COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 63
April 11, 2003
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Jo Lynne
DeMary Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Final Legislative
Reports for the 2003 General Assembly |
This memorandum provides information regarding
legislation passed by the 2003 session of the Virginia General Assembly that is
of interest to school superintendents and division personnel.
The final legislative reports for the 2003 General
Assembly are posted on the Department of Educations website at: http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/PolicyPub/legis98. This site provides links to two reports:
These reports reflect
final action on education-related legislation tracked by the Department of
Education. The history of any bill or
resolution, all amendments, and the text of the final version are available by clicking
on the bill or resolution number shown in the Legislative Tracking Report.
Final 2003 General Assembly Session
Legislative Report (PDF)
This report is in two parts. The first part provides an index, organized by category, of all of the education-related legislation tracked by the Department of Education that passed in the General Assembly this year. The second part provides a summary of each bill and the section of the Code of Virginia that was affected. You may access information about each bill and its text by clicking on the bill number in the summary section of the report.
All legislation becomes effective on July 1, 2003, unless otherwise indicated. Any information about actions that may or must be taken by local school boards is included in the summary of each bill. These bills include:
Administrative Issues/FOIA
HB 1651 Enlarges the exemption from release of information provided in an employment discrimination complaint.
SB
1203 Authorizes electronic meetings by
boards whose members reside or work more than 55 miles from the meeting
location.
Career and Technical Education
SB
1099 Clarifies the authority of school
divisions to operate joint comprehensive schools offering all-day academic
programs and career and technical education.
HB 1464 Establishes a
general achievement diploma for students who meet requirements established by
Board of Education regulations.
HB 1503 Creates a civics education seal.
HB
2124 Permits Governors Schools operated
jointly to select their fiscal agent.
HB
1834 Requires scoliosis screening for
public school students.
HB
2615 Clarifies the prohibition against
the possession
SB
1071 of drugs on or near school property
with intent to distribute.
HB
2621 Requires annual school safety
audits.
HB
2671 Extends the time when training and
employment standards will be applicable to school security officers.
HB
2680 Clarifies the reporting of assault
and assault and battery to law enforcement.
HB
2763 Permits firearms on school property
in locked trunks.
SB
659 Requires testing of school board
employees for blood-borne pathogens.
HB
1498 Permits Virginias civic values to
be taught as part of the character education requirements.
HB
1757 Requires remediation of certain
students.
HB 2442 Requires school boards to identify students with limited English proficiency and enroll them in appropriate instructional programs.
HB
1518 Requires school board policies to
permit equal access by the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
HB
1716 Permits student Social Security
Numbers waivers and assignment of alternative numbers.
HB
1896 Requires school board employees
compensation
SB
717 schedule to ensure payment of
contract personnel with the first month of employment if school begins prior to
August 15.
HB
2140 Requires the posting of the Bill of
Rights of the U.S. Constitution in all public schools.
HB 2288 Requires each local department of social services
SB 1043 and school division to adopt a written interagency agreement for investigating child abuse and neglect complaints against school personnel.
HB
2438 Clarifies the rehiring of retired
teachers without loss of retirement benefits.
HB
2757 Requires data on convictions of
school personnel on applications for employment.
HB
2806 Permits local school boards to
establish a four-day school week.
SB 987 Permits
displaying American flag decals on school buses and prescribes criteria.
Standards
of Quality/Standards of Accreditation
SB
779 Discontinues the required
administration of the Stanford Achievement Test Series, Ninth Edition (Stanford
Nine) assessment.
Student
Conduct
HB
1907 Provides for student expulsion for
possession of an air rifle or BB gun.
HB
2091 Permits voluntary and mandatory
drug testing in accordance with Board of Education guidelines.
HB
1790 Clarifies the timelines for
decisions and appeals of teacher grievances.
HB
2254 Requires notification of a
reduction in force for teachers.
SB
941 Clarifies the timelines for the
establishment of a fact-finding panel to hear a teacher grievance.
I hope this information will assist you in planning
and implementing the state legislative changes with your school boards. Technical support to implement the new
legislative responsibilities is available from the Department of Education.
Please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Cynthia Cave,
director of policy,(mail to: ccave@mail.vak12ed.edu)at
(804)225-2092 if you need additional information.
JLD/MJP/cb