Henry County schools briefed on multiple Virginia law changes; board told policy updates coming July 10

Miss Lander, staff member for Henry County Public Schools, told the school board that several changes enacted by the Virginia General Assembly and related bills take effect July 1 and require the division to revise or add policies before the 2025–26 school year.

"The Virginia General Assembly's legislative session has resulted in a significant number of the code amendments to become effective July 1 that require policy revisions and additions prior to the 2025, 2026 school year," Miss Lander said. She told the board the draft policy text is available in BoardDocs and summarized the major changes.

The changes Lander summarized include: a statutory amendment (House Bill 1924, as described in her presentation) that restricts employment or contracting of any individual convicted of a felony crime of violence or an offense involving a child; new or revised policies addressing cardiac emergency response plans, bleeding-control programs and kits, placement and training for automated external defibrillators, and annual review of those plans; new policies and superintendent regulations for procurement, storage and replacement of opioid antagonists (narcan) and training and protections for employees who administer them; and a new policy setting criteria for advanced or accelerated mathematics enrollment in grades 5–8 with an automatic parental opt-out option.

Lander also said existing local policy JFCG (cell-phone-free education), adopted by the board in December 2024, already addresses some statutory requirements and that student-health policies will be updated to reflect optional school-based telehealth services and language authorizing secondary students with diagnosed seizure disorders to self-carry rescue medication when they meet specified criteria.

On opioid antagonists she summarized the draft policy names and supporting regulations: "EBBC opioid antagonist is a new policy to address the requirements, and EBBC–R is the proposed superintendent's regulation to address opioid antagonist safe storage and supply replacement. GCPB professional staff discipline clarifies that there will be no disciplinary action for any employee who in good faith administers an opioid antagonist," Lander said.

Lander told the board the draft policies and cross-references have been reviewed for legality by the Virginia School Boards Association and "they will be presented to the board for approval at the July 10 school board meeting." She urged members to begin reviewing the materials now because the packet is lengthy.

Discussion during the information agenda was limited to board members noting the volume of proposed changes; Board Member Whitlow remarked, "Oh, that's a lot." No formal board action on the policies occurred at this meeting; staff indicated the board will return to these items for action on July 10.

The division identified the affected local policy codes in the draft packet as DJF (purchasing procedures), GCBA (effect of criminal conviction or findings of child abuse/neglect), KQ (commercial/promotional sponsorships), EB (school crisis/emergency management), EBBA (first aid/CPR/AED personnel), EBCB (safety drills), EBBC (opioid antagonist policy) and supporting regulations, GCPB (professional staff discipline), IGAG (teaching about drugs, alcohol and tobacco), JHCD (administering medicines to students), IGBJ (advanced/accelerated mathematics criteria), JFCG (cell-phone-free education) and JHC (student health services).