Orange County School Board approves health/PE policy revisions; will review curriculum before school year

The Orange County School Board voted to adopt revisions to two instructional policies (IGA E/IGAF) that reflect recent state law on health, mental‑health and substance‑use instruction. Board members debated timing and the level of curriculum detail to be adopted in policy before voting to approve the superintendent’s recommended language and to review the education division’s curriculum drafts ahead of the school year.

Superintendent Dr. Hornick told the board the policy text presented “is a cut and paste of Virginia code.” Board members discussed whether to delay adoption until the division’s curriculum was finalized; several members stressed they wanted to review curriculum materials that would implement the policy. One motion approved the policies “as presented and recommended by the superintendent” while directing the administration to return with specific curriculum materials in August or September for the board’s review.

During the discussion board members raised concerns about classroom time constraints, how the topics would be taught in brief health‑course windows at the high school level, and whether certain optional items (such as instruction about menstrual hygiene and prescription drug risk) should remain in the policy. Superintendent Hornick and staff said high school implementation would be “cursory” due to quartered course scheduling and that curriculum teams had begun drafting lesson plans and maps.

Board member Miss Harrington made the motion to approve the policy revisions as recommended and to revisit curriculum implementation timing; the motion carried on the recorded voice vote. The board’s public record shows the policies were adopted with a majority vote and that the administration will present curriculum materials for board review before the new school year.