House subcommittee advances math office substitute, approves attendance amendment; several education bills tabled

The House Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee of Appropriations voted on multiple K‑12 education measures, reporting substitutes or tabling bills during the session. Key actions included advancing a substitute to create an Office of Mathematics Improvement (HB 1829) and approving an amendment to remove a fiscal-impact provision from an attendance bill (HB 2601).

The committee took action on at least eight bills touching math instruction, language access to assessments, school meals, school safety reporting, child‑care subsidies, attendance reporting, student‑support agency registration, and history curriculum review. Some measures were reported out of committee with substitutes or amendments; others were “gently laid on the table” for further work.

HB 1829 — Office of Mathematics Improvement: Delegate Simons introduced the bill, citing the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results. "So yesterday, the National NAEP scores came out and Virginia is continuing to fall behind in 4th grade math. So we need this bill now more than ever," Delegate Simons said. The bill would establish an Office of Mathematics Improvement at the Department of Education to provide curriculum support, instructional best practices and advanced online math courses through a virtual Virginia program. Delegate Bolivar moved to report the substitute; the motion was…