Board approves VSBA policy updates; new requirements codify emergency response, opioid antagonist availability and heat-safety measures

The King George County School Board voted to approve a series of VSBA policy manual updates that the superintendent said reflect new requirements from the Virginia General Assembly and statewide practice for school safety and emergency response.

Dr. Boyd, superintendent of King George County Schools, told the board the package includes an updated school crisis and emergency management policy that now requires an annual school safety audit meeting with county law enforcement, an athletic emergency action plan, a cardiac emergency response plan, and language formally placing the district’s bleeding-control program in policy.

“We are required now to have an athletic emergency action plan and also a cardiac emergency response plan, which I will let you know is are both in place at this point,” Dr. Boyd said. He added the bleeding-control program has been in practice and the update places it into district policy.

The board also approved EBBA and EBBC policies that require at least one employee in each building to be prepared to administer an opioid antagonist. Dr. Boyd said the policy approved at the last meeting protects staff from liability associated with applying the opioid antagonist and that the regulation EBBC‑R details storage, inspection and replacement procedures.

A new policy on student-athlete heat safety (JJ‑AG) codifies existing practice — notably use of wet-bulb temperature readings — and provides a table that guides when certain types of practices are allowed depending on heat and humidity measurements. The superintendent said the state-level requirement mirrors practices already conducted by the division’s trainers.

Board members asked operational questions about whether staff were trained and had access to opioid antagonists on site. Dr. Boyd confirmed multiple staff in each building are trained and that storage and replacement procedures are specified in the new regulation.

Student representatives earlier in the meeting described the school metal-detector checkpoints and day‑to‑day safety changes. Jake Lauver, a senior and student representative at King George High School, said, “The metal detectors have been a process to get used to, but I’m confident in time that it should be a breeze.” The board and administrators said the detectors smoothed after the first day as students and staff acclimated.

The board approved striking several outdated forms from its policy manual (including professional employee tuition assistance and certain leave request forms) and removing regulations now covered by newer policies. The motion to approve the VSBA updates, including the deletions, was moved, seconded and carried with the chair’s aye.

The policy package will be incorporated into the school division’s policy manual and the regulations and procedures (for opioid antagonist storage and inspection, athletic emergency plans, and heat-safety operations) will be implemented at the building level.

Less critical details: board members discussed that the opioid antagonist policy is similar to other districts and noted that the heat-safety policy formalizes longstanding trainer practices. The superintendent said the division already has an athletic emergency action plan.