plan of care and to collect data necessary to establish separate and specific Medicaid rates for the IEP meetings and other services delivered by school divisions. The two Boards must work together to develop mechanisms to reduce the burden of eligibility determinations and for obtaining physicians' orders and parental consent to release of minor's records. Further, the pilot school/community health centers and Medicaid state plan statutes are amended to provide technical updating revisions and to confirm both programs and the responsibilities of the Board of Medical Assistance Services for revision of its regulations on these programs. The Boards of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology and of Psychology will respectively license, as school speech-language pathologists, persons licensed by the Board of Education with an endorsement in speech-language pathology and a master's degree in speech-language pathology as school speech-language pathologists, and persons licensed by the Board of Education with an endorsement in psychology and a master's degree in psychology as school psychologists-limited. Such individuals are not authorized to practice outside the school setting or in any setting other than the public schools of the Commonwealth, unless such individuals are licensed by the relevant board to offer services to the public. Persons who hold licenses as speech-language pathologists or psychologists without these limitations will be exempt from these limitations. The services delivered by school divisions cannot include any family planning, pregnancy or abortion services. Emergency regulations are required by the second enactment. The third enactment requires the two departments to report on or before December 1 of each year to the chairmen of the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance, and the House Committees on Education, Health, Welfare and Institutions, Finance, and Appropriations. This bill is identical to SB 1199.
Patron - Bloxom

P HB2379
Literary Fund loans; legal opinion required. Prohibits the Board of Education from disbursing any proceeds of any approved Literary Fund loan prior to the receipt of an acceptable opinion of bond counsel obtained by the local governing body as to the validity of the loan and the status under federal income tax laws of the interest on such loan. The Literary Fund was originally established in 1810 as a statutory mechanism for funding the education of poor children and was added to the Virginia Constitution in 1869. The Fund provides direct loans for new construction, building additions or renovations, the purchase and installation of educational technology equipment and infrastructure, interest rate subsidies for projects funded through the Virginia Public School Authority, and moneys for other school purposes, such as teacher retirement and debt service on technology equipment notes. This bill is nearly identical to SB 779.
Patron - Blevins

P HB2384
Compulsory school attendance; general educational development (GED) testing. Authorizes local school boards to allow compulsory attendance requirements to be satisfied for any student who is at least age 16, upon a meeting between the student, the student's parents, and the principal or his designee, in which an individual student alternative education (ISAEP) plan is developed in conformity with guidelines prescribed by the Board, which plan must include career guidance counseling, mandatory enrollment in a GED testing program or other alternative education program approved by the local school board, counseling on the economic impact of failing to complete high school and provisions for re-enrollment in school. Such students may take the GED test. From such funds as may be appropriated, local school boards must implement GED testing and preparatory programs consistent with guidelines to be developed by the Board of Education. The guidelines must include a provision allowing such preparatory and testing programs to be offered jointly by two or more school boards. No one under age 16 is eligible for GED testing programs. A student for whom an ISAEP has been granted and who fails to comply with such plan shall be deemed to be in violation of compulsory attendance requirements. Students enrolled with an ISAEP shall be counted in the average daily membership in the relevant school division. Additional amendments provide that home-schooled students need not have three consecutive years of home instruction to be eligible to take the GED test and that, effective July 1, 2000, parents electing to provide home instruction must notify the division superintendents by August 15 of each year. The bill combines and reorganizes several Code sections addressing compulsory school attendance. The repealed sections are moved to § 22.1-254. This bill is identical to SB 962.
Patron - Dillard

P HB2405
Authority to make certain alternative education placements. Authorizes school boards to adopt regulations empowering the division superintendent or his designee to require certain students to attend alternative education programs after written notice to the student and his parent and notice of the opportunity for the student or his parent to participate in a hearing to be conducted by the division superintendent or his designee regarding such alternative education placement. The decision of the superintendent (or his designee) would be final unless altered by the school board, upon timely written petition by the student or his parent, for a review of the record by the school board. The affected students include those who have been (i) charged with an offense relating to the Commonwealth's laws, or with a violation of school board policies, on weapons, alcohol or drugs, or intentional injury to another person; (ii) found guilty or not innocent of a crime which resulted in or could have resulted in injury to others, or of a crime for which the disposition ordered by a court is required to be disclosed to the superintendent of the school division pursuant to § 16.1-305.1; or (iii) expelled for weapons offenses or convictions or adjudications of delinquency related to certain serious crimes. This measure does not confer upon division superintendents the power to circumvent due process procedures afforded students in suspension and expulsion cases, but simply empowers them to determine alternative education placements in these particular instances. The superintendent's designee must be a trained hearing officer or a professional employee within the administrative offices of the school division who reports directly to the division superintendent, and may not be a school-based instructional or administrative employee. School boards currently may delegate to division superintendents or their designees the authority to exclude certain students from school attendance, subject to similar notice and hearing requirements.
Patron - Hull

P HB2415
Gifted education. Establishes, in statute, the requirement, which currently exists in regulation, that local school boards establish local advisory committees on gifted education. The bill also requires the local advisory committee's comments and recommendations on the annual report on gifted education programs to be submitted directly to the school board and the superintendent. This bill also includes some technical syntax changes.
Patron - Croshaw

P HB2476
Vocational education. Directs the Board of Education to incorporate the Standards of Learning for mathematics, English, science, and social studies, and other subjects as appropriate, into vocational education. The bill also establishes, with such funds as may be appropriated for such purpose, within the Department of Education a unit of specialists in vocational education. The unit is to assist in developing and revising the vocational education curriculum to integrate the Standards of Learning, provide professional development for vocational education teachers to improve the quality of vocational education, make site visits to the schools providing vocational education, and seek the input of business and industry representatives regarding the content and direction of vocational education programs in the public schools in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to SB 1284.
Patron - Orrock

P HB2477
Standards of Quality. Amends Standard 3 of the Standards of Quality to mandate that the requirements for obtaining a standard or advanced studies high school diploma must include at least two sequential electives. The measure has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2003. Technical amendments correct errors in Standard 3 addressing the phase-out of the Literacy Passport Test.
Patron - Orrock

P HB2478
Indoor air quality in public schools. Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to establish a task force to identify existing guidelines and standards for indoor air quality and Uniform Statewide Building Code requirements for heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems for schools. The task force will consist of twelve members, including two members of the House of Delegates and one member of the Senate, representatives of the Virginia Association of School Boards, Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Association of Counties, and the Virginia Education Association, one licensed architect or engineer actively engaged in the practice of school design and construction and representatives of the Departments of Housing and Community Development, Education, and Health. Various appointments will be made by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections, and the Governor. The task force must develop recommendations regarding indoor air quality in public schools and report such recommendations to the House Committees on Education and on Appropriations, and the Senate Committees on Education and Health and on Finance by December 1, 1999.
Patron - Grayson

P HB2480
Educational opportunities. Requires, in fiscal year 2000, that the Board of Education contract, with such funds as are appropriated for this purpose, for the development or purchase of interactive educational software and other instructional materials designed as tutorials to improve achievement on the Standards of Learning assessments. The interactive educational software and other instructional materials may be used in media centers, computer laboratories, libraries, after-school or before-school programs or remedial programs by teachers and other instructional personnel or provided to parents and students to be used in the home and must only be used as supplemental materials for instruction, remediation, and acceleration of the learning required by the K-12 Standards of Learning. This bill also contains several technical amendments.
Patron - Wagner

P HB2489
Advisory referendum; Page County high schools. Provides for an advisory referendum in Page County at the November 2, 1999, election on the future of the county's two high schools. The voters are asked to vote for one of three options: (i) a new consolidated high school and conversion of the two existing high schools to middle schools; (ii) two new high schools and conversion of the two existing high schools to middle schools; or (iii) no change in present system.
Patron - Guest

P HB2521
Bill of Rights. Includes instruction on the principles of the Bill of Rights among the historical documents that must be explained and taught to pupils in the public schools. Currently, there is concern that many students do not know or understand the fundamental principles which undergird our democratic system of government, and do not appreciate the concept of civic duty, constitutional rights, and individual and collective responsibilities which emanate from such principles. It is believed that emphasis on the principles of the Bill of Rights, when historical documents of Virginia and the United States are taught, will help to remedy students' lack of knowledge, encourage respect for individual rights and responsibilities, and an appreciation for our system of government.
Patron - Joannou

P HB2529
School board accounts for materials and supplies. Permits school boards, subject to the approval of the governing body, to establish accounts for the purchase of instructional materials and supplies within division departments. Currently, school boards may create these accounts only in schools. In addition, the measure eliminates the requirement that these instructional materials and supplies be those that are not stocked or purchased directly by the school division, cost no more than $500 per order, and are "essential" to meet immediate health, safety, or security needs.
Patron - McClure

P HB2553
Advanced placement; International Baccalaureate; Governor's Schools. Requires local school boards to notify students and their parents of the availability of advanced placement classes, the International Baccalaureate program, and academic year Governor's Schools; the qualifications for entrance into such classes and programs; and the availability of financial assistance to low-income and needy students to take the advanced placement and International Baccalaureate examinations. It has been determined that too often students are not aware of the availability of these classes and programs in their schools, or of the qualifications for enrolling in such classes. Sometimes the information is provided students selectively, omitting certain students who possess the potential to succeed and benefit from these classes. Some advanced and gifted students, particularly minorities and poor students, do not pursue such educational opportunities because they cannot afford to take the required examinations. Success on the examinations may qualify students for exemptions of required college courses, thereby lessening the amount of money and time necessary to complete the degree requirements. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee Studying the Educational Needs of Certain Underserved Gifted Students.
Patron - Crittenden

P HB2591
Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program. Authorizes local governing bodies to establish separate escrow accounts for the deposit of the school construction grants, with certain restrictions. This provision allows the governing body of the locality to which a grant is awarded to authorize the local treasurer or fiscal officer, by ordinance or resolution, to create the separate account and, upon approval of the ordinance or resolution, the treasurer must place the grant awards into the account. The funds must be used for the purposes authorized under the Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program, which may include technology infrastructure, and must be appropriated by the local governing body. If a locality establishes such an escrow fund and designates any portion of the funds to pay debt service for any general obligation of the locality held by the Virginia Public School Authority or any Literary Fund loan, the localities must obtain an opinion of bond counsel that designation of funds to pay debt service on such obligations does not adversely impact the tax-exempt status of the obligations. Deposit and investment restrictions applying to public funds must be observed. School boards are not authorized to hold and invest the funds in their own names or to expend the funds without an appropriation from the governing body.
Patron - Wilkins

P HB2607
Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program. Codifies the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program, provides three components of the program, and sets out the criteria for such awards. The components of the program include awards to (i) students pursuing teaching degrees in critical teacher shortage areas; (ii) paraprofessionals to assist them in becoming fully licensed teachers; and (iii) at-risk students for the purpose of increasing diversity among teachers and providing incentives for such students to pursue careers in teaching, as provided in the Diversity in Teaching Program. The Board of Education is required to establish criteria for determining, biennially, critical teacher shortage area and for defining "high concentrations" of at-risk students. The Board is also required to consult with the State Council of Higher Education in developing and implementing the program. Recipients of the awards must be undergraduate students in the junior or senior year of college enrolled full-time in an accredited public or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.7 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent, and be nominated for the scholarship by the institution in which they are enrolled. However, paraprofessionals may be enrolled part-time or full-time at an accredited public or private college or university in Virginia. Students may repay the loans by teaching in a critical teacher shortage area, or in a school division with high concentrations of at-risk students, or at grade levels or in a geographical region of the Commonwealth in which at-risk students are under-represented. In addition, a special nonreverting fund, known as the Diversity in Teaching Fund, is established on the books of the Comptroller to receive such funds as may be appropriated, and any donations, gifts, grants, and bequests as may be received by the Board of Education on behalf of the Diversity in Teaching Program. Further, funds appropriated to the Minorities in Teaching Program shall be deemed to be appropriated to the Diversity in Teaching Program and must be used solely for this purpose. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Access and Diversity in Higher Education.
Patron - Christian

P HB2633
School board salaries. Provides (i) a limited exception to the requirement that county local school boards whose membership is elected or appointed for staggered terms may only establish a salary increase prior to July 1 of any year in which at least one-half of such members are to be elected or appointed for Arlington County, and (ii) a limited exception to the time limitations for the request for an salary increase for any county contiguous to a county having the urban county executive form of government in which the chairmen of the board of supervisors and the school board are elected at large (Prince William). To address cases in which half of the members of a staggered board are never elected or appointed in one year, this measure allows a five-member school board serving a county having the county manager plan of government (Arlington) to establish a salary increase prior to July 1 in any year in which two of the five members are to be elected or appointed. This provision also allows the board of a county having the executive form of government which is contiguous to a county having the urban county executive form of government (Prince William County) to establish a salary increase prior to July 1 in any year in which members are to be elected for staggered terms, if at least one-half of the board, including the chairman, are to be elected in that year. The increase will become effective on January 1 of the following year. This provision also authorizes the Prince William County School Board to authorize the election of school board members, excluding the chairman, for staggered terms by adopting a resolution prior to April 1 immediately preceding the next general election for school board members. The terms of school board members, excluding the chairman, must be staggered to provide that if the school board has an even number of members, excluding the chairman, half of the members will be elected for four-year terms and half of the members will be elected for two-year terms; and if the school board, excluding the chairman, has an odd number of members, the smallest number of members which creates a majority of the odd number will be elected for four-year terms and the remaining members will be elected for two-year terms. The school board must designate by resolution which districts will be assigned four-year terms and which districts will be assigned two-year terms prior to April 1 of the year in which the first election is held to implement staggered terms. Thereafter, all members will be elected for four-year terms and the elections will be conducted biennially for staggered terms. Under current law, no school board can request the General Assembly's consideration of an increase in its annual salary limit unless the school board has taken an affirmative vote on the requested increase. Further, no school board whose membership is elected in whole or in part can be awarded a salary increase, unless a specific salary increase is approved by affirmative vote by that school board. Amendments adopted in 1998 (HB 1047) clarified the procedures by which school boards may elect to increase their salaries. In contrast to county school boards, a local school board representing a city or town may establish a salary increase prior to January 1 in any year in which members are to be elected or appointed; the increase would become effective on July 1 of the following year. No salary increase may become effective during an incumbent member's term of office; however, this restriction does not apply if the school board members are elected or appointed for staggered terms.
Patron - Darner

P HB2673
Tuition charges for public school. Adds to the list of persons for whom tuition may be charged for public school attendance, those individuals who, as Virginia residents who were enrolled in a public school within the school division, are required as a result of military or federal orders issued to their parents to move to or on federal property in another state or in the District of Columbia, if the school division subsequently enrolling the student is contiguous to such state or District of Columbia.
Patron - O'Brien

P HB2698
Truancy centers. Authorizes law-enforcement officers and attendance officers who pick up a child for truancy, after reasonably determining that the child is a public school student, to deliver the child to the appropriate public school or a truancy center. "Truancy center" means a facility or site operated by a school division, sometimes jointly with the local law-enforcement agency, and designated for receiving public school children who have been retrieved by a law-enforcement officer or attendance officer for truancy from public school. Currently, the Code only contemplates the delivery of these students to the appropriate school. Immunity from civil liability is also provided for acts or omissions relating to the pick-up and delivery of truant public school children.
Patron - Byron

P HB2710
Education Accountability and Quality Enhancement Act of 1999. Makes a variety of changes to the statutes governing teacher preparation, evaluation, and employment, including: (i) requiring each local school board to evaluate its division superintendent annually; (ii) directing the Board of Education to prescribe by regulation uniform performance standards and criteria to be used by local school boards in evaluating superintendents; (iii) establishing the National Teacher Certification Reward Program to provide annual monetary awards to teachers achieving and maintaining national certification; (iv) amending Standard 5 of the Standards of Quality to incorporate specific training for administrative and supervisory personnel in the evaluation and documentation of training in evaluation and documentation of teacher and administrator performance; (v) requiring local school boards to develop for use by division superintendents a performance evaluation process for principals, assistant principals, and supervisors; (vi) requiring school boards to fill teaching positions with licensed instructional personnel qualified in the relevant subject areas; (vii) directing school boards to include in their teacher employment policies incentives for excellence in teaching, and to develop a procedure for use by the division superintendent and principals in evaluating instructional personnel; (viii) requiring the Board of Education to require persons seeking initial licensure on and after July 1, 2003, to complete study in instructional methods tailored to promote student achievement and effective preparation for the Standards of Learning end-of-course and end-of-grade assessments and to submit materials evidencing proficiency in classroom instruction and to require persons renewing licenses on and after July 1, 2004, to receive training in instructional methods promoting academic progress and effective preparation for the SOL tests; (ix) directing Virginia's public colleges and universities to use a professional teacher's examination prescribed by the Board of Education for persons seeking entry into teacher education programs and to report annually, pursuant to Board of Education guidelines, performance reports that include pass rates of graduates taking the state teacher licensure examination; (x) directing school boards to provide mentor teachers to probationary teachers, except probationary teachers who have prior successful teaching experience; (xi) requiring annual evaluations of probationary teachers; and (xii) specifying various guidelines for the Mentor Teacher Program. The bill also includes several technical amendments. This measure is identical to SB 1145.
Patron - Diamonstein

P HB2711
School health services. Provides that instructional employees, instructional aides and clerical employees may not be disciplined, placed on probation, or dismissed for refusal to perform non-emergency health-related for students. School administrative personnel and persons employed by school boards who have the specific duty to deliver health-related services are excepted from this prohibition. Further, instructional aides and clerical employees may not refuse to dispense oral medications. Currently, protection from disciplinary actions for refusal to perform nonemergency health-related services for students is only extended to licensed instructional personnel.
Patron - Puller

P HB2746
Adult education. Requires every school division in the Commonwealth to develop an adult education program and requires the Board of Education to encourage coordination in the development and provision of such programs with other state, federal, and local public and private agencies. The bill modifies the definition of adult education program by including credit programs, cultural adult education, and external diploma programs and defines these terms. Current law provides that the Board of Education "stimulate and encourage" the development of such programs rather than requiring them. The bill also requires school divisions annually, beginning on July 1, 2000, to evaluate the adult education programs which they offer, and to report the findings, including the success rate of adults who earn a general educational development (GED) certificate or high school diploma, to the Board. The Board is required to transmit the report to the Governor and the General Assembly.
Patron - Behm

P SB559
Verification of citizenship of certain students. Strikes the requirement that local school boards verify, as a condition of school admission, the citizenship of students for whom English is the second language who enter public school in Virginia for the first time after reaching their twelfth birthday. This bill is a recommendation of the Standing Joint Subcommittee on School Dropout Prevention.
Patron - Woods

P SB779
Literary Fund loans; legal opinion required. Prohibits the Board of Education from disbursing any proceeds of any approved Literary Fund loan prior to its receipt of an acceptable opinion of bond counsel obtained by the local governing body as to the validity of the loan and the status under federal income tax laws of the interest on such loan. The Literary Fund was originally established in 1810 as a statutory mechanism for funding the education of poor children and was added to the Virginia Constitution in 1869. The Fund provides direct loans for new construction, building additions or renovations, the purchase and installation of educational technology equipment and infrastructure, interest rate subsidies for projects funded through the Virginia Public School Authority, and moneys for other school purposes, such as teacher retirement and debt service on technology equipment notes. This measure is similar to HB 2379; however the last lines in the bills differ.
Patron - Chichester

P SB817
Elementary school character education programs. Requires all school boards to establish character education programs. These programs must be developed in cooperation with the students, parents and the community. The basic character traits may include trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship, each of which subsumes various characteristics such as honesty, integrity, tolerance, and accountability. The present law on the Commonwealth Character Initiative is modified to provide that the Board will establish criteria for character education programs as well as the Commonwealth Character Initiative and will provide certain information to school divisions, and may provide resources supporting professional development in the implementation of character education programs. The Board 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. Character education is intended to educate students regarding those core civic values and virtues which are efficacious to civilized society and are common to the diverse social, cultural, and religious groups of the Commonwealth. The program shall not be construed as requiring or authorizing the indoctrination in any particular religious or political belief. Any classroom instruction used to supplement the character education program must complement the Standards of Learning.
Patron - Edwards

P SB827
School safety. Requires, in addition to the already required school safety audits, that school boards ensure that each school develops a written school crisis and emergency management plan. The Department of Education must provide technical assistance to the schools in the development of these plans. The Board of Education must, upon consultation with local school boards and division superintendents, develop, and may revise as necessary, a model school crisis and emergency management plan for the purpose of assisting the public schools in Virginia in developing viable, effective crisis and emergency management plans. "School crisis and emergency management plan" is defined as the essential procedures, operations, and assignments required to prevent, manage, and respond to a critical event or emergency, including natural disasters involving fire, flood, severe weather; loss or disruption of power, water, communications or shelter; bus or other accidents; medical emergencies; student or staff member deaths; explosions; bomb threats; gun, knife or other weapons threats; spills or exposures to hazardous substances; the presence of unauthorized persons or trespassers; the loss, disappearance or kidnapping of a student; hostage situations; and violence on school property or at school activities; and other incidents posing a serious threat of harm to students, personnel or facilities. A second enactment clause requires that the plans must be developed and operational by July 1 of the year following the effective date of this act.
Patron - Houck

P SB889
Care of public school students diagnosed with diabetes. Provides, in the Good Samaritan law, for immunity from liability for school board employees who assist in administering administering insulin to diabetic students or who administer glucagon to diabetic students suffering from life-threatening hypoglycemia. To qualify for immunity, the employee must be authorized by a prescriber, be trained in the administration of insulin and glucagon, and be acting upon the authorization of the prescriber and the written request of the student's parents. In schools with a staff of 10 or more and if one or more students diagnosed with diabetes attend the school, the school health services must include at least two employees trained in the administration of insulin and glucagon. No licensed instructional employee shall be disciplined, placed on probation, or dismissed for refusal to obtain such training. When a registered nurse, nurse practitioner, physician or physician assistant is present, no employee who is not a registered nurse, nurse practitioner, physician or physician assistant can assist with the administration of insulin or administer glucagon. Prescriber authorization and parental consent must be obtained for any employee who is not a registered nurse, physician or physician assistant to assist with the administration of insulin or to administer glucagon. The school health advisory boards may recommend to the local school board procedures relating to children with acute or chronic illnesses or conditions, including appropriate emergency procedures for any life-threatening conditions and designation of school personnel to implement the appropriate emergency procedures. The procedures relating to children with acute or chronic illnesses or conditions must be developed with due consideration of the size and staffing of the schools within the jurisdiction. Public school personnel who are authorized by a prescriber and trained in the administration of insulin or glucagon are excepted from the nursing and medical practice acts when assisting with or performing such diabetes treatment. The Board of Nursing is directed to develop and revise as may be necessary, in coordination with the Boards of Medicine and Education, guidelines for the training of public school employees in the administration of insulin and glucagon for the purpose of assisting with routine insulin injections and providing emergency treatment for life-threatening hypoglycemia. The first set of guidelines must be finalized by September of this year and must be made available to local school boards for a fee not to exceed the costs of publication. In the Drug Control Act, prescribers may authorize, pursuant to a written order or standing protocol, persons employed by a local school board and trained in the administration of insulin and glucagon to assist in the administration of insulin and to administer glucagon to a student diagnosed as having diabetes who requires insulin injections during the school day or for whom glucagon has been prescribed for the emergency treatment of hypoglycemia. Such authorization shall only be effective when a licensed nurse, nurse practitioner, physician or physician assistant is not available to perform the administration of the medication.
Patron - Mims

P SB932
Qualifications of temporarily employed teachers. Directs the local school boards to establish employment qualifications for temporarily employed teachers which may exceed the Board of Education's regulations for such teachers. School boards must also seek to ensure that temporarily employed teachers who are engaged as long-term substitutes will exceed baseline employment qualifications.
Patron - Edwards

P SB962
Compulsory school attendance; general educational development (GED) testing. Authorizes local school boards to grant a student who is at least age 16 an individual student alternative education plan which, after a meeting between the student, the student's parents, and the principal or his designee, must include career guidance counseling, mandatory enrollment in a GED testing program or other alternative education program approved by the local school board, counseling on the economic impact of failing to complete high school, and procedures for re-enrollment in school. From such funds as may be appropriated, local school boards must implement GED testing and preparatory programs consistent with guidelines to be developed by the Board of Education. The guidelines must include a provision allowing such preparatory and testing programs to be offered jointly by two or more school boards. No one under age 16 is eligible for GED testing programs. Additional amendments provide that home-schooled students need not have three consecutive years of home instruction to be eligible to take the GED test. The bill combines and reorganizes several Code sections addressing compulsory school attendance. The repealed sections are moved to § 22.1-254. The bill also includes technical amendments and is identical to HB 2384.
Patron - Woods

P SB1047
Family life education; abstinence education. Defines "abstinence education" as an educational or motivational component which has as its exclusive purpose teaching the social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by teenagers' abstinence from sexual activity before marriage.
Patron - Forbes

P SB1049
Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program. Authorizes local governing bodies to establish separate escrow accounts for the deposit of the school construction grants, with certain restrictions. This provision allows the governing body of the locality to which a grant is awarded to authorize the local treasurer or fiscal officer, by ordinance or resolution, to create the separate account and, upon approval of the ordinance or resolution, the treasurer must place the grant awards into the account. The funds must be used for the purposes authorized under the Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program and must be appropriated by the local governing body. Deposit and investment restrictions applying to public funds must be observed. School boards are not authorized to hold and invest the funds in their own names or to expend the funds without an appropriation from the governing body. If a locality designates funds to pay debt service on bonds issued by the Virginia Public School Authority or a Literary Fund loan, the locality shall obtain an opinion of bond counsel that the tax exempt status of the bonds is not affected. This measure is substantially identical to HB 2591.
Patron - Bolling

P SB1067
Annual school board reports. Changes from August 15 to September 15 the date on which school boards must make a report covering the work of the schools for the year ending the preceding June 30 to the Board of Education on forms supplied by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. This measure is identical to HB 1925.
Patron - Woods

P SB1126
School board salaries. Increases the maximum salaries per year for school board members for Hampton from $3,000 to $5,000 and in Warren County from $1,500 to $3,600.. Under current law, no school board can request the General Assembly's consideration of an increase in its annual salary limit unless the school board has taken an affirmative vote on the requested increase. Further, no school board whose membership is elected in whole or in part can be awarded a salary increase, unless a specific salary increase is approved by affirmative vote by that school board. Amendments adopted in 1998 (HB 1047) sought to clarify the procedures by which school boards may elect to increase their salaries. A local school board representing a county may establish a salary increase prior to July 1 in any year in which members are to be elected or appointed, or, if such school board is elected or appointed for staggered terms, prior to July 1 of any year in which at least one-half of such members are to be elected or appointed. These increases would become effective on January 1 of the following year. A local school board representing a city or town may establish a salary increase prior to January 1 in any year in which members are to be elected or appointed; the increase would become effective on July 1 of the following year. No salary increase may become effective during an incumbent member's term of office; however, this restriction will not apply if the school board members are elected or appointed for staggered terms. Because the county deadlines occur before the bill becomes effective, an emergency clause was added. Further, city and town restrictions were revised to require the establishment of an increase prior to December 31 in a year preceding a year in which members are to be elected or appointed.
Patron - Maxwell

P SB1128
Community-Based Intervention Program for Suspended and Expelled Students. Establishes, with such funds as may be appropriated for these purposes, the Community-Based Program for Suspended and Expelled Students to provide interim instructional programs, intervention, and supervision for students in the public schools who have been suspended, excluded, or expelled from regular school attendance, recommended for the program or ordered into the program by a court or enrolled by the parent. The program shall consist of five regional projects. Priority for awarding grants shall be given to nonprofit, tax-exempt public or private organizations whose programs are designed to serve students who have been removed from regular school attendance. Criteria for the programs include licensed or otherwise qualified teachers and joint ventures with business and industry for vocational training and apprenticeships. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee Studying the Status and Needs of African-American Males.
Patron - Maxwell

P SB1135
Student expulsions for drug offenses. Provides that students must be expelled from school attendance for possession of drugs on school property or at a school-sponsored activity. The bill also permits school boards, by regulation, to authorize the division superintendent or his designee to conduct a preliminary review of such cases to determine whether a disciplinary action other than expulsion is appropriate. These regulations are to ensure that any such "other" subsequent disciplinary action is to be taken in accordance with the due process procedures set forth in § 22.1-277. Currently, possession with intent to distribute is the basis for required expulsion. A school board may determine that "special circumstances" exist in these cases and that another disciplinary action is more appropriate. This bill is identical to HB 2144.
Patron - Howell

P SB1136
Student expulsions. Modifies the "zero tolerance" law, which mandates one-year expulsions for students bringing weapons on school property or to school-sponsored events, to permit school boards, by regulation, to authorize the division superintendent or his designee to conduct a preliminary review of such cases to determine whether a disciplinary action other than expulsion is appropriate. These regulations are to ensure that any such "other" subsequent disciplinary action is to be taken in accordance with the due process procedures set forth in § 22.1-277. Currently, a school board may determine that "special circumstances" exist in these weapons possession cases and that another disciplinary action is more appropriate.
Patron - Howell

P SB1145
Education Accountability and Quality Enhancement Act of 1999. Makes a variety of changes to the statutes governing teacher preparation, evaluation, and employment, including: (i) requiring each local school board to evaluate its division superintendent annually; (ii) directing the Board of Education to prescribe by regulation uniform performance standards and criteria to be used by local school boards in evaluating superintendents; (iii) establishing the National Teacher Certification Reward Program to provide annual monetary awards to teachers achieving and maintaining national certification; (iv) amending Standard 5 of the Standards of Quality to incorporate specific training for administrative and supervisory personnel in the evaluation and documentation of training in evaluation and documentation of teacher and administrator performance; (v) requiring local school boards to develop for use by division superintendents a performance evaluation process for principals, assistant principals, and supervisors; (vi) requiring school boards to fill teaching positions with licensed instructional personnel qualified in the relevant subject areas; (vii) directing school boards to include in their teacher employment policies incentives for excellence in teaching, and to develop a procedure for use by the division superintendent and principals in evaluating instructional personnel; (viii) requiring the Board of Education to require persons seeking initial licensure on and after July 1, 2003, to complete study in instructional methods tailored to promote student achievement and effective preparation for the Standards of Learning end-of-course and end-of-grade assessments and to submit materials evidencing proficiency in classroom instruction and to require persons renewing licenses on and after July 1, 2004, to receive training in instructional methods promoting academic progress and effective preparation for the SOL tests; (ix) directing Virginia's public colleges and universities to use a professional teacher's examination prescribed by the Board of Education for persons seeking entry into teacher education programs and to report annually, pursuant to Board of Education guidelines, performance reports that include pass rates of graduates taking the state teacher licensure examination; (x) directing school boards to provide mentor teachers to probationary teachers, except probationary teachers who have prior successful teaching experience; (xi) requiring annual evaluations of probationary teachers; and (xii) specifying various guidelines for the Mentor Teacher Program. The bill also includes several technical amendments. This measure is identical to HB 2710.
Patron - Houck

P SB1199
School division participation in medical assistance services. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Director of the Department of Medical Assistance Services or their designees to develop and execute a memorandum of agreement relating to pilot school/community health centers and special education health services that are delivered by school divisions to public school students. The memorandum of agreement must be revised on a periodic basis; at a minimum, it must be revised within six months of the inauguration of a new governor. The agreement must include, but need not be limited to, (i) requirements for regular and consistent communications and consultations between the two departments and with school division personnel and officials and school board representatives; (ii) a description of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and any corresponding state law which influences the scope of these responsibilities; (iii) a summary of the then-current Medicaid regulations regarding the pilot school/community health centers and special education health services programs; (iv) assignment of specific responsibilities of the two state departments for the operation of the pilot school/community health services and special education health services programs; (v) a schedule of issues to be resolved through the regular and consistent communications process, including, but not limited to, ways to integrate and coordinate care between the Department of medical Assistance Services' managed care providers and the pilot school community health centers and the special education health services; (vi) a process for the evaluation of the services which may be delivered by school divisions participating as pilot school/community health or special education health services providers pursuant to Medicaid which differentiates between the pilot school/community health centers and the special education health services; and (vii) a plan and schedule to reduce the administrative and paperwork burden of Medicaid participation on school divisions in Virginia. In addition, the Boards of Education and Medical Assistance Services are directed to develop a form to be included in the individualized education plan (IEP) that must be accepted by DMAS as the plan of care and to collect data necessary to establish separate and specific Medicaid rates for the IEP meetings and other services delivered by school divisions. The two Boards must work together to develop mechanisms to reduce the burden of eligibility determinations and for obtaining physicians' orders and parental consent to release of a minor's records. Further, the pilot school/community health centers and Medicaid state plan statutes are amended to provide technical updating revisions and to confirm both the programs and the responsibilities of the Board of Medical Assistance Services for revision of its regulations on these programs. The Boards of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology and of Psychology will respectively license, as school speech-language pathologists, persons licensed by the Board of Education with an endorsement in speech-language pathology and a master's degree in speech-language pathology as school speech-language pathologists, and persons licensed by the Board of Education with an endorsement in psychology and a master's degree in psychology as school psychologists-limited. Such individuals are not authorized to practice outside the school setting or in any setting other than the public schools of the Commonwealth, unless such individuals are licensed by the relevant board to offer services to the public. Persons who hold licenses as speech-language pathologists or psychologists without these limitations will be exempt from these limitations. The services delivered by school divisions cannot include any family planning, pregnancy or abortion services. Emergency regulations are required by the second enactment. The third enactment requires the two departments to report on or before December 1 of each year to the chairmen of the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance, and the House Committees on Education, Health, Welfare and Institutions, Finance, and Appropriations. This bill is identical to HB 2360.
Patron - Houck

P SB1200
Virginia Gifted Education Consortium. Establishes the Virginia Gifted Education Consortium to facilitate collaboration, cooperation, and communication among school divisions to address issues of mutual concern regarding gifted education. Comprised of no more than 26 members, the consortium shall be composed of volunteer representatives of local school divisions, professional associations for the gifted, institutions of higher education, teachers, researchers, parents, and advocates of gifted education. The consortium is to promote the early identification of gifted and talented students and to attend to the educational and support needs of gifted students, particularly minority, poor, and special needs students, and those who demonstrate exceptional talents in other areas recognized under federal law. The consortium shall also monitor the quality and needs of such programs, propose changes that may be needed to improve gifted education, network and share best practices, and deliberate and collaborate on mutual interests and concerns. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is required to convene the consortium for its first meeting and provide for the establishment of a meeting schedule. He is also required to designate staff to observe the proceedings. This is a section 1 bill and will not be codified. Its provisions expire on July 1, 2001. The initial version of the measure was a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee Studying the Educational Needs of Certain Gifted Students.
Patron - Houck

P SB1237
School board salaries. Provides that Newport News and Virginia Beach, notwithstanding any provisions of § 22.1-32 to the contrary, may establish salary increases to become effective on and after July 1, 1999. Section 22.1-32 places conditions on the adoption of school board salary increases and also provides that a salary increase may not become effective during an incumbent's term, unless the school board members serve staggered terms. This measure is presented as a § 1 bill, as it effects a one-time action for two jurisdictions. An emergency clause makes this measure effective upon its passage.
Patron - Williams

P SB1244
Reporting of student offenses to school authorities. Permits local law-enforcement authorities to report, and school principals to receive such reports, on student offenses, wherever committed, that would be a felony if committed by an adult or would be an adult misdemeanor involving any of the at-school drug, weapons, or violence-related incidents already required to be reported to school officials. Principals are to contact the parents of students involved in these incidents, and the student must participate in appropriate intervention and prevention activities. Under current law, courts must report student convictions or adjudications of certain crimes pursuant to § 16.1-305.1; in addition, incidents involving drugs, weapons, or violence on school property or at school events, regardless of any arrest or conviction, are now reported to school authorities, who then relay an annual report of these incidents to the division superintendent.
Patron - Forbes

P SB1250
Suicide prevention in public schools. Requires licensed school personnel who have, in the scope of their employment, reason to believe, as a result of direct communication from a student, that a student is at imminent risk of suicide, to contact, as soon as practicable, at least one of a student's parents to ask whether the parent is aware of the student's mental state and whether the parent wishes to obtain or has already obtained counseling for such student. If the student has indicated that parental abuse or neglect is the reason for contemplating suicide, the contact with the parent will not be made, and the licensed school administrator or teacher must immediately notify the local or state social services agency. The notifying person must stress that immediate action is necessary to protect the child from harm. The Board of Education, in cooperation with the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services and the Department of Health, must develop guidelines for making the contact with the parents which must include (i) criteria to assess the suicide risks of students, (ii) characteristics to identify potentially suicidal students, (iii) appropriate responses to students expressing suicidal intentions, (iv) available and appropriate community services for students expressing suicidal intentions, (v) suicide prevention strategies which may be implemented by local schools for students expressing suicidal intentions, (vi) criteria for notification of and discussions with parents of students expressing suicidal intentions, (vii) criteria for as-soon-as-practicable contact with the parents, (viii) appropriate sensitivity to religious beliefs, and (ix) the legal requirements and criteria for notification of public service agencies, including, but not limited to, the local or state social services and mental health agencies. The guidelines may include case studies and problem-solving exercises and may be designed as materials for in-service training programs for licensed administrative and instructional personnel. The first guidelines must be developed, published and distributed by October 1, 1999. No person will be required to comply with the requirements of this act until the guidelines are distributed to the local school divisions.
Patron - Newman

P SB1263
Academic Opportunities Pilot Program. Creates the Academic Opportunities Pilot Program to provide a model for school divisions to explore innovative options and creative instructional programs for the education of secondary school students, within the same facility, who are (i) educationally at-risk, (ii) assigned to the regular instructional program, (iii) identified as gifted or talented or enrolled in advanced placement or honors classes, (iv) identified as having special needs, (v) over-age and for whom the regular instructional program is inappropriate, (vi) enrolled in vocational and technical education programs, or (vii) have been suspended, excluded, or expelled from school attendance. The Board of Education is required to promulgate regulations for the implementation of the Program, which shall be administered by the Department of Education. The regulations must require that school boards offer two or more instructional program components in the same facility. The Program will consist of no more than five pilot projects located throughout Virginia; the projects must comply with the Standards of Quality, the Standards of Learning, and the Standards of Accreditation. Upon the appropriation for funds to support the Program, grants must be awarded on a competitive basis, through the request for proposal process. Projects must comply with federal and state laws and regulations which govern various instructional programs. The measure expires on July 1, 2004.
Patron - Lambert

P SB1284
Vocational education. Directs the Board of Education to incorporate into vocational education the Standards of Learning in mathematics, English, science, and social studies, and other subjects as appropriate. The bill also establishes, with such funds as may be appropriated for such purpose, within the Department of Education a unit of specialists in vocational education. The unit is to assist in developing and revising the vocational education curriculum to incorporate the Standards of Learning, provide professional development for vocational education teachers, make site visits, and seek the input of business and industry representatives regarding vocational education programs in public schools. This measure is identical to HB 2476.
Patron - Couric

P SB1295
Admission to and tuition for public schools. Clarifies that, consistent with the state constitutional mandate for a system of free public schools, no person may be charged tuition for admission or enrollment in Virginia public schools, whether on a full- or part-time basis, who meets the various residency criteria set forth in § 22.1-3. This measure would include the enrollment of public and nonpublic school students in Governor's Schools, the enrollment of resident school-age persons in general education development (GED) and alternative programs, in summer programs (exclusive of required remediation), or in local initiatives or programs not required by the Standards of Quality or the Standards of Accreditation, and the part-time enrollment of nonpublic school students in other public schools.
Patron - Hanger

P SB1305
Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind at Staunton. Directs the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind (VSDB) at Staunton, from such funds as may be appropriated, to provide an educational program for children in preschool through grade 12 who have visual and hearing disabilities and who are identified as emotionally disturbed pursuant to Board of Education regulations. Currently, VSDB at Staunton provides an educational program for children in preschool through grade 12 who are deaf and an educational program for children in preschool through grade 12 who are blind, while VSDB at Hampton provides an educational program for children in preschool through grade 12 who are deaf, an educational program for children in preschool through grade 12 who are blind, and an educational program for children in preschool through grade 12 with sensory-impaired multiple disabilities.
Patron - Hanger

P SB1306
Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. Eliminates the authority of the Board of Education to establish attendance zones for the Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, located in Staunton and in Hampton. This bill also includes several technical amendments.
Patron - Hanger

P SB1307
Proficiency in Braille. Requires that on and after July 1, 2000, persons seeking licensure with endorsements as teachers of the blind and visually impaired demonstrate proficiency in reading and writing Braille. Currently, the law provides that such persons shall demonstrate "minimum proficiency" in Braille.
Patron - Hanger

F Failed

F HB1512
School accreditation; students with limited English proficiency. Provides that the test scores of students for whom English is not the first or native language who have been identified as having limited English proficiency and who have been enrolled in a public school in the Commonwealth for less than five years shall not be included in any school accreditation requirements. The 1997 revisions to the Standards of Accreditation (SOA) set forth new criteria and processes for individual school accreditation, and clearly state that schools shall be accredited "primarily" based on pupil achievement, as evidenced by scores on the Standards of Learning (SOL) tests and other assessments. In the elementary grades, accreditation will be based on the percentage of eligible students in grades three and five achieving passing scores on the SOL tests in the four core subject areas; in middle schools, SOL tests in the four core subjects for eighth graders and end-of-course tests "where applicable" will determine accreditation. End-of-course SOL test scores will support secondary school accreditation. The SOA define "eligible students," for accreditation purposes, as the total number of students enrolled in the school at the grade level for the SOL tests, with the exception of those pupils whose individualized education plan (IEP), 504 Plan, or limited English proficiency (LEP) committee excludes them from test participation. Beginning with academic year 2001-02, the achievement of students who do not participate in the SOL tests will be evaluated on the basis of an alternative assessment prescribed by the Board. While test scores are deemed a "primary" consideration in school evaluation and accreditation, the SOA contemplate some flexibility, as individual schools' annual improvement toward specified passing rates during the initial years of the implementation will be "considered." In addition, "additional accommodations" may be afforded those schools with high percentages of transient or non-English-speaking immigrant pupils.
Patron - Puller

F HB1513
Funding for certain at-risk pupils. Expands the current state grants initiative for certain at-risk preschool pupils by providing, during the 1999-2000 fiscal year and thereafter, for the allocation of the state share of the grant per child, as specified in the appropriation act, for 100 percent of the unserved at-risk four-year-olds and five-year-olds who are not eligible to attend kindergarten in the Commonwealth. This 100 percent is to be calculated by adding services for 40 percent more of the unserved at-risk children to the 60 percent of unserved at-risk children in each locality provided funding in the appropriation act. Under current law, grants distributed in 1996-97 and thereafter are calculated based upon a state share for 60 percent of unserved four-year-olds. Localities wishing to qualify for these grants must pledge matching funds, based on the composite index of local ability to pay.
Patron - Puller

F HB1629
Contract schools for enhanced site-based management. Establishes definitions, mechanisms, limitations, etc., for the granting of contracts for enhanced site-based management to public schools. The contracts will be between the supervising school board and the public school. Before a contract petition is filed with the local school board, agreement at the school level must be obtained from two-thirds of the licensed school personnel of the school and at least 50 percent of the families of the students in average daily membership at the relevant school. The petition will include a school-community commitment plan to ensure that school personnel and students' families, and, in the case of high schools, the students, will be involved in the development of the school improvement plan; will be involved in monitoring the progress and evolution of the school improvement plan; and will be provided opportunities to express ideas, opinions, and concerns. A committee of students' families and others must be appointed by the local school board to monitor the development of the school contract. The community at large must also be involved in the implementation of any contract for enhanced site-based management. A school improvement plan must also be developed, including measurable and academically challenging educational achievement goals. Clear performance-based and student achievement-based objectives and performance criteria for measuring these objectives and determining student progress must be provided in the school improvement plan. If the contract petition is not approved by the school board, the board must inform the school in writing within 30 days and provide the reasons for disapproval and corrective actions that may be taken to obtain approval. Schools may resubmit the contract petitions; however, all agreements and plans must be completed as required for the initial submission unless the school board has agreed to accept various components. The student body of a contract school must live in the attendance zone established before the granting of the contract application. However, any school board approving a contract petition will have to establish procedures for students living in the school's attendance zone to transfer from a contract school and, if the school can accommodate additional students, the school board will have to establish procedures for transfers into the contract school. These procedures will have to be on a first-come first-served basis. School personnel must also be accorded transfer privileges, upon request, for vacant comparable positions or as an exchange with other consenting personnel for comparable positions. The Board of Education will promulgate regulations for local school boards to use in approving contracts for contract schools. All contract schools must report on their activities to the local school board on November 1 of each year. The local school boards will report to the Board of Education by December 1 of each year. The Board will report on the status of contract schools to the Governor and the General Assembly annually beginning in January 2002. Private schools are not allowed to convert to contract schools. This provision will not require additional local appropriations; however, local governments may provide additional funding.
Patron - Van Yahres

F HB1703
Public school-based access to information infrastructure. Requires public schools providing student access to the Internet and other aspects of the electronic information infrastructure to employ, or contract with persons to implement, computer technology inhibiting access to materials harmful to juveniles, obscene materials, and child pornography. Local school boards are to report their compliance with this requirement annually to the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Patron - Abbitt

F HB1771
School calendar. Makes local school boards responsible for setting the school calendar and determining the opening of the school year, and eliminates the post-Labor Day opening requirement and the "good cause" scenarios for which the Board of Education might grant waivers of this requirement. Amendments adopted in 1998 (SB 425) delineated the three "good cause" situations that may justify a waiver: the applicant school division must (i) have been closed an average of eight days per year during any five of the last 10 years because of severe weather conditions or certain other emergency situations; (ii) be providing an instructional program or programs in one or more of its elementary, middle or high schools, excluding the electronic classroom, which are dependent on and provided in one or more elementary, middle or high schools of another school division that qualifies for such waiver, (waiver applicable only to the opening date for those schools where the dependent programs are provided); or (iii) be providing an experimental or innovative program approved by the Department of Education pursuant to the Standards of Accreditation (waiver only applicable to the opening date for schools where the experimental or innovative programs are offered generally to the student body).
Patron - Parrish

F HB1786
Standards of Quality. Changes the requirements for minimum staffing levels of assistant principals. The Board's regulations on accrediting schools must include, in the minimum staffing requirements, employment of assistant principals in elementary schools, one half-time to 300 students, one full-time at 450 students; assistant principals in middle schools, one half-time to 300 students, one full-time at 450 students; assistant principals in high schools, one half-time to 300 students; one full-time at 450 students. Present regulatory requirements are one half-time assistant principal for every elementary school with an average daily membership of 600 students, one full-time at 900 students; one full-time for each 600 students in middle schools; and one full-time for each 600 students in secondary schools. Many school divisions consider these requirements too low. This bill amends Standard 3 of the Standards of Quality.
Patron - Tate

F HB1799
Violence intervention and prevention initiatives in the public schools. Directs the Board of Education, in consultation with the office of the Attorney General, to develop regulations addressing violence prevention and intervention initiatives; local school boards must then adopt and implement violence prevention and intervention initiatives, possibly within the already-required school safety audit, consistent with these regulations. Promulgated under the Administrative Process Act, the regulations are to include, but not be limited to, (i) criteria for developing school board policies governing student conduct and violence prevention and intervention initiatives; (ii) protocol and procedures for identifying and averting potentially violent acts at school; (iii) to the extent constitutionally permissible, the use of mental health screening and assessments for students who have been expelled or suspended for specific acts of violence or threats, including standards for student and parental consent for and the confidentiality and subsequent use of any such screening and assessments; (iv) any notice and due process procedures required to protect individual rights; and (v) relevant state and federal constitutional, statutory, and regulatory provisions. Determining the propriety of various intervention initiative typically necessitates consideration and balancing of individual privacy rights and the state's interest in promoting or preserving the safety and welfare of others in the public schools. Of interest in considering mental health screenings or evaluations for expelled or suspended pupils is a 1993 decision, Kubany v. Sch. Bd. of Pinellas Co. (818 F. Supp. 1504 (M.D. Fla. 1993)), in which a Florida high school student contested a school board policy of reducing drug and alcohol-related suspensions upon the student's enrollment in an approved drug or alcohol treatment program. The federal district court found that participation in an alcohol and drug treatment program was not coercive, but an option available to students as an alternative to suspension. The court specifically stated that "providing students with treatment and counseling is rationally related to the government's compelling interest in protecting minors from the dangers caused by the use and abuse of alcohol and drugs. Furthermore, the Code ... does not under any circumstances coerce a student to attend a program." The referral to treatment would be "a matter of choice by the parent" rather than a "sentence of imprisonment or penalty" not authorized by the Florida Constitution.
Patron - Clement

F HB1872
School board salaries; Amelia and Prince George. Increases the salary limit for Amelia County School Board members from $1,200 to $5,000 and Prince George County School Board members from $1,800 to $3,600. Present law requires school boards to request the General Assembly's consideration of an increase in the annual salary limit after an affirmative vote on the requested increase. Further, no school board whose membership is elected, in whole or in part, can be awarded a salary increase unless, upon an affirmative vote by such school board, a specific salary increase, within the limit set herein, has been approved. County school boards must establish a salary increase prior to July 1 in any year in which members are to be elected or appointed, or, if such school board is elected or appointed for staggered terms, prior to July 1 of any year in which at least one-half of such members are to be elected or appointed. The increase becomes effective on January 1 of the following year. Therefore, this bill has an emergency clause to ensure timely effect of the law. There are also technical amendments. This bill has been incorporated into HB 1689.
Patron - Ingram

F HB1950
Fingerprinting of school board employees. Adds York County to the list of those localities which shall require fingerprinting of prospective school board employees. This bill has been incorporated into HB 1451.
Patron - Morgan

F HB1966
School board salaries; Petersburg. Increases the maximum salaries per year for school board members for Petersburg from $2,400 to $5,000. This bill has been incorporated into HB 1689.
Patron - DeBoer

F HB1988
School board salaries. Modifies the school board salary statute to provide that, in the case of school boards for cities, salary increases may be established before January 1 in any year when members are elected, to become effective July 1 of the same year. There are also technical amendments throughout the bill. Amendments adopted in 1998 (HB 1047) clarified the procedures by which school boards may elect to increase their salaries. A local school board representing a county may establish a salary increase prior to July 1 in any year in which members are to be elected or appointed, or, if such school board is elected or appointed for staggered terms, prior to July 1 of any year in which at least one-half of such members are to be elected or appointed. These increases would become effective on January 1 of the following year. A local school board representing a city or town may establish a salary increase prior to January 1 in any year in which members are to be elected or appointed; the increase would become effective on July 1 of the following year. No salary increase may become effective during an incumbent member's term of office; however, this restriction will not apply if the school board members are elected or appointed for staggered terms. This bill has been incorporated into HB 1689.
Patron - Jackson

F HB2011
Persons to whom public schools shall be free. Adds to the list of persons deemed to reside in a school division, and therefore entitled to a free public education in the public schools of that division, those individuals whose parents are unable to care for them and who are living, not solely for school purposes, with another person who resides in the school division and is acting in loco parentis pursuant to a legal adoption procedure. Current law contemplates residency for a variety of cases and addresses children living with a parent by legal adoption as well as for those who are living with a person in loco parentis; however, in the latter case, the child's parents must be dead. This measure was identical to the initial version of HB 1778.
Patron - O'Brien

F HB2024
School board salaries; New Kent. Increases the maximum salaries per year for school board members for New Kent County from $1,200 to $2,000. This bill has been incorporated into HB 1689.
Patron - Grayson

F HB2145
Lottery revenues to be used for certain educational purposes. Requires lottery revenues which are, in the 1999 and 2000 fiscal years pursuant to the appropriation act, appropriated for educational purposes to local school boards or localities to be designated solely for the support of one or more educational incentive programs. These educational incentive programs must be entirely voluntary pursuant to application of the local school board. The 1999/2000 appropriations must not be utilized by any local school board or governing body for meeting the local required cost of maintaining an education program meeting the prescribed Standards of Quality pursuant to Section 2 of Article VIII of the Constitution of Virginia. Therefore, as a condition of applying for and receiving these lottery funds for such voluntary educational incentive programs, local school boards and governing bodies must certify to the Board of Education that any required local match, as set forth in the appropriation act for the program, will be appropriated and that local appropriations to the relevant school board for support of the local education program in the relevant school division, regardless of whether such local funding exceeds the amount required by Section 2 of article VIII of the Constitution of Virginia, will be maintained in the local budget for the 1999 and 2000 fiscal years. This certification must verify that local appropriations for public K-12 education have not been and will not be reduced or supplanted with any lottery funds received for any voluntary educational incentive program in the 1999 and 2000 fiscal years. This bill includes an emergency clause.
Patron - Puller

F HB2166
Certain universally held principles. Requires all school boards in Virginia to distribute to every student in the Commonwealth copies of the appendix from The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis (copyright 1944 by the Macmillan Company) and sets forth this document. The bill notes, in its preamble, that many of the world's civilizations have developed similar philosophies, religions, and legal systems, and that it is well to acknowledge our similarities and parallelisms rather than our differences and disagreements.
Patron - Marshall

F HB2198
Criminal records checks for private school employees. Clarifies that the Criminal Central Criminal Records Exchange (CCRE) is to report to the governing board, administrator, or private organization coordinating criminal history records on behalf of such governing board or administrator pursuant to a written agreement with the Department of State Police, whether or not an applicant for private school employment has ever been convicted of certain crimes. Current language had indicated that the CCRE would report whether the applicant met "criteria for employment"; although a private school, like a public school, may deny employment based on reported convictions, it is not statutorily required to do so. Additional amendments clarify this concept throughout the bill.
Patron - McDonnell

F HB2317
Public school construction. Revises various school construction funding and distribution mechanisms. The bill authorizes the Board of Education to issue Literary Fund loans to fund part or all of the costs for constructing, renovating, retrofitting, or enlarging school buildings; prohibits the denial or delay of a Literary Fund loan for part or all of the costs of construction for a school building solely on the basis that the applicant has applied for or obtained a grant; authorizes Literary Fund applications for part or all of the costs of construction or purchasing and installing educational technology equipment and infrastructure while simultaneously applying for a grant; and requires any school board making application for both a Literary Fund loan and a grant to notify the Board of Education of this request in its Literary Fund application. The bill authorizes, from such funds as may be appropriated, any notes or bonds, and the funds deposited into a Grants Fund, the Virginia Public School Authority (VPSA) to distribute grant funds for school construction; authorizes the VPSA to handle the funds in the Grants Fund and to pledge or assign such funds for bonds or debentures; and empowers the VPSA to collect the principal and interest on any obligations relating to grants for school construction issued pursuant to the Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program. The Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program will be authorized to grant funds for the constructing, renovating, retrofitting or enlarging public school buildings and the costs of purchasing and installing educational technology equipment and infrastructure. The Construction Grants Program is already allowed to accept grants, bequests, etc., and appropriated funds; this provision dedicates 100 percent of the lottery revenues to the Virginia Public School Construction Program, on and after July 1, 1999. Although previously allowed to develop guidelines, the Board of Education must promulgate regulations establishing application procedures and requirements, including, but not limited to, procedures for obtaining local governing body approval of the project, the application, and the conditions of application, components for applications which document financial need and local ability to pay for the construction, emergency needs resulting from natural or other disasters, classroom space need based on present population and projected growth rates, previous construction program commitment, the availability and pledge of local matching funds, the tax base within the jurisdiction and the tax rate as compared to other localities having similar demographics; procedures to ensure that the total amount of funding will not exceed 100 percent of the project costs; procedures for annual deadlines and submissions; procedures for determining priority for awarding grants; and certification of maintenance of local effort. The funds appropriated for financial assistance of the construction grants, pursuant to Item 554 of the 1998-2000 Appropriation Act as in effect on January 1, 1999, will continue to be apportioned as $200,000 in 1998-1999, with the balance distributed according to weighted average daily membership. All funds appropriated for the program pursuant to Item 554 of an amended Appropriation Act for 1998-2000, as enacted in 1999, for fiscal years 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 and for subsequent fiscal years shall be apportioned and distributed among the school divisions in the following manner: 25 percent of such funds to be apportioned equally among all school divisions and distributed as so apportioned in the form of equal grants to every school division; 25 percent to be apportioned and distributed to all school divisions based on average daily membership adjusted by the locality's composite index of ability to pay as set forth in the appropriation act; 25 percent to be apportioned and distributed to all school divisions according to a formula based on local growth rates as set forth in the appropriation act; and 25 percent to be deposited to the Virginia Public School Grants Program Fund.
Patron - Cranwell

F HB2320
Opening of school year. Eliminates the defined "good cause" scenarios for which the Board of Education might grant waivers of the post-Labor Day opening requirement; however, waivers may still be granted for "good cause." Amendments adopted in 1998 (SB 425) delineated the three "good cause" situations that may justify a waiver: the applicant school division must (i) have been closed an average of eight days per year during any five of the last 10 years because of severe weather conditions or certain other emergency situations; (ii) be providing an instructional program or programs in one or more of its elementary, middle or high schools, excluding the electronic classroom, which are dependent on and provided in one or more elementary, middle or high schools of another school division that qualifies for such waiver (waiver applicable only to the opening date for those schools where the dependent programs are provided); or (iii) be providing an experimental or innovative program approved by the Department of Education pursuant to the Standards of Accreditation (waiver applicable only to the opening date for schools where the experimental or innovative programs are offered generally to the student body).
Patron - Ware

F HB2382
Inducing children to absent themselves from school. Adds failure of a parent to advise the school of the reasons for the child's absence or to return the child to school within three days of the written notice of a child's repeated absence by an attendance officer as required by § 22.1-258 to those actions that are punishable as a Class 3 misdemeanor. These parents may also be subject to the penalties provided by subdivision 5a of subsection B of § 16.1-278.5 (child in need of supervision) or § 18.2-371 (encouraging delinquency; Class 1 misdemeanor). Subsequent knowing and willful violations are punishable as a Class 2 misdemeanor.
Patron - Blevins

F HB2531
Opening of school year; waivers for good cause. Adds to the three "good cause" scenarios for which the Board of Education grants waivers of the post-Labor Day school opening requirement, that "good cause" also exists when the Board of Education has determined, upon petition by a local school, that a waiver is in the best educational interests of the students of the school division. The Board is to consider the effect of any differences in opening days between contiguous school divisions. Amendments adopted in 1998 (SB 425) delineated the three "good cause" situations that may justify a waiver: the applicant school division must (i) have been closed an average of eight days per year during any five of the last 10 years because of severe weather conditions or certain other emergency situations; (ii) be providing an instructional program or programs in one or more of its elementary, middle or high schools, excluding the electronic classroom, which are dependent on and provided in one or more elementary, middle or high schools of another school division that qualifies for such waiver (waiver applicable only to the opening date for those schools where the dependent programs are provided); or (iii) be providing an experimental or innovative program approved by the Department of Education pursuant to the Standards of Accreditation (waiver only applicable to the opening date for schools where the experimental or innovative programs are offered generally to the student body).
Patron - McClure

F HB2570
Standards of Learning assessments. Provides that the results of grades 3, 5, and 8 Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments shall not constitute the sole basis for the promotion or retention of students. Technical amendments to Standard 3 correct errors addressing the phase-out of the Literacy Passport Test. Currently, the Standards of Accreditation (SOAs) state that the SOL assessments "shall constitute the primary evaluation of student academic achievement" (8 VAC 20-131-40) and achievement of a passing score on the SOL tests shall be considered in "promotion/retention policies adopted by the local school board." In addition, schools are to "use the SOL test results as part of a multiple set of criteria for determining advancing or retaining students in grades 3, 5, and 8. No promotion/retention policy shall be written in a manner as to systematically exclude students from membership in a grade or participation in a course in which SOL tests are to be administered." (8 VAC 20-131-30) Finally, the SOAs clearly state that schools shall be accredited "primarily" based on pupil achievement, as evidenced by scores on the SOL tests and other assessments. In the elementary grades, accreditation will be based on the percentage of eligible students in grades 3 and 5 achieving passing scores on the SOL tests in the four core subject areas; in middle schools, SOL tests in the four core subjects for 8th graders and end-of-course tests "where applicable" will determine accreditation. End-of-course SOL test scores will support secondary school accreditation. (8 VAC 20-131-280 D; 8 VAC 20-131-300) Pursuant to Standard 1 of the Standards of Quality, students who fail to pass all of the SOL tests in grades 3, 5, and 8 are now required to attend summer school or participate in another form of remediation. Students who fail any of the SOL tests in these grades are also the target of prevention and intervention programs in Standard 1.
Patron - Christian

F HB2610
School calendar. Repeals the Code section requiring local school boards to set the school calendar so that the first day for students must be after Labor Day and establishing the "good cause" situations in which the Board of Education might have waived the requirement.
Patron - Bennett

F HB2681
Virginia Scholarship Program. Establishes a school tuition scholarship program for children from families whose income is below the applicable federal poverty guideline limit, from such funds as are appropriated. Initially the scholarships are for students in grades K-3. They may be used to pay tuition at nonsectarian private schools that register with the Superintendent of Public Instruction or at public schools outside the student's school division who charge tuition for enrollment of students from other divisions. Scholarship amounts shall be established by the Superintendent, not to exceed $2,500.
Patron - O'Brien

F HB2756
Internet access in Virginia's public schools and libraries. Requires local school division superintendents, on or before September 1, 1999, to implement guidelines designed to prevent minors from selecting, acquiring, accessing, or downloading obscenity, child pornography, and other illegal material. The bill defines "obscenity," "child pornography," and "harmful to juveniles," and requires the superintendents to make determinations as to what materials constitute obscenity and child pornography and are harmful to juveniles and otherwise illegal. The bill also requires local public library boards or local governing bodies (where there is no board) to implement guidelines identical to those required of local school division superintendents. The bill stipulates that its provisions shall not be construed to prohibit superintendents, boards, and governing bodies from developing or implementing other lawful guidelines that are more restrictive than the bill.
Patron - Marshall

F SB610
Codes of student conduct. Requires school boards to include, in the student conduct regulations, disciplinary actions for any substance abuse offenses; however, mere possession of a legal nonprescription drug for medically necessary reasons by a high school student for his own use shall not be included in any student conduct code in the public schools of this Commonwealth as an offense warranting suspension or expulsion.
Patron - Saslaw

F SB836
Conditions for certain school board accounting procedure. Requires, as a condition of any school board agreeing to deduct on a regular basis any dues for any organization from any employee's or group of employees' salaries prior to issuance of such employees' paychecks that the organization requesting such accounting procedure must agree to disclose, to the public and to its dues-paying members, the compensation packages, including any perquisites and benefits or rates for billable hours, of its executives, managers, and any consultants under contract to perform services for the organization.
Patron - Schrock

F SB985
Advisory referendum; Page County high schools. Provides for an advisory referendum in Page County at the November 2, 1999, election on the future of the county's two high schools. The voters are asked to vote for one of three options: (1) a new consolidated high school and conversion of the two existing high schools to middle schools; (2) two new high schools and conversion of the two existing high schools to middle schools; or (3) no change and no new construction.
Patron - Miller, K.G.

F SB1022
Staggered terms for school board members in certain counties. Provides a mechanism for changing to staggered terms for school board members in Prince William County (i.e., any county which has the county executive form of government and which is contiguous to a county having the urban county executive form of government and in which the chairman of the board of supervisors is elected at large). The change would occur at the next general election following the passage of a resolution by the county school board authorizing staggered terms for school board members. The resolution must pass prior to the April 1 before the general election. The terms of school board members, excluding the chairman, would be staggered initially as follows: (i) if there is an even number of members, half serve four-year terms and half serve two-year terms; and (ii) if there is an odd number of members, the smallest number of members which creates a majority of the board serve four-year terms and the remaining members serve two-year terms. The school board will assign which districts will run for two-year terms and which for four-year terms prior to the election. Thereafter, all members are elected for four-year terms; and school board elections are then held biennially for the staggered terms. The bill does not carry an emergency clause, and the first opportunity for an election to stagger terms in Prince William County will be November 2003.
Patron - Colgan

F SB1162
Standards of Learning assessments. Provides that the results of any Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments cannot be the sole basis for the promotion or retention of students at grades three, five, and eight.
Patron - Edwards

F SB1163
School buses. Requires the Board of Education to promulgate regulations requiring that school buses purchased for use by public school divisions on or after January 1, 2001, be equipped with safety lap belts and shoulder harnesses and requiring the use of such belts and harnesses by passengers in school buses so equipped. These provisions do not affect school buses used by nonpublic schools, nor do they affect the law requiring use of seat belts by school bus drivers, or impose on school bus drivers any responsibility for ensuring seat belt use by school bus passengers.
Patron - Edwards

F SB1164
Virginia Education Infrastructure Program and Trust Fund. Revises the Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program and Fund to be the Virginia Education Infrastructure Program and Trust Fund, which will include, along with appropriations and gifts and bequests, 100 percent of the lottery revenues on and after July 1, 1999. The grants from the Trust Fund may be distributed to school divisions and public institutions of higher education.
Patron - Edwards

F SB1184
Public school construction. Revises various school construction funding and distribution mechanisms. The bill authorizes the Board of Education to issue Literary Fund loans to fund part or all of the costs for constructing, renovating, retrofitting, or enlarging school buildings; prohibits the denial or delay of a Literary Fund loan for part or all of the costs of construction for a school building solely on the basis that the applicant has applied for or obtained a grant; authorizes Literary Fund applications for part or all of the costs of construction or purchasing and installing educational technology equipment and infrastructure while simultaneously applying for a grant; and requires any school board making application for both a Literary Fund loan and a grant to notify the Board of Education of this request in its Literary Fund application. The bill authorizes, from such funds as may be appropriated, any notes or bonds, and the funds deposited into a Grants Fund, the Virginia Public School Authority (VPSA) to distribute grant funds for school construction; authorizes the VPSA to handle the funds in the Grants Fund and to pledge or assign such funds for bonds or debentures; and empowers the VPSA to collect the principal and interest on any obligations relating to grants for school construction issued pursuant to the Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program. The Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program will be authorized to grant funds for constructing, renovating, retrofitting or enlarging public school buildings and the costs of purchasing and installing educational technology equipment and infrastructure. The Construction Grants Program is already allowed to accept grants, bequests, etc., and appropriated funds; this provision dedicates 100 percent of the lottery revenues to the Virginia Public School Construction Program, on and after July 1, 1999. Although previously allowed to develop guidelines, the Board of Education must promulgate regulations establishing application procedures and requirements, including, but not limited to, procedures for obtaining local governing body approval of the project, the application, and the conditions of application, components for applications which document financial need and local ability to pay for the construction, emergency needs resulting from natural or other disasters, classroom space need based on present population and projected growth rates, previous construction program commitment, the availability and pledge of local matching funds, the tax base within the jurisdiction and the tax rate as compared to other localities having similar demographics; procedures to ensure that the total amount of funding will not exceed 100 percent of the project costs; procedures for annual deadlines and submissions; procedures for determining priority for awarding grants; and certification of maintenance of local effort. The funds appropriated for financial assistance of the construction grants, pursuant to Item 554 of the 1998-2000 Appropriation Act as in effect on January 1, 1999, will continue to be apportioned as $200,000 in 1998-1999, with the balance distributed according to weighted average daily membership. All funds appropriated for the program pursuant to Item 554 of an amended Appropriation Act for 1998-2000, as enacted in 1999, for fiscal years 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 and for subsequent fiscal years shall be apportioned and distributed among the school divisions in the following manner: 25 percent of such funds to be apportioned equally among all school divisions and distributed as so apportioned in the form of equal grants to every school division; 25 percent to be apportioned and distributed to all school divisions based on average daily membership adjusted by the locality's composite index of ability to pay as set forth in the appropriation act; 25 percent to be apportioned and distributed to all school divisions according to a formula based on local growth rates as set forth in the appropriation act; and 25 percent to be deposited to the Virginia Public School Grants Program Fund.
Patron - Mims

F SB1238
Licensure of guidance counselors employed in the public schools. Requires the Board of Education, in cooperation with the Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Substance Abuse Professionals, to promulgate regulations, in accordance with the Administrative Process Act, for licensure of school guidance counselors employed in public schools who are exempt from licensure by the Board of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Substance Abuse Professionals which include education, experiential, and examination requirements consistent with the requirements for licensure of professional counselors by the Board of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Substance Abuse Professionals. The Board of Education will continue to be the only licensing body for school guidance counselors employed in public schools. No waivers from the licensure requirements can, however, be granted by the Board. The Board must promulgate emergency regulations in accordance with the second enactment. Persons who are currently licensed as guidance counselors by the Board of Education or who graduate from a program for school counselors are grandfathered under the current requirements until July 1, 2003. After this date, all initial licensees and renewal applicants must comply with the regulations promulgated pursuant to this act.
Patron - Newman

F SB1239
Suicide prevention in public schools. Requires the Board of Education, in cooperation with the Board of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, to sponsor, conduct or provide advice on in-service programs for licensed administrative and instructional personnel on suicide prevention and to develop suicide prevention guidelines for use as in-service training materials. The guidelines must include (i) criteria to assess the suicide risks of students, (ii) characteristics to identify potentially suicidal students, (iii) appropriate responses to students expressing suicidal intentions, (iv) available and appropriate community services for students expressing suicidal intentions, (v) suicide prevention strategies which may be implemented by local schools for students expressing suicidal intentions, (vi) criteria for notification of and discussions with parents of students expressing suicidal intentions, (vii) appropriate sensitivity to religious beliefs, and (viii) the legal requirements and criteria for notification of public service agencies, including, but not limited to, the local or state social services and mental health agencies. The guidelines may include case studies and problem-solving exercises.
Patron - Newman

F SB1252
Presentation of Virginia history and historical figures. Sets forth the policy of the Commonwealth that the accurate history of Virginia shall be presented in the public schools, state institutions of higher education, and state-funded museums and historical institutions consistent with the applicable Standards of Learning. The governing boards of the public schools, state institutions of higher education, and state-funded museums and historical institutions must ensure that this policy is enforced and respond to written allegations of breaches of this policy. The public schools and state institutions of higher education must also recognize equally and without prejudice all individuals named in legal state holidays pursuant to § 2.1-21 of the Code of Virginia and those individuals honored by federal holidays that have been combined with state holidays.
Patron - Marsh

F SB1262
Suicide prevention in public schools. Requires licensed school personnel who have reason to believe, as a result of direct communication from a student, that at student is considering suicide to immediately contact at least one of a student's parents to ask whether the parent is aware of the student's mental state and whether the parent wishes to obtain or has already obtained counseling for such student. If the student has indicated that parental abuse or neglect is the reason for contemplating suicide, the contact with the parent will not be made and the licensed school administrator or teacher must immediately notify the local or state social services agency. The notifying person must stress that immediate action is necessary to protect the child from harm. The Boards of Education and Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services must jointly develop guidelines for making the contact with the parents which must include (i) criteria to assess the suicide risks of students, (ii) characteristics to identify potentially suicidal students, (iii) appropriate responses to students expressing suicidal intentions, (iv) available and appropriate community services for students expressing suicidal intentions, (v) suicide prevention strategies which may be implemented by local schools for students expressing suicidal intentions, (vi) criteria for notification of and discussions with parents of students expressing suicidal intentions, (vii) appropriate sensitivity to religious beliefs, and (viii) the legal requirements and criteria for notification of public service agencies, including, but not limited to, the local or state social services and mental health agencies. The guidelines may include case studies and problem-solving exercises and may be designed as materials for in-service training programs for licensed administrative and instructional personnel. The first guidelines must be developed, published and distributed by October 1, 1999. No person will be required to comply with the requirements of this act until the guidelines are distributed to the local school divisions.
Patron - Walker

F SB1289
Public school construction. Revises various school construction funding and distribution mechanisms and establishes an 18-member statutory legislative commission to oversee school construction policy. The bill authorizes the Board of Education to issue Literary Fund loans to fund part or all of the costs for constructing, renovating, retrofitting, or enlarging school buildings; prohibits the denial or delay of a Literary Fund loan for part or all of the costs of construction for a school building solely on the basis that the applicant has applied for or obtained a grant; authorizes Literary Fund applications for part or all of the costs of construction or purchasing and installing educational technology equipment and infrastructure while simultaneously applying for a grant; and requires any school board making application for both a Literary Fund loan and a grant to notify the Board of Education of this request in its Literary Fund application. The Board will take into consideration any Literary Fund loan which may have been applied for or awarded for the same projects. The Virginia Public School Authority is empowered to distribute the grants, upon approval of the Board of Education. The grants may be used for erecting, renovating, retrofitting or enlarging public school buildings and site acquisition for school buildings and the costs of purchasing and installing education technology equipment and infrastructure and for debt service payments for projects completed during the previous ten years. This bill requires a written application which sets forth such items as appropriation of the local match and any Literary Fund loan. Grants will be allocated and distributed annually to school divisions in accordance with the following: (i) 30.78 percent of the available grant funds to be allocated and distributed to each school division on the basis of the school division's average daily membership, adjusted for half-day kindergarten enrollment, and further adjusted by (a) the ratio that the locality's index of fiscal stress bears to the statewide average of fiscal stress, and (b) the percentage of students in such school division enrolled in the federal Free Lunch Program; (ii) 34.61 percent of the available grant funds to be allocated and distributed to each school division on a pro rata basis according to the school division's average daily membership, adjusted for half-day kindergarten enrollment, and further adjusted by the locality's composite index of local ability to pay; and (iii) 34.61 percent of the available grant funds to be allocated and distributed in equal amounts to each school division. Local governing bodies are authorized to escrow the funds to be used at a later date in compliance with the grant stipulations. Unclaimed lottery prizes will be deposited to the Literary Fund and transferred to and deposited in the Virginia Public School Construction Grants Fund on and after July 1, 1999. Dedication of lottery funds to the school construction program will be phased in, topping out at 66-2/3 percent in fiscal year 2007 and thereafter. Increases are conditioned on adequate revenues being available to meet other commitments of the Commonwealth.
Patron - Walker

F SB1316
Student participation in extracurricular activities. Requires students to be enrolled full time in public schools and to meet school board guidelines and regulations in order to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities; the guidelines and regulations may provide for, among other things, school board waivers of the full-time enrollment requirement when the extracurricular activity is related to the course or program of instruction in which the student is enrolled. A floor amendment adopted by the House limited the waivers of the full-time enrollment requirement to only allow participation in extracurricular activities that are not governed by any voluntary, nonprofit corporation founded in 1913 sponsoring interscholastic activities (Virginia High School League).
Patron - Potts

F SB1336
Elementary school teachers; planning time. Requires school boards to ensure that all elementary school teachers are provided at least three hours during the students' school week as planning time. This bill would become effective on July 1, 2000.
Patron - Wampler

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